#at least from MK's perspective

[imminent-danger-came]

So, what are your thoughts on the "omg what if MK breaks the staff" of the MK vs SWK predictions?

So, admittedly I have never thought about this or heard of this. But now that the idea's been presented to me...

I kinda love it.

Post s3 I was expecting the staff to have a little bit more of a negative connotation moving forward (since MK tends to use it as a crutch/feels he needs it in seasons 1-3). In 4x08 we get MK saying "It's always my fault! Ever since I picked up Monkey King's staff I-" echoing Tangs words in 3x13 "MK, from the moment you picked up the Monkey King's staff, their stories became our stories. It's our responsibility to write the final chapter, no matter the outcome." and LBD's words in 3x14 "You're right MK. If you had never found that staff none of this would have been possible. A delivery boy to the end."

But, other than that—even despite the fact MK had assumed his powers came from the staff and he felt "incomplete without it"—in s4 MK returns to using the staff like normal.

Now, in s4 we also see Wukong using the staff more than we ever had before. In 4x07 he grabs the staff to attack the curse, and in the s4 special MK both gifts back Monkey King the staff (a moment I will never get over) and MK/SWK trade off using the staff against Azure. Whereas Wukong had given the staff to MK in AHIB, it seems now they have a sort of dual ownership over it. Which, I'm super excited to see how that plays out moving forward—but I also wonder if they're saving MK's eventual departure from the staff for later. One thing that I always notice watching s4 is the fact that while MK's in Monkey Form, he never uses the staff to attack. He only uses himself as a weapon ("You don't use a weapon, you are a weapon!" anyone?) so I think it's definitely going a "MK is going to no longer need/use the staff" direction.

And now, if the writers were to force this to happen by having MK break it during his fight with Wukong...that would be super interesting. I would quite possibly lose my whole entire shit, and I don't have many of those to spare.

[dcmkanswers]

What are your thoughts on Nakamori Aoko? And about her role in MK?

-

I'm torn, because her role as a character could be good, but it's insultingly underutilized.

Her personality is fine. Strong side being that she's known Kaito long enough to not get chased off by his real less than stellar personality, and she fiercely supports the police because her father is on the force, giving her an overall 'talk shit get hit' attitude towards criminals. Pretty loyal, too. Vulnerable side stemming from the fact that her father works too much and it seeming that none of the people close to her overtly support her -(which I say in a wordy way because Kaito does support her, but he'd die of embarrassment if he did it in an obvious way)- leaving her alone with some self esteem issues. ...Which may also have something to do with why she's friendly around new people, for better or worse. Altogether, she initially comes across as strong willed, but actually gets hurt easily. She could be a complex character to work with...

If she ever got any focus outside of being a convenient tool for Kaito in his heisting.

The Sun Halo chapters gave a lot of potentially good ideas, and then essentially tossed them into the trash because the writing had to stick to a three chapter format. KID and Aoko kidnapped together by another criminal, KID injured, Akako and Hakuba getting in contact to find them with magic and detective work, etc. But the biggest tease was the idea of Aoko realizing that Kaito might be KID. An idea that's been in MK fans minds for as long as the series has existed, build up by Ginzo suspecting Kaito while Aoko defended her friend, the knowledge that Aoko has a personal dislike of the thief and shows that anger every single time she sees KID, probably the most complex subject regarding Aoko that people like to mull over.

And it's just. Given half a chapter, a few frames of her questioning things in her thoughts, and then dropped. Given a handwave and implied to be ignored.

I could go into other details, but the best way to sum it all up at once is to say that Aoko is someone trying very hard to do and be good, and the narrative works even harder to just constantly cut her down behind her back. She 10000% deserves better than what she's being given in MK, moreso than pretty much any other character, because at the moment she's just a slow burn tragedy with her protag friend lying to her and using her as much as he can get away with, and that he will continue to get away with because of main character privilege.

[sairenharia]

MK's First Dad

The snakes represent my many, many dads!

Why yes, MK, they do represent your many, many dads.

Or rather, one dad, many times.

This dad.

So very clearly, the world of Lego Monkie Kid has been experiencing timeloops. Nuwa made MK to collect the stones and when the cycle of the world ends, he yeets himself into the pillar, and restarts everything from the beginning. Without outside factors, everything happens the same as it always did.

The Celestial body establishes itself, demons run amok, the journey happens, society builds, further and further until at least the Jade Emperor and maybe the other Guardians reach the end of their life and the Heavenly Pillar starts to crumble and has to be rebuilt and start the cycle.

Until THIS cycle where the Nine Headed Demon decided to wake MK up early.

And you know what?

I believe every single word the NHD said after he revealed himself was one hundred percent the complete and utter truth. He never ONCE lied to MK or any of the others, at least not from his perspective.

From the explanation of his motives, to the idle comments.

We see this in what he says he's doing. NHD said he isn't trying to push MK to a choice. What he wants is for MK to MAKE a choice. If MK chooses to sacrifice himself, NHD said he's going to save everyone, affirming his choice. By that same token, when MK comes back out of the pillar, he says he choose to face the end together in a supportive tone, affirming his choice again!

NHD didn't lie. Whatever choice MK made, he supported and encouraged MK in it.

His tune only changed, ONLY changed when he was terrified he was going to be trapped in the cycle again. And even then, it was only a brief moment. Once he saw he didn't have to be trapped, he was back to supporting MK, and he was relieved.

Even with the way NHD interacts with the others shows this. NHD allowed them to SPEAK. He only interfered when they tried to PHYSICALLY take MK's choice from him. NHD was fully enabling them to convince MK to make the choice they wanted him to make. They were allowed to persuade, because it was still ultimately MK who got to decide what he was going to do.

From start to finish, NHD had two goals. One was to leave the cycle, which he saw as happening either way. Either everything fell apart, or he had a way out when the cycle reset. MK's moved changed his gateway and that's when he got upset, but he had no issue with MK's CHOICE, just the fact he would be trapped again.

And two, that very choice.

But why? NHD manipulated Azure. He manipulated the Yama Kings. Potentially a lot of people in heaven and those below, which is pretty against people making choices. So why does he care so much about MK's choice?

Because the cycle wasn't supposed to end for another eon.

Because this cycle wasn't the first, it wasn't the second, and it likely wasn't even the hundredth.

Which means MK didn't have Pigsy. He didn't have Tang, or Mei, or Sandy, or anyone else in his life. They were long dead by the time the Harbinger is released in every other cycle.

Now with MK having longer to cook, he may be fully grown. Or he may be a kid again, but I think with what NHD said about wanting to give the Harbinger a chance to have a life, the Harbinger is usually grown enough to be able handle the trials.

But he's probably not got a lot of personality going on. Nuwa may have chosen an extreme way to maintain the pillar, but she does seem to be trying her best to minimize suffering. She is repeating the cycle because its the only way she can see in protecting the world from chaos. She makes Harbinger because a sacrifice is necessary for the pillar, to remain as a building block like I think she is. Harbinger has to be someone who EXISTS, but if he's largely a blank slate, then the loss is not so great.

Harbinger lives to sacrifice himself. He has no family. He has no life to lose.

But this means someone who is blank and potentially easy to lead astray.

This is why the trials. Because really, Harbinger is suppose to just live, grab the stones, yeet. Why does he need TRIALS? But then there is what the trials actually teach, as we know them.

A trial of resolve, to push through to the end despite the dangers. To endure danger and hardship to the end. Then the other trial, of focus on self, on what he needs to do in the present. But what's interesting is the DANGER of this one. Its not to Harbinger, but whoever is with him.

These trials are to make sure Harbinger has the nerve to go through danger and hardships to get to the end of the quest...and to keep his focus to PROTECT OTHERS.

Harbinger is made to be a sacrifice. He is made to protect. He is made to save. What happens if he sees people in danger on the way to the pillar? He would get distracted, but in delaying, he puts them in MORE danger. He has to be able to ignore those in smaller danger, and focus on his inner task, to make sure he focuses on the greater goal of sacrificing himself to keep them ALL safe.

I'm sure the dragon and tiger would have something similar.

So the trials help train Harbinger into some personality, but he still has to GET there. More over, he needs to have SOMEONE for the Black Tortoise.

The Yama Kings also know about the Harbinger. They know when he should be released and what he is supposed to do. They likely know what he is supposed to be like, and likely they are also how MK is supposed to even GET to the Jade Emperor.

The Harbinger needed a guide.

And I think that is the Nine Headed Demon.

Because here is the thing. NHD says he's not a monster. And he's tired of being the hero. And he isn't lying.

Here is the cycle.

The world starts. The Celestial body establishes itself. Demons run amok. The Journey happens. Society builds. Nuwa at some point puts the Harbinger in the stone. Eons pass. The Jade Emperor hits the end of his life.

The Harbinger is released.

And NHD is there, as a representative of the Yama Kings who know enough to know this will happen and what is expected. NHD helps the Harbinger to the trials. He helps him to the pillar. He watches the Harbinger sacrifice himself.

The cycle begins again.

He is there again.

The Harbinger dies again.

Over and over, until at some point, perhaps after the first time, perhaps later on, NHD is exposed to chaos. Likely when the cycle is ending and resetting, there is a window that chaos seeps in and NHD is able to see all that is beyond the world.

This is likely why he thinks he's fine regardless of MK's choice. Either he left during the brief window of a reset, he everything fell apart, so he was freed. He didn't account for continuing on beyond the reset.

NHD sees beyond and he sees beauty. NHD sees beyond and now he can REMEMBER. Why is hard to say. Likely he made a deal with whoever "he" is, but regardless, NHD loves chaos and he retains his memories.

But NHD was chosen to help the Harbinger for a reason. He is not cruel. He is not heartless. He loves the masses. He wanted to save and protect them, even at a cost, so he was chosen to help the Harbinger.

It is why even after he saw chaos, he chose to return. He had seen something so GOOD in his eyes, and he wanted to see if he could change the mind of those in the world. To convince Heaven to LET the chaos in. To end the resets and allow chaos and life to CHANGE beyond.

But no one listens.

They reject him.

Call him a monster.

The cycles continue.

He tries. He tries persuasion. He tries trickery. He likely tries force, but the Harbinger is too strong to stop and he will fulfill his destiny. He asks for help.

He even asks the one person who might stop the Harbinger.

Sun Wukong.

NHD said they were old enemies and old friends. NHD sought a solution, so he would ask who he could for help. Sometimes he could convince Wukong to help him. Others, he couldn't. And sometimes, he managed to get Wukong enraged enough to become an enemy. But unfortunately even with Wukong's power, he's never quite strong enough to keep the Harbinger from the pillar.

Likely because the Harbinger wants nothing more than to get to the pillar, and ultimately, the Harbinger is just some kid getting used, and Wukong can't bring himself to kill him. Allowing the Harbinger a moment to get through regardless of how the fight is actually going.

Which could be going far in Wukong's reaction to MK.

NHD said that MK is a remnant of chaos. Which means either the clay he was made from...or from Wukong's stone. And since the Celestial Primates are ODDITIES, its likely Wukong's stone that has that bit of chaos in it that Nuwa is using in her sacrificial building block. No one is gonna be able to make Wukong do anything he doesn't want, and likely none of the other primates, and Nuwa doesn't want to ask anyone to end their life either. Start anew is better.

But likely this bit of chaos may be why Wukong feels a draw to MK. Some part of him remembers the Harbinger. Remembers his strength. Remembers he's a kid being used, who hadn't been allowed to live, who did so much for the sake of others. A kid who idolizes him. A kid who can use his staff.

I think it says something with how much Wukong focuses on MK becoming self confident and choosing things for himself and why he steps in with the Spider Queen because its a fight MK desperately doesn't want even though he SHOULD be capable of handling it, instead of thinking the fights are too much for MK like the Lady Bone Demon. Wukong wants MK to decide things for himself, he wants MK to LIKE himself. Wukong wants MK to choose to. There is a bleeding of the timeline because of Wukong's connection to chaos by being a Celestial Primate.

The Harbinger is a blank slate...but he is a person. NHD, at first, just wants to help the world. He wants to be the hero. He wants to move beyond the cycle. But in trying to find that path, he introduces new elements to the Harbinger.

The Harbinger starts to show signs of development. Of change. The Harbinger starts to laugh. The Harbinger starts getting cheeky. The Harbinger starts crying when fights break out at the end. There is LIFE in the Harbinger.

Yet another beautiful thing this cycling world rejects for the sake of continuing to spin.

NHD tries to find a third solution. He tries over and over again. He knows the Harbinger will continue to the pillar, to save the world, over and over again, and he doesn't have the power to stop him. The Harbinger will always choose to sacrifice himself. He cannot end the cycle by preventing the sacrifice. He looks for a way to move past the eon. Maybe if he had more TIME, he could convince people to give chaos a chance. Perhaps he could allow the pillar to crumble more slowly, allow the sun to peak in over time. If he could just get the box to OPEN, then that would be enough.

Except nothing works. He can't fight anyone strong enough to replace the guardians. He can't find another means to fix the pillar. He tries over and over again.

There are several consequences to this and I'll get into one of those in another post. (Red Son has some INTERESTING things going on.)

NHD cannot find a means to move beyond the cycle. He is getting disillusioned. He wants to save everyone. He wants to bring them to the sun. He just can't.

He knows...he knows he doesn't HAVE to keep trying.

He sees it every reset. He has a window. He can LEAVE the cycle himself. Let everyone stay in their cave forever.

Except.

He sees the Harbinger throw himself into the pillar. The one he's sees sacrificing himself countless times for a world he never gets to truly experience. He only gets slivers of it. Moments of joy. Moments of triumphant. Moments of pain. Moments of truly being alive, when he deserved so much more.

NHD is tired. His sanity is fraying. He could simply go...

But he decides one more time.

He would live the cycle one more time.

Because the Harbinger deserved to fully experience the world. The Harbinger deserved to DECIDE whether or not to keep the cycle going, or let the world fall apart.

He manipulates the world in a different way. He's lived this cycle countless times. He knows much of what happens. He chooses a time.

He knows DBK gets released. He knows in short order, the Lady Bone Demon also gets freed, whether this is by the Demon Bull Family, the Mayor, or perhaps even Macaque (I haven't gotten a solid theory on what Macaque's deal is YET, but I have a suspicion his revival may not be a consistent thing.) Either way, DBK getting freed gets Wukong off his mountain because DBK is running around with HIS staff and while Wukong isn't interested in being a hero, that is HIS staff, thank you very much.

And the Lady Bone Demon is simply too big of a threat to ignore.

Its the first time where Wukong HAS to be active.

Its also the first time, in a while, where Wukong leaves his mountain. At times, visiting this city because its the first time in a while where the incarnations of the pilgrims are in close proximity and Wukong can't help himself. He just has to check things are okay.

Its the perfect set up.

The danger of releasing the Harbinger early is people noticing him. He will feel compelled to help people. NHD is pretty sure there is no way to be rid of that. So he needs something to justify this powerhouse running around.

This is the perfect time. Pigsy is a family man. If he leaves the Harbinger nearby, he will at least take care of the kid, and hopefully take him in. NHD can't be sure, but perhaps he has an idea depending on if Mei always finds Pigsy and Tang independent of MK's existence.

It works though. The Harbinger becomes MK and he's in place to be noticed by Wukong, who NHD already KNOWS experiences some bleed. Has seen Wukong react to the Harbinger with familiarity. Knows Wukong will be intrigued by MK enough to stay close.

Then DBK's freeing comes and Wukong is acting on suspicions, and maybe NHD is manipulating other things, but MK ends up with the staff, and Wukong is declaring MK his successor and NHD is thrilled.

MK now has the perfect smokescreen. The Celestial court has no say of what goes on with Celestial Primates without direct force. They don't know how they WORK. If Wukong says MK is his successor, then clearly he's done some weird primate magic on the boy and that's why he's powerful. The fact DBK and the Lady Bone Demon appeared, it screams of potential destiny to Wukong to. Throw in a few more of Wukong's enemies, keep him thrown long enough to not risk him thinking too much. Not like its hard, Wukong doesn't often think too much.

Even if this set up did present a few unexpected challenges NHD didn't account for. Macaque was largely an unknown because without MK's influence, IF Macaque is ALWAYS revived, Wukong and him likely never make up. They have too much bad history and too much stubbornness to actually work through their issues without MK calling Macaque out on his bullshit and enabling them to have to be around each other without turning into a huge fight. NHD got lucky that it took as long as it did because while Wukong doesn't overthink, Macaque certainly does and his plan may have been in more danger if Macaque had longer to explore those questions from episode one.

But no one knows MK is the Harbinger.

MK is allowed to experience life and what is means to save and have people to care for and he gets to make decisions on the scale of restoring the pillar and its perfect!

MK not only can make a choice, but will have the experience to do so.

Its all NHD ever wanted for him.

He's likely been doing something to the Jade Emperor to hasten his decline, or perhaps an eon really counts for the end of the man's life. Either way, he just has to free someone who is strong enough to take on the Jade Emperor in that state, but isn't strong enough to keep the stone functional.

The cycle can finally end.

MK can make a choice.

He can be free.

NHD never lied to anyone. He wanted to save everyone. He wasn't a monster. He wanted MK to have the freedom to chose, whatever it was.

He was only ever against MK the brief moment when he realized the world would continue and he wouldn't have his gap to escape. He didn't know WHAT would happen after that moment. Chaos had a chance to come in. There was a chance chaos wouldn't be able to, or at least wouldn't be able to for a very long time and he was so TIRED, he just wanted out, and for a moment, he was afraid to lose the thing he wanted for HIMSELF.

But as he stands on those stairs, as he sees the chaos, he is relieved.

He is HAPPY.

His words to MK are genuine. They are full of care and perhaps love. The child he had sent to die was finally alive. He was brilliant and clever. He found a third option that he hadn't been able to do for eons past.

He knows chaos is coming and that there will be a battle. The chaos MK feared may still be allowed through. So he warns him there is danger, that he will have to deal with the consequences of what happens Next.

He wishes him luck and thanks him. Sends him to a home he is glad his Harbinger is allowed to experience. For better or worse.

[my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction]

Perfect Find

Steven Grant x GN!Reader • Rating: PG •Masterlist• ao3• want to be tagged? | request info • MK Bingo 2024 Masterlist • ko-fi •

Summary: You and Steven look through the local charity shops.

🌛For @moonknight-events MK Bingo Spring 2024 Event🌜

A/N: Just some fluffy old fluff.

Warnings: swearing, set in the UK, please let me know if I've missed a warning!

Word Count: 590

You gasp excitedly as you hold up the shirt. “Steven, what about this one?” 

His eyes light up when he sees it and rushes around from the other side of the clothing rail. “It’s perfect!” He touches the material lightly, it’s cotton, or at least some kind of cotton blend. Whatever it was, it doesn’t make him feel like he needs to peel his skin off after coming into contact with it. 

“This charity shop has everything,” he laughs as he takes the shirt, a short sleeved button down, out of your hands and looks at the price. £6.00, not bad. 

The shirt itself is a vibrant sky blue, intercut with swirls of white that in all honestly neither of you are one hundred percent sure if they are meant to be clouds or waves. Though most likely the latter considering the main pattern of the material. It is covered with swimming goldfish, all from a bird’s eye perspective. 

You notice the black t-shirt slung in the crook of Steven’s arm and point to it. “Found something else?” 

It takes him a moment to drag his eyes away from the goldfish before he looks up to you and smiles. “For Marc.” 

You’re about to say how thoughtful that is of him, until Steven holds the t-shirt up and you can read the text on the front. ‘My depression is chronic, but this ass is iconic.’

You can’t help the sudden bout of laughter that spills from your lips. “Oh my god…”

“I know, right?” Steven gives you the biggest shit eating grin.

“He’s gonna hate that.”

“He is.” Steven says with an almost perverse glee. “Loathe it, utterly, utterly loathe it.”

You walk with Steven as he takes his purchases to the till. “Is this payback for him hiding your Hanukkah jumper?” 

“Not in the slightest.” He grins. “Just part of the payback.” 

You giggle. 

“I’m gonna wear this t-shirt every time I know we’ve got planned switching time. See how long it takes before he notices the writing.” 

“Could be a while.” You smile. 

Marc was very observant when it came to outside things, other people, the landscape, he wasn’t however so concerned with what he was wearing as long as it was comfortable and fairly plain. The writing on the t-shirt was just small enough that there was a good chance he wouldn’t pay attention to it straight away. Especially if Steven put a hoodie or a plain-ish shirt over the top (unbuttoned of course). 

“Oh, I intend to make sure it is.” Steven beamed as he then turned to the cashier, greeted them and paid for the shirt and t-shirt. 

You absentmindedly touch the t-shirt as you put it into your canvas bag and sling it over your arm. It’s soft, comfortable. And you smile. You know, just as Steven does, that deep, deep, deep down, Marc will quite like the t-shirt. 

He’ll grumble a little of course, probably give you both a playful roll of his eyes and tut. But he won’t take it off. He won’t throw it away. 

You’ll find him wearing it of his own free will in bed, and on lazy mornings in the flat. And even outside when the urge takes him. 

“I can carry those, love.” Steven smiles at you as you carry the bag, but you shake your head. 

“It’s fine.” 

He tuts, a sound that is so different to Marc, and kisses your cheek as you both head outside into the high street and the next charity shop. 

____________________________________

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[evilbihan]

Congratulations, OP, on making the most factually incorrect post I've ever seen on this hellsite.

Let's take this trainwreck of an "analysis" apart step by step, shall we?

Oh, good lord, now I'm seeing Bi-Han stans say his father was abusive. There is literally nothing in MK1 implying that.

In the previous timeline, Bi-Han's and Kuai Liang's father literally kidnapped them and killed their mother and sister, then raised them to become assassins against their will, but now we're supposed to believe that man's a saint?

I've said this in a different post before and I'll repeat it here too: The core essence of every character in MK1 is basically still the same as it was in the old timeline. Geras is still loyal to his creator (previously Kronika, now Liu Kang), Scorpion might be a different person now but he's still vengeful, Sindel is good now, but she's still a merciless ruler, Kung Lao is still ambitious, etc. Not a single one of these characters is a completely new and different person. Following that logic, the same thing would apply to the old grandmaster.

At first glance, it may seem like nothing implies that Bi-Han's and Kuai Liang's father was abusive, but that's only if you ignore anything outside of the main story.

I made an entire post about it here, but I'll give you the short version:

Additionally, there was a node in the previous season of invasions mode that involved another fight with Bi-Han, titled "second best". Second best at what? We know that in the old timeline, Bi-Han was the Lin Kuei's best assassin. Therefore, this could have only been referring to the new era's Bi-Han, again confirming that their father had a favorite son, Kuai Liang, not Bi-Han.

Believe it or not, this is a form of emotional abuse.

Y'all (thirsty fandom bitches) are so obsessed with your villain faves being victims of parental abuse, even when canon doesn't imply that or literally says otherwise. I've seen it in the Scream fandom, now it's in the MK fandom, too.

Still not convinced? How about we change perspectives from my favorite character to my least favorite one then? Everyone who's been following this blog knows I can't stand Kuai Liang, but I even believe him to be a victim of abuse at his own father's hand, albeit in a different way than Bi-Han.

Nitara: Had you ever known hunger, you wouldn't judge us. Scorpion: I have, and I will.

So, what does this intro tell us?

Kuai Liang has known hunger, so there must have been a period in his life where he has been starving, but why? Poverty seems highly unlikely. The Lin Kuei seem well organized and in his tower ending, Bi-Han talks about how many of their resources were spent on the cyber initiative, so I doubt the Lin Kuei were ever poor or he wouldn't have been able to afford all that technology at all. The brothers also come across as quite arrogant. Growing up poor would have probably made them more humble.

So, why was Kuai Liang starving? Would loving parents let their children starve? Was it perhaps part of their training or a way to punish them for disobedience? And if so, why does Kuai Liang still think and speak so highly of his father? Stockholm syndrome maybe.

And let's say it wasn't the grandmaster's fault that they were starving, then wouldn't it make Bi-Han's ambition to give the clan more wealth and power noble instead of selfish? It would mean no more starving for any of the Lin Kuei in the future.

Regardless of your takeaway from this, the end result remains the same: Bi-Han is not evil.

Bi-Han has always been an asshole. He's power-hungry and he is a bad person. Him murdering his father (whom his brothers haven't implied anything bad about) is no surprise, and trying to make up completely non-canon things to justify it because you can't handle liking a fictional villain is moronic.

Bi-Han has always been an asshole? Always as in previous timelines? Because by that logic, his father has always been an asshole too. See how you're contradicting yourself here? Secondly, Bi-Han is not a bad person. That's straight up wrong.

Ashrah said he's redeemable.

Kuai Liang said he and Bi-Han were once close.

Bi-Han shows genuine regret over Sindel's death.

Tomas, one of the nicest characters in the game, used to look up to Bi-Han.

Kitana's announcer voice when selecting Bi-Han: "You were a decent person once."

He's flawed, not evil.

The only person making up completely non-canon things is you.

Oh, and for the record, I'm a huge fan of Homelander and there's no saving grace to that man. I don't care though, I love villains.

Here's the punchline though, Bi-Han isn't a villain, he's an anti-hero/anti-villain type of character. Do some research.

It's Bi-Han. Bi-Han would sell his little brother to Shang Tsung for a single corn chip! (And I don't mean Tomas; he'd give away Tomas for free.)

Bi-Han literally refused to deliver Kuai Liang to Kronika in MK11 as Noob when Geras told him to.

Geras: Bring your brother to Kronika. Noob Saibot: The dead are my clan. Geras: Do you serve or do you not?

Bi-Han doesn't wish harm upon either of his brothers in MK1 either, he tells them multiple times to surrender and join him. Just watch their intros, it's all there. He even admitted that he wanted Kuai Liang to rule by his side. In his intros with Shang Tsung, he also mentions that he regrets ever trusting him.

The whole original post is a joke. Implying that people who are upset over mischaracterization and bad writing must be thirsting over a character is just ridiculous.

How wrong do you want to be?

OP: yes.

[lazilybeinglassie]

THE MAIN VILLAIN IS EVIL!

Season 5 spoilers below!

I think it's really easy for people to say Nine Headed Beast (I know the show calls him a demon, but the sets have him as the beast, so I'm sticking with it) is not really a villain. Or that he is a very poor one. Thing is, this is something I think a lot of people are getting wrong about him.

Here is the thing, 9HB is very much like Azure. Believing his intentions outweigh his actions. Justifying them by the fact he is doing the right thing and being helpful when really, he isn't. Both were in the wrong and did bad/horrible things to accomplish their goals. The difference being that Azure's plans were to benefit others, 9HB was attempting to benefit himself.

If you're not entirely convinced, let's actually address his crimes. Cause this should not be swept under the rug so easily.

Accelerating the Apocalypse

For the love of everything, this cannot be excused. He was willing to cause a genocide for his own selfish goal. Even if he stated "if there was another way, I would have done it", that does not put him in the clear. This was a conscious choice to end lives in order to return to his pool of addiction fix. He is so obsessed with the chaos that he would rather risk everything to get back to it.

I don't know why, I'm not sure I will understand until next season, but he is very much acting like he is addicted to it. As if he is nothing without it. Right when Macaque cuts him off from it, he is howling in desperation.

It's just something I cannot look pass.

2. Killed The Ten Kings

That's like, ten bodies right there. Honestly, that's just murder. I knew they were red herrings but they did not need to be offed like that. Anywho, that can be just left there as it is.

3. Everything He Does To MK

Nothing, and I mean nothing, can justify this. Sure, we could speculate his intentions and beliefs all day, but it cannot excuse what he did.

This is also where I think the show really got me thinking about the themes of the season. MK choosing to sacrifice himself to save his friends, as tragic as it is, tends to be justified for the sole purpose that it will give way to a better outcome for everyone else. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, yada yada. Putting aside the idea that Nuwa's plan didn't intend for everyone to survive, that it just resets the world, at the time, I sided with MK and even know had I been in his position, I would have done the same thing. MK's sacrifice is being seen as suicide, which yes, in this season, he is dealing with suicide thoughts throughout it (at least i think he does, anyone would honestly). Though that just makes the whole context of this theme to be complex with the kind of subject matters that surrounds it.

That being said . . . I also have to side with MK's friends too with this. One of the biggest things about this plotline that makes it stick harder is MK's willingness to not talk to his friends about it. He doesn't consider an alternative, he commits to it cause he is convinced that it is his destiny. And it's not hard to see why since it is literally the whole reason why he was made. For some people, having a purpose or knowing what your purpose of existence is means everything to them. So it makes sense why MK would be upset, yet submitting to this idea, because it's like answering the meaning of life to him.

But the biggest cavoite to it is that he accepts it without looking into it. YES, it feels like you have no reason to look into it when you find out what your purpose is. Yet the biggest theme of this season is that there is another path to it all. Another option that you need to find out. Much like how Tang's speech is at the end, it takes stepping back from the black and white perspectives to see what other options there are. And that is what MK should have done. But he doesn't because he is caught in this idea that he needs to protect his friends from being hurt or stopping him from doing what needs to be done.

I cannot guarantee that I would look for another way, but if a time were to come that I had to make a choice, I would hope I could learn more about my situation before I do it. MK's friends were smart in believing this needed investigating. Thinking things through before the final decision. This is though a part of MK's flaws that I love, and I can't really blame the story for going this route.

9HB through all of this is only being an echo chamber for MK though. Even if he is valuing choice and letting MK do the heroic thing, the problem is that 9HB would only endorse it because either way, he was getting what he wanted out of it. The only reason why MK's third choice did anything was it undid what 9HB was doing and making his plan flop. The mere chance that he got to reunite with the chaos was pure coincidence.

I cannot condone him doing what he did to MK because all he is doing is being harmful to MK, justifying his poor choices. That is not what MK needs. He needs someone to tell him "hold on, let's think this through". Not someone that is a yes man.

That's where I am caught. I can see myself both in MK and in the main crew trying to save him. 9HB is just enabling this behavior, and no one should say this is considered agreeable. His philosophy should not be the justification because it's just his excuse. Only order is suffocating, but pure chaos is destructive.

Anywho, thank you for coming to my ted talk. Hope you enjoyed!

[modtheartifex]

i wrote this into a youtube comment like moments ago, but i feel strongly enough that i will put it out here as well;

Lego Monkie Kid Season 5 does NOT have villains. it has characters that are antagonistic forces and layered with nuance on top of nuance.

not to say previous seasons didnt do this, but this season ABSOLUTELY is entirely filled with characters like this

lmk season 5 spoilers, as well as anything from previous seasons just in case cause idk. might get long too tbh oopsies JINNGFDOIJN

we have a few characters to consider for LMK s5's "villains".

we have Ne Zha's dad (i forget his name, ill probably call him pagoda man), nine headed dragon (consort, 10th king, xiangliu) and nuwa. we could theoretically consider thousand eyed demon, however hes only relevant in one episode so id hardly count that

pagoda man is the easiest to explain, he is an antagonistic force because hes trying to hold onto what little order there is left of the world, he is trying to be the duct tape keeping the sawed in half boat together, and hes trying to minimize risks. does that excuse how he treats ne zha? fuck no, but thats a whole different discussion and depending on your interpretation of how much of the chinese mythos you use for this work will vary. he is just like mk as mk himself points out, it doesnt have to be just pagoda man doing the work, theres people willing to help, and then he joins the heroes side for the end.

cool, great, now. what the fuck do i mean by nuwa?

this is where interpretation is strongest, where it is key. ill just be sharing my perspective. when i was first watching season 5 my partner pointed out to me that in chinese mythos chaos is a core element of the world, it is necessary. this, coupled with the fact that nuwa made mk to fix a cycle she created (which we also dont know how many cycles the world has gone through, it could be one, it could be two, it could be in the hundreds if not thousands, whos to say.) and to keep chaos out... she is keeping the world from being complete. her little cave without the outside world, without proper balance, her little people living blissfully apocalypse to apocalypse. "but theyll all die!" "theyll live again" nuwa says, smile on her face.

she is disconnected from her cave, her world her people, her creations, who knows how long shes been in the limbo, how well she can perceive time, how many times a sacrifice comes in, they get a few words exchanged before they just leave, her in the pillar, only getting glimpses when the cycle is ending of the world, only to be shut in again.

neat, ok, but xiangliu??? hes who was gestured at from the BEGINNING of season 4.

see. heres where we get into the GOOD shit.

this is why it is important to establish that we dont know how many cycles have happened. we do not know how long he has been stuck, how many times he has tried to fix the world over and over. he makes it clear in his ending dialogue, if only he knew how to fix it, that sharing the power of the stones was the key to his freedom. the fact that he goes from what most would consider the least important title to the most important one, his own name, the fact he states he was wukongs friend, his enemy, both, wukong just doesnt remember

that implies longentivity. that implies so many cycles and lifetimes lived inside this cycle, being aware of everything, being so damnably aware of what one considers true freedom, and having to sit at the precipice of that.

it is agony.

xiangliu for the majority of the season is the only one to call mk by his name. mk gets so often called child, kid, nicknames by the others, maybe mei refers to him as mk, but xiangliu has it be DELIBERATE. he altered the course of the cycle to give mk a life, to let him HAVE a life where nuwa didnt care for one, he WANTED mk to grow enough that he would be able to choose. because everything is about mks choice, his ability to choose it all matters on HIS. CHOICE.

the only time this falters is when xiangliu thinks he is trapped for good. he rushes at mk, one final chance at freedom seemingly taken from him. xiangliu never fights mk. he only fights the others when they start fighting him. when its just him and mk at the edge of the world, at the edge of chaos, he talks to mk. tells him what to expect, mentions a mysterious "he" now that mk has opened the cage. and he pushes mk back so he gets to go back to his life. so that mk can have choices still. xiangliu got what he wanted, so its only right mk gets what he wanted too. to live with his friends and let everyone live a life where they can figure something out.

that is why i do not think there are villains in lego monkie kid season 5. they are antagonists with layers of nuance, nuance we arent privy to for reason or another, be it episode count, length, screentime, or that were just not supposed to yet. season 5 does not have an obvious bad guy, a villain, because the nuance is right within our grasp.

thank you for reading this. fucking essay apparently oopsies JINNGFDIJN

[mksbigg3stfan]

Guys, before you comment or anything PLEASE read the whole thing I'm begging !! (¯ . ¯٥)

I've noticed some people saying that MK's found family father figures are shadowpeach, or they include shadowpeach in the group with Tang and Pigsy, but I honestly just don't see it. Like, out of all of them, I see Pigsy as the best father figure there.

He's always stressed about MK's well being, has given him a job, an apartment, keeps him safe, and tries to protect him from the consequences of Wukong's actions even though he's a mortal, not as strong as even MK himself, and could die. Even though he's not good at it and apprehensive, he still helps MK with training and allows him to train with Wukong and Macaque because it is a decision MK made as an independent individual that he respects, but he still worries over him.

Also, during MK's whole childhood, Tang helped Pigsy raise MK. He's been alongside MK that whole time as well and helped him gain his interest in Sun Wukong. He probably even told MK excerpts from JTTW as bedtime stories. Mei is very present in MK's life, too, and a very good support for him to lean on. They're almost like siblings at this point.

While Wukong and Macaque do care for MK in their own ways and are trying to improve as people, I don't think it's possible for either of them to be father figures. They are too scarred and likely to unintentionally hurt others still. In fact, they already have over the course of the show. They're always stressing MK out and getting him put in danger. They do help him, but they aren't exactly the best protectors or reliable people.

Wukong and Macaque are people present in MK's life, yeah, and they are important to him, but they are not father figures. The two of them can barely even sort things out between themselves and overcome their own issues. I don't think they would be able to properly take care of and guide MK, no matter what. MK is grown, at the very least in his late teens, and Wukong and Macaque struggle to bond with MK and take care of him.

Not to mention Wukong's tendency to try and sacrifice himself, or Macaque and Wukong lashing out and trying to hurt people before they're hurt first, or to keep someone they care about away so that they're "safe." Wukong also withholds things from MK and lies to him for the same reason.

It doesn't matter that they are in the act of improving and/or overcoming their flaws. Those flaws are still there, and they are still not mentally well off or healed. In those conditions, you can not possibly be a proper healthy mentor or father figure, no matter how much love and care and good intentions you have to spare.

This is not hate on Wukong, Macaque, or anyone who likes this dynamic, by the way, just to be clear !! I think it's cute and they should enjoy it if they like it !! ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ᗜ^) I love all the LMK fanart and aus based off this kinda thing, and also don't let my opinion ruin your enjoyment of something !! ^_^

Anyways, I like hearing other people's thoughts and perspectives, so if you agree or disagree, please feel free to add on !! Just please stay respectful and don't be rude !! (╥﹏╥)

[quitealotofsodapop]

I can imagine in slow boiled stone egg AU Jiuweihuli is more upset with Macaque than she is with Wukong because 1) she expected him to be more professional 2) he could have injured the baby/induced a miscarriage on Wukong and 3) he's technically wedlocked Wukong

referencing my idea for Jiuweihuli/The Nine-Tailed Vixen in the LMK verses.

Oh yesss

Even though the vixen doesn't care for Wukong on a good day (he did break her kit's heart and bonked her on the head with the staff), her attitude flips immediately when she hears about the Egg.

Since she sees a lot of herself in Macaque (a creative demon flung from their place in the Heavens), she immediately goes Beast Mode on him when the news gets to her about the Stone Egg (most likely recounted by the twins). For her perspective, her understudy is inacting betrayals on Wukong that she felt many centuries ago.

*(Macaque, trying to set up for "Shadow Play" when he meets the theatre owner)* Macaque: "Wait... Madam?" Jiuweihuli: "Oh Mihou! My darling! It's so good to see you!!" *(embraces Macaque in a big mom-hug before violently whacking him with her ornamental fan)* Jiuweihuli, speaking in-between hits: "YOU! IDIOT! CUB! Have I not taught you better? You left that poor boy pregnant and alone for how long?!" Macaque, trying to hide from her wrath + also has no idea whats going on: "Eh!? So he is pregnant??" Jiuweihuli, chasing Mac around the lobby like he's a cat: "Everyone knows it!! Sun Wukong himself confirmed it when he was captured by the Spider Queen! My twins were In. The. Room!!" Macaque, trying to defuse the situation: "Jin and Yin? How are the little rascals?" The Twins, blocking off the exits: "Just as mad as our Mum!" "Yeah!" Macaque: "shit."

Jiuweihuli is super insistent that Mac makes it up to Wukong, or at the very least be present in the Egg's life. To her, Mac abandoning his former mate in this state is tantamount to throwing him to the wolves. And she def tosses in a few extra whacks for fighting Wukong while he's in this state, even if Mac didn't know at the time.

Wukong is the most confused, cus he hasn't recieved a kind word from the Vixen in the entire time he's known her. Of course once he realises that the wider demon public assume his Stone egg is of Mac's doing (which SWK figures kinda is), he torments Mac by visiting "Grandmama" at the theatre with all the baby shower stuff PIF has already planned out. Jiuweihuli literally showers the expectant monkey with gifts and supplies for the baby, and has even more she gives to Mac to pass on to Wukong and/or MK (who the vixen suspects is another secret grand-kit of hers).

Macaque secretly keeps a pair of baby shoes the vixen gave him to pass on to Wukong throughout S2 and S3. They're coloured auburn and white like the feet of a baby fox.

It's not just the possible connection to her understudy that makes Jiuweihuli soften to the Monkey King. She remembers when she had the twins; Single, very limited support system, and going through a high-risk pregnancy with the father nowhere in sight. Even when she learns that the Stone Egg was essentially "spawned" by Wukong singularily, she'd still consider herself an honourary grandparent/aunt to the infant.

Also in the au timeline, she deliberately sends the twins + the accountant cousin to follow Macaque during S3 to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. They end up catching up to the Monkie Kid gang to warn them that Mac's very soul/the safety of the Egg is on the line after the twins witness the shadow monkey being tormented by LBD.

[kineticpenguin]

It is not. Despite this enticing thumbnail:

Let me save you some time: This guy manages to stretch a couple minor inconsistencies or contradictions in the documentary Tread for an hour and fifteen minutes by playing Killdozer's advocate. I will say that he does a reasonable job arguing for Heemeyer's perspective in his disputes with the Docheffs and the city. However, he does omit some details and indulge in some cherrypicking to do so. He is fully committed to painting Marv Heemeyer as a reasonable man, and by the time he gets to the actual rampage, he lapses fully into fanboy mode.

See, he'd done a passable job painting Heemeyer as a reasonable man, or at least, not quite the town crank, right up until he starts building the MK Tank. At no point does Heemeyer run into a situation where he is forced to do unreasonable things. He makes absolute bank selling his property. He could've left town and started over anywhere else and never have to worry about the Docheffs or Granby's sewer lines again.

What actually changes is that Heemeyer starts believing that God wants him to bulldoze the town, and sees the total lack of anyone or anything stopping him from building the Killdozer as signs from God.

A rEaSoNaBlE mAn

I could go into more detail but Lore Lodge does an embarrassing amount of arguing in favor of Heemeyer being of sound mind and harmless at this point and frankly, I think this sums it up well enough.

[moobloom-mention]

They Don't Call Him the "Great Sage" for Nothing

Summary: MK isn't new to being frustrated when it comes to learning "Mystic Monkey" abilities. But of all things, he never thought shrinking would take four hours to finally learn.

...now he just has to learn how to return to sweet, tall, 5'9" MK before Macaque comes to bother Monkey King. That should be easy enough, right?

(Yeah, no. It's not.)

Warning(s): Peril, Fear of death, Cursing

Word Count: 3560

Blame finally made me write a G/t prompt for Lego Monkie Kid (And may have helped me with writing it).

----------

MK isn't...new to being frustrated.

"Mystic Monkey Business" is difficult, and MK understands that- he really does! It hadn't taken Monkey King centuries to master his abilities for no reason; if anything, MK should be grateful it'd only taken him a few months to understand the basic teachings of Buddhism compared to the usual year.

The slight advantage still doesn't make failing any less disappointing.

Three hours. He'd spent three hours chanting phrases and attempting to put himself "in the perspective of the little guy" and he's still the same old, 5'9" MK. If he wasn't already at his wits end with the exercise, he might've laughed over spending so much time trying to become something so small.

MK growls as his latest attempt to shrink even just one inch fails once more, flopping unceremoniously onto the ground. His hands unclench, small crescents indented within his palm from where his nails had pressed a little too hard.

There's a crunch before a familiar face of auburn fur pops into view, the crumbs of a peach chip falling from Monkey King's hand. His mentor almost looks guilty staring at MK's limp body and it takes everything for MK to stop himself from commenting that he doesn't find the expression fitting. "C'mon bud, don't give up so early."

"Early," MK echoes. His arms flail, useless. "It's been three hours!"

He should've gotten this down after the second time Monkey King excused himself to grab another bag of chips, the monkey clearly bored with the uneventful training session. MK would've rather preferred a sparring match- or hell, getting beaten into the ground by some demon terrorizing the city in comparison to this torture.

A sigh tugs from between his gritted teeth. "It's just not working!"

"I mean, it's not magic, bud."

MK's eyebrows raises because oh, totally. Monkeys and humans are just naturally able to fly and lift nine tons so they can pick up some stupid staff.

Monkey King blinks, as if coming to the same realization himself.

"Okay, okay. Maybe it is sorta kinda magic, but that's not important! Point is, you can't just shrink 'cause you want to or because you said the right stuff; it takes practice. But you've got this, I believe in you."

MK can only stare, trying his hardest to combat his mentor's puppy-dog eyes with his own ten-mile stare of exhaustion and utter despair. He doesn't even want to get the ability down anymore; he just wants to relax on the ground, surrounded by pebbles and rock. It's comfortable down here, the dirt's coldness much more forgiving than the frozen wasteland of failure.

"...we could grab lunch after this next attempt. Take our mind off everything, yeah?"

...

Okay, maybe that does sound nice.

"Fine."

MK ignores the giddy expression on his mentor's face for "winning" the conversation, forcing himself back onto his feet and into a comfortable pose. His eyes close, welcoming the calming dark green scenery once he finds his posture is to his satisfaction.

Even in such a relaxed state, it's difficult to ignore the way his lungs squeal over each deep breath he forces through his nose, as though anxiety had begun to overtake MK's initial frustration. At least the tightness in his chest was kinder than thinking about the three hours he'd wasted on this dumb exercise.

Nope. Nope. No negative thoughts.

Brand new ability. Brand new attempt.

...a giant lunch would be the coolest thing, though. If he could shrink on a whim, he wouldn't have to bother Pigsy for a second bowl of noodles, a single helping almost too much for his small body. It'd be the greatest thing ever, leftovers for weeks.

Heavens above, MK would even be able to swim in that delicious broth. Ooo, and a carrot stick would be the perfect diving board, half of an egg transformed into a flotation device. Who knew swimming in a pool you could drink would be enticing?

"I can see you drooling."

Monkey King's playful jab is enough to break through MK's daydream, the envisioned pool of noodles nothing more than a shattered wish.

"Sorry, sorry." Right, brand new attempt. Focus on shrinking.

One inch at a time.

5'8".

5'7".

5'6".

All the way until he's just as short as the other monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain. Until he's shorter than a peach.

MK gasps when it feels as though the ground he'd once sought comfort within rises up to meet him, his arms flailing if only to keep him from face-planting. He chokes, because he's pretty sure he forgot to breathe the whole time he'd been "focusing".

"Look at you, bud!"

Y'know, MK likes to think he's not someone that's easily scared. He's faced demons far more comfortable with their own powers without blinking an eye, boldly faced scoldings from both Monkey King and Pigsy that'd have the average person digging their own grave.

MK doesn't scare easy.

But he'd be lying if he wasn't utterly terrified at the way Monkey King's voice seemed to make the air rumble. MK whirls to face his mentor before he freezes, unable to combat the recognizable bout of fear short-circuiting his brain.

Monkey King looms from where MK sits, that familiar prideful and suddenly massive face upholding an uncanny resemblance to the thousands of "Great Sage" billboards across Megapolis. Scratch that, the monkey's more like a living skyscraper- taller than any MK had bared witness to. Now capable of being Flower Fruit Mountain rather than just living on it.

He doesn't know whether to accept the unspoken praise for MK's achievement or run.

Monkey king never mentioned anything about how scary it is being so small. The pebble MK had once been able to squeeze between his fingertips is now the size of a boulder, one that could be used as camouflage against this unwinnable battle should his mentor use this moment to test MK's reflexes.

He feels crushable, vulnerable from his rapidly thumping heart to a butterfly soaring across the sky like a jet.

"So?" Monkey King grins, taking up most if not all of MK's peripheral vision just by leaning forward. "How do you feel?"

Is that a trick question? MK feels like that's a trick question because there's no way he'll admit he feels like his own mentor is about to flick him away, forgotten like a piece of dust that'd clung to Monkey King's fur.

MK shakes the thought from his head, forcing a stuttered laugh from his throat like his lungs aren't squeezing in panic. "Uh, tiny."

Monkey King physically waves aside the comment, an action that totally doesn't make the now significantly smaller flinch. "Meh, you'll get used to it. I say we snag lunch anyway; on me. I'm starving!"

Faintly MK registers a pang of disappointment hidden beneath his unbridled fear- "on me" could only mean one thing and one thing alone.

He's not getting that five-course bowl from Pigsy's Noodles as he'd originally hoped. Nope. His fate had been sealed to drown in a bowl of peaches.

"Is that alright with you, bud?"

MK's nod is mindless, his sleeve wiping a bead of sweat from his eyebrows. He can't tell if it's from the rush of adrenaline still coursing through his veins or because it'd taken so much energy to shrink in the first place.

...

"Uh, how exactly do I grow?"

Monkey King only blinks, a response that isn't what MK had been praying for.

"You can't do it yourself?"

MK stares, certain his silence is enough of an answer. No he can't just grow. It'd taken him nearly four hours to shrink, only Heaven knows how long it'll take for him to learn how to return to normal size.

"Eh, you'll figure it out eventually. In the meantime..."

MK barely has time to formulate a thought before four meteors crash beside him, the ground rumbling as one lands a little too close to MK for his liking. As much as he wants to curl in on himself- rolly-pollys are making a lot more sense nowadays -he forces his head to lift and make sense of the situation, eyes wide at the scene.

Monkey King remains knelt before the ground, rough palms calloused with millennia of fighting pressed firmly to the ground beside MK. Screw the idea of his mentor being the size of a skyscraper, this is like watching the sun hover above Earth.

His fear barely subsides enough for familiarity to scrape at MK's brain, uncertain why the pose strikes a sense of...comfort?

Oh, wait, no he's seen this play out before. Well, he's never been a participant, but he knows how this goes.

Monkey King did this whenever the little monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain wanted to climb aboard their king, tiny hands scaling the marigold-colored sleeves with ease. It'd kept the little ones from disrupting training exercises, while also opening the door amidst moments of peace for Monkey King to bask beneath tiny hands that combed through his fur.

A far-too-warm breeze ruffles his hair and MK startles, hands grasping desperately at his bandana to keep it from flying away.

He's barely given reprieve before Monkey King taps a finger, the dirt beneath MK's shoes bouncing. Impatient much. How is this even supposed to work?

Surely MK isn't expected to climb up his arm-

Oh, who is he kidding? Of course that's what his mentor wants.

The cuffs of the sleeve hover awkwardly over MK, large enough for a single fold to encase his entire body like some odd blanket. He can see how convenient the offer of an arm is for monkeys that have claws and experience scrambling up trees. It's just a shame that it's not so useful for a three-inch tall MK.

"I don't have all day, bud."

He knows Monkey King is just teasing. Knows his mentor always makes comments like that.

But it's terrifying now that MK could be swatted like a fly, or left on his own if his mentor decided to get lunch without having to share with his shrunk successor.

Now that thought spurs him to leap up and grab onto the sleeve. It's almost uncomfortable how bulky the fabric is, almost two thick to grab onto securely enough.

But he got it! And now is...currently dangling a good two inches off the ground unable to do anything else.

"A little h-help, please?"

MK doesn't know if the amused look that's broadcasted is good or bad. He wants to say good because that means no more monkey mischief.

But nothing could've prepared him for the feeling of being yanked into the air, an action that happens so quickly he nearly loses his grip on the sleeve. His vision swims and he can only curse vertigo for making it seem as if he had lost his grasp.

And then MK nearly does let go. His arms feel like jelly as he gazes at the growing distance between him and the ground, no safety net provided in the circumstance he falls. The ground feels miles below, and as comforting the fact he's invincible is, he doesn't want to learn what falling from that height and surviving feels like.

MK clenches his eyes shut as the fabric bunched within his arms suddenly pulls taut, his fingers slipping from the thread. And then he really is falling.

The howl of wind tears aside his screams, chest heaving as he lands on something soft only a beat later. He scrambles to figure out where he is before tripping forward as the ground beneath him moves. He might've hated being so exposed on dirt, but at least that stayed still.

MK's arms flail, desperate to make contact with the nearest stable object. What he doesn't expect is said object to be a soft bundle of what suspiciously looks like Monkey King's fur.

Before the dots can connect, the sky darkens as a shadow moves over him, the sleeve MK had previously been clinging to disappearing from view.

...he's on Monkey King's head.

Okay, okay. He can do this. He's ridden Monkey King's cloud for Heaven's sake, soared hundreds of miles above the actual unaltered ground. Who's to say this won't be just like that?

With fur bundled tightly within his grasp, MK forces his eyes shut. He doesn't want to look at the fall that still awaits him.

You're invincible. You're invincible. Monkey King made you invincible-

Monkey King takes a step and MK can't do this.

"STOP!"

MK's designated mode of transportation leaps a solid foot in the air and MK screams, terrified. His strangled grasp on Monkey King's fur may offer safety from the ground, but it's useless in preventing whiplash.

"Sheesh bud," Monkey King scolds, like it's MK's fault that the giant moved too fast. "You're gonna destroy my eardrums at this rate!"

"S-Slower-!" MK pleads, voice much softer if only to appease the one person responsible for his safety. "Just go slower!"

He can practically feel his mentor's pouting about being told to go slower. Still, the giant complies. The only issue is that while his mentor might be going slower, the footsteps are certainly heavier. He's nearly thrown against a flicking ear as the giant makes his way back into the hut, but at least MK isn't thrown off.

Okay, yeah, yeah. MK can do this.

"Uh, Monkey King?"

The head below his feet bobs and MK curses his mentor's naturally exaggerated reactions.

"Hm?"

"I'm not hurting you, right?"

"Pfft," the giant shrugs and oh wow, that should not feel like an earthquake. "Just like havin' a couple fleas in your fur."

That's fun. Everyone likes being compared to a flea.

"Of course of all people, you'd know."

Monkey King's head snaps to greet the new voice, and MK's scream is very manly, thank you.

"Not you," his mentor groans. As if said moment of surprise hadn't almost just caused MK to fall.

"Uh, yes me," Macaque's grin is vicious and smug as per usual. MK nearly flinches at the fangs at least double his size being displayed, a nervous chant falling from his throat that the daggers aren't meant for him. Like a switch the demon's grin falls, eyes narrowing onto MK's best attempt at cowering behind Monkey King's tangled fur.

It didn't take a genius to understand the situation at hand. Still, Macaque dares to ask.

"Wukong." It's spoken cautiously, far too gentle in comparison to how Macaque usually speaks. It's terrifying.

"Macaque." Harsher, with a rumble in it that shakes MK's core.

Nevermind, that's more terrifying.

"Why's the kid sitting in your fur?"

"Bonding time."

A weak excuse, MK thinks miserably.

"Bonding time?"

"And uh, y'know, protection! He's the safest when he's with me!"

There are a lot of ways to describe MK's state of mind. "Safe" is not one of them. His hands have long abandoned their hold on Monkey King's fur, now clasped at his ears in the hopes to get rid of the booming voices.

Macaque makes an odd hissing noise, not unlike that of an angry cat. Or a spider. And there better be neither. "Stop yelling."

The head beneath MK's shoes jostles once before it falls unnaturally still, patches of fur not far from his position dented as large, tan fingers hold it still. "You're gonna destroy both of our eardrums."

For a moment, MK sits mesmerized by the piece of sun that'd managed to sneak into his mentor's house, a bright yellow orb lifting from Monkey King's forehead to greet him. Ah, nope, nope, nope.

That's Macaque's eye. "H-Holy shit-"

"Sorry, kiddo," the shadow murmurs, totally unapologetic with the smirk in his voice. "How'd you get yourself into this one?"

Weakly, "Mystic Monkey B-Business?"

"Shoulda known," Macaque mutters, rolling his eyes. "Classic Wukong, can't teach for the life of him."

"Hey!" Monkey King protests, albeit much quieter than before. MK can't help but sigh with relief. "I'm perfect at teaching."

"...maybe we could work on that a little bit?"

Much to MK's terror, Monkey King's head rears back.

He can barely hear his mentor's iconic "psh" as MK scrambles to grab onto literally anything to keep himself from falling. A hand grabs at fur while the other pinches at skin, a gasp jolting through his chest when it feels like gravity will finally win and throw him to the ground.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him levels out and he lands on his stomach hard enough for his lungs to heave with how heavily he exhales. And then the mountain he stands on drops.

"Do not do that," Macaque growls, a warning that MK swears both he and his mentor will listen to. MK's limbs tremble as he looks up to see the shadow had forced Monkey King to sit down, hands on the giant's shoulders to keep him on the couch. "You will hurt him if you do something careless like that again."

"He's fine."

There's a long moment of silence until Macaque sits down as well, crossing his arms before pretending to feign interest in his claws.

Monkey King bristles, the fur around MK suddenly puffing out. "What are you doing?"

"Ensuring you don't traumatize your successor."

MK can't help but sigh in relief at the promise of someone capable of keeping Monkey King in one spot sticking around. He offers a gentle pat against his mentor's skull, one he's almost certain has barely any weight behind it. "Wh-What's one more 'mentor'?"

"...fine."

Oh thank the Heavens-

"But do you really have to hover the whole time?"

"Duh," Macaque snarks. "Least till MK's back to normal."

Monkey King’s head moves once more, presumably to glare at Macaque making himself cozy on the opposite end of the couch. “Overprotective,” his mentor mutters.

Even from atop his mentor's head MK barely picks up on the uttered comment, praying that Macaque had been far enough away to not pick up on the taunt. He really needs all the help he can get right now and two angry, giant monkeys would not be ideal.

Much to MK's panic, it seems Macaque did hear it, the demon's ears flicking toward monkey King before they flatten against his head in clear disdain. Yeah, he definitely heard that one.

But Macaque doesn't move to tear the other's throat out. A small win for a small MK.

"Well, if you're hoping to be a storm cloud raining on my day," Monkey King huffs. "How about a little bit of grooming, bud?"

It takes a moment for MK to realize that he was the implied party to start grooming. Red rushes to his face, embarrassed because why on earth did he think Monkey King would ask Macaque for help?

He glances at the dark-furred monkey, uncertainty a stone in his stomach over the curious expression that greets him. In an instant MK can already tell that Macaque understands his plight. "Wha'? Don't know how to groom, kid?"

MK quickly shakes his head. "No! I-I mean yes, of course I know how to groom!"

He just never thought a flea itself could do it. But...he can do this. It can't be that hard, right? He already had experienced grabbing onto clumped fur from today's "adventure", surely he can maneuver it enough to methodically groom.

He slowly manages to make his way through the sea of auburn, stopping only whenever he sees a knot he can untangle. The task's actually quite calming, if he's being honest. Who knew small hands would finally be helpful in something; if not climbing sleeves then in appeasing Monkey King through grooming. It only takes about five minutes to untangle the knot before he's moving onto another bundle of fur.

Okay, yeah, MK could get used to this. Piece of cake.

That is, until Monkey King growls. It's a scary thing, a loud rumble that vibrates the fur MK had been combing his hands through. If the sound weren't so paralyzing, he might've laughed over his mentor getting angry, probably over something small Macaque did.

At least until the body beneath him moves. It's not a violent jostle, like how a shake of the head had felt or how a careless shrug of shoulders could toss MK like a ragdoll. It feels more like he'd just sat down in a massage chair.

Macaque's voice acts like a balm to his panic; collected and a fraction louder than Monkey King's rumble. MK still frowns; either Macaque had gotten suspiciously good at ignoring the other's growl or he didn't feel threatened whilst a hostage was in the room.

"Relax, kiddo. What's the hold-up?"

"Why-" MK shrinks at how small his voice sounds. "Why is Monkey King growling?"

Macaque blinks, eyebrows furrowed in what MK can assume is confusion. A wave of bewilderment over something flickers in those yellow eyes before it warps into pure amusement.

"Wukong's not growling. He's purring."

Right, right. That makes total sense; no big deal or anything. Monkey King's just...purring.

"What?"

Monkeys aren't supposed to purr! Er, they aren't really supposed to talk either, but MK can't even fathom the possibility that their vocal cords are capable of producing such a sound in the first place.

Celestial primates work a touch different than normal primates, sure, but purring? Purring?

"Macaque?"

"Hm?"

"...do you also-?"

"Don't push it, bud."

[fansids]

Hi so I saw some your anon asks about lmk s4 and SWK so I am curious about what you think of the special and if I solved anything about not seeing SWK POV and him always the one with mistakes

The special does nothing to remedy any of my issues with the show and especially with season 4. Even though it places the 3 Demon Kings as firmly (mostly firmly?) villains, it's also kind of weird about it.

But my main issue is with SWK and Macaque.

Oh my God. If my biggest issue is how the show treats SWK, and my second biggest issue is the world ending after world ending stakes, then my third biggest problem is Macaque. Or, more importantly, his relationship to SWK and the rest of the cast. Like the more Macaque becomes a good guy the more I hate him. But that's besides the point, let's talk about the show's weird framing around these two to put some context to my problems with the special.

When Macaque is first introduced pretty much everything about him is meant to scream deceitful. From his appearance as looking like SWK, but not (to the point where MK mistakes the two until he gets close), to his very powers which are shadows (which tend to symbolize mystery, deceit, and general evilness) that are also very similar to SWK's powers. His purpose in that episode is gaining MK's trust so he can betray him. Okay, fine first episode, lesson learned.

The second time he's shown is in Shadow Play. The way the story telling is framed (through use of shadows, Macaque tricking the gang into thinking he's someone else, and later forcing MK to fight his shadow-fied friends just to push a message he projects onto MK for the crime of being SWK's apprentice and vaguely similar to him) would say that Macaque was either outright lying or twisting the details about his and SWK's past to put himself in a more favorable light (or more importantly, to put SWK into a less favorable one). MK defeats him, and we're still meant to not trust him. Fine. Cool.

Skipping over S3...

THEN WE GET TO THE SPECIAL. Macaque is not only shown to be completely in the right, but SWK is even worse than what was shown in shadow play. TF. Mind you, the whole point of the scroll was to show SWK's past, AND WE NEVER GET TO SEE IT FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE. It is only through Macaque's telling of the story that we see it, and this time it's framed as being the honest truth. It is SWK's fault for being so power hungry and full of himself that they have their falling out. Bro WHAT??? Mind you, since SWK is literally trapped under a mountain Macaque is also the one who leaves instead of the other way around. WHAT???

Let's put jttw aside entirely. This is just poor storytelling because it makes Macaque as a character not make sense. Why is he the one obsessed with SWK? Why does he want to be shown "the real Sun Wukong" in S1? Why is he upset that Sun Wukong abandoned him? He didn't abandon him. MACAQUE left.

And all of that really really begs the question WHY DID SUN WUKONG KILL HIM??? You can at least infer that if SWK was the one who left, and knowing the violence Macaque is willing to enact on others to get revenge, then Macaque likely did, or tried to do, something to the jttw crew that SWK was not too happy about. But Macaque was the one who chose to leave the relationship, so... what happened??? Why was Macaque even there? Why would he care?

Not to mention, for me at least, it destroyed what was left of my interest in Macaque after S3.

Sorry for the rant, but to answer your question, no, the special does not fix anything about the issue with SWK's lack of pov. It makes it worse.

[totallynotokguys]

Lego Monkie Kid Rewatch: Season 3

Episode 9, The King, the Prince, and the Shadow Part 1/2

Yeah.... my posts keep getting longer and longer. But I can't help it guys! Macaque and Ne Zha are in this one!

Love the couple back there who have no idea that the second ice age just hit.

Pigsy calls Wukong out, revealing he knows the truth about the fourth ring… and look at him.

Doesn't even act surprised. How much did he remember from his amnesia episode? Does his brotherhood with Zhu Baijie just make it easy for him to read Pigsy? Or is his poker face just that good. It would be funny if mentally he's panicking like "WHAAAA- HOW DID HE KNOW?!"

How to make pink flowers look threatening… add a Ne Zha.

Hmmm. I see. Quite right, chap.

I like this lil detail, Wukong's eyes glowing just a bit to show him being able to see the oncoming attack.

Wait… he saw that through the metal of the train… Can his eyes see through any solid material?

I think the couple noticed the danger now. Or at least the guy has.

This is just so cool guys! Here we have classic shock wave knocking everyone off their feet. But Wukong just NOPES physics and gets everyone to safety!

Its a reminder of how powerful Wukong is and how experienced! Mei and MK could definitely have recovered and gotten themselves out, but their brains are still in shock mode. Wukong is the first to action.

But why does he step forward and take action now? Ignoring his 'vacation' when he couldn't be around, Wukong usually sits back and lets MK handle things. In season one he was a bit detached, offering advice and encouragement but never really boosting MK's defense with his own prowess. This season he's been more active, stepping up to help MK when the kid struggles, but even then its only after letting MK try himself first- and the actions he does take lead MK to a situation where he is able to step out and grow.

Wukong is trying desperately not to be the center of attention, to cast MK in his shadow like he's done with others before. He's not that good at it (kinda hard when the pupil you took in already looks up to you and sees you as the greatest hero on earth. MK has set an impossible standard for himself, one that isn't even all that accurate).

But this brings me back to my first question. Why is Wukong stepping in now? He isn't even letting MK try himself. The kid hasn't even been able to comprehend what is going on and Wukong is already taking the lead.

My answer- Wukong is an experienced hero and part of that experience includes accurately gaging allies and enemies skill levels.

And Ne Zha? He's way above MK's pay grade.

Side note: Same thing happened with the Lady Bone Demon. The moment Wukong realised MK was fighting her, he dropped in and yeeted the kid away from her.

When Wukong things MK is in true trouble, he prioritizes getting MK to safety, even if it means sacrificing a city. In that regard, Wukong isn't a great hero, though it does make him a good mentor.

What do you call this? Camera angle? Framing? Shot? Perspective?

Whatever you call it, I praise the animators for this. Love the use of perspective to drive home the point, Ne Zha is here for stabby stabby and Wukong is his target.

"Ohoohohohohoh! I can't believe its really you! The legendary third lotos prince ninja!"

This is the moment I realise… I am Tang. Honestly I should have realised it sooner, when have I ever been able to walk up a flight of stairs without dying?

"Which brings me to your ring- WORST KEPT SECRET EVER!"

Ne Zha, your 12 year old is showing. Look at the lil rage prince! Isn't he so cute! I think I know why Wukong is so amiable with Ne Zha, despite them constantly being at odds…. he's just a cute lil guy! Sandy totally agrees with me. Right buddy?

The moment Ne Zha gets close to MK and Wukong's mama instincts activate.

Thank you Wukong for proving my earlier point.

And look! The couple! Now we know the lady is okay… and noticing.

Man, I would love a fanfiction from the point of view background characters. Maybe a social media fic, or a bunch of short one shots focused on the reactions of different people we see but never here from in the show.

Like that guy who was proposing to his girlfriend before MK caused the earth to swallow them up. Whatever happened to those two?

You can't really see it just through images, but MK's eyes kinda shift back and forth, like he's really studying his master here. Whatever he sees, whatever emotion he is able to read off of Wukong…

… MK chooses to trust and is filled with determination.

Also- hi lady! You look like you're worried for Wukong too.

Ne Zha also says nope to physics.

I am weak for polearm and staff martial arts. Building momentum with repeated spins and twists of the shaft not only adds extra power, but just looks plane cool.

When Ne Zha grabs his spear out of its hell bent path, its with poise and grace, ending with a pose like he's a professional ballet dancer or Olympic gymnest.

When Wukong grabs it, he's kinda wild and seemingly out of control, like watching a break dancer or parkour expert.

I just love this fight and how it lets us compare two very different fighting styles between two very experienced long armed melee weapon specialists. It really says a lot about their character.

He's so proud of himself!

Eep. Macaque! What did she do to you! And why did she take away your glamour?

Or… is that you just conserving your magic, keeping her from accessing as much as you can for your future escape.

And now I'm out of room! Curse you tumblr trying to keep posts a managable size! How am I suppose to ramble about my favourite characters in these conditions!

Ah, well- Onto the next post where we talk about Macaque's poor choices, MK's true purpose, and a dash more of Ne Zha.

[devilzukin7-johnny-cage]

Random opinion

I feel like NRS hasn't given the best image of Raiden on its games. People don't see him as a respectable character like in the past, and I can see why.

At least from my perspective, I remember seeing Raiden as a powerful and very respected God, he was very wise. This is one of my fav MK characters so I hope he could get some justice and to be seen again as the powerful God and protector we used to know.

// I recommend to check more of him from Midway era 💙 maybe from classic comics or old MK games 😊

[imminent-danger-came]

Unhinged Anon here with a more lighthearted ask because that Macaque post reminded me how much I love thinking about his dynamic with MK. Of course, part of the reason for that is because there are numerous layers and intricacies that make it absolutely fascinating. But it’s also because, if I start thinking about it too long, they become one of the funniest duos in the show to me. 

And when I say funniest, I don’t mean they get the best jokes, or that their interactions get the biggest laughs. I mean it's hilarious to look at where they started vs where they are now, because it really makes you realize how spectacularly Macaque failed at not getting attached to MK.

Like… Macaque was not only prepared, but planning to manipulate, betray, and potentially kill MK in S1E9. He came into this series not caring about that kid, and his initial plan hinged on him staying that way.

And he did! Sure he liked MK fine, but he still went through with the power stealing thing. And he even threw in some cruel mockery. Which miiiiiiight have also been Macaque projecting on MK a little bit, but regardless! There was no hesitation, even when trying to kill MK, because Macaque’s hatred and bitterness towards Wukong far, far outweighed anything else. MK was just a means to an end for Macaque. A piece in a game MK didn’t comprehend, shall we say.

But then Shadow Play happens, and it becomes immediately clear that Macaque has already failed to stay completely unattached. Yes, he’s still clearly an antagonist here. He kidnaps MK's friends, forces them to attack him, and messes with MK’s head to what was probably an even greater extent then Macaque initially intended thanks to all those abandonment issues and LBD trauma.

But here’s the thing. There was NO REVENGE-RELATED REASON for Macaque to get involved here! Wukong was gone, and had been for at least a month or two by this point, and Macaque knew it. But he still decided to reach out because he accidentally went from ‘you can never have too many teachers, right? Haha aren’t I so nice, you can totally trust me :)’ to ‘you can never have too many teachers, and like it or not I’m one of yours’. He legitimately wanted to help MK realize some things about himself and gain some perspective. To keep MK from inadvertently becoming more like Wukong in ways MK would never want to be.

And then S3 happens. LBD basically turns Macaque into her bloodhound, and he goes from antagonistic but legitimately trying to make MK do some self reflection to antagonistic and willing to commit child murder. Only this time he is not having fun, and is partially rooting for MK’s team because LBD dying is a win in his book. He even tries keeping MK out of his way so he can free himself without having to hurt him in S2E9 (I’m still occasionally haunted by the genuine anger in Macaque’s ‘What? Make things worse for MK?’ to Wukong), even if it doesn’t work.

And then he finally regains his freedom just in time to hear MK’s samadhi fire speech. And that is the exact point where Macaque is completely and utterly screwed. There is no going back from that speech. From seeing MK say ‘Who cares about mortality, that’s my best friend!’ and refusing to abandon Mei even though it could cost him his life. He is now physically incapable of not caring about this kid, and he was already caring way more than he probably wanted to.

Which brings me to the moment that drives me most insane about these two because of its serious, but also comedic, implications. And no, I’m not talking about ‘be a warrior’, though that is one of my favorite MK speeches topped off with some great Dramatic Theater Bitch energy from Macaque. I’m talking about Macaque shadow portaling MK away from Possessed Wukong in S3E12. And I don’t mean that in an ‘aw, he saved MK, he really does care’ way.

Like, sure. We could focus on how this is the first time we see Macaque go out of his way to save someone *looks at his ‘look out for number 1’ speech in S3E8*. And we could talk about how portaling MK away was a pretty risky move for someone who’s normally very cautious, considering LBD could undoubtedly recognize his powers. And I could drive myself insane thinking about how the first thing Macaque did upon regaining his freedom was leave MK when he needed (or at least wanted) him, but the second thing he did was save MK when he seemed totally alone. Not to mention the fact that it was specifically Wukong (and LBD) that he was protecting MK from. (Don't think about how Macaque always seems to show up when Wukong has or is about to hurt MK, Don't think about how-)

But why do that when we could focus on how funny Macaque’s inner monologue probably was during that whole mess? I mean, Macaque’s bird form is already at the Wukong vs LBD fight when MK and Nezha get there, so he saw the whole thing. He could have stepped in to help Wukong fight at any time, and he just… didn’t. Now, we can all speculate why he chose not to, but that’s not what’s relevant here. What is relevant is that trying to imagine Macaque’s thought process during the whole thing is hilarious, because all I can imagine is that ‘X happens? I sleep. Y happens? Real Shit’ meme.

Like… Macaque is the patience and caution to Wukong’s impulsiveness. He watched that entire 2v1 without making a move. He saw LBD possess Wukong, and did nothing but observe and wait. He watched Nezha get absolutely obliterated, and didn’t do anything that would give himself away. But when MK’s thrust into the line of fire? It’s shadow portal time, baby!

It’s a legitimately selfless act on Macaque's part, and I do enjoy seeing the subtle ways he shows that he cares about MK contrasting with Wukong’s grand gestures of protection and concern. But it’s also really funny thinking about this powerful, super cautious, centuries-old loner with a history of betrayal and abandonment issues who came into this series ready to do whatever it took to destroy his best friend-turned-nemesis… and it’s the kid he accidentally became a legit mentor figure to while manipulating him as part of his plot to kill said kid’s other mentor that makes him start acting recklessly.

A kid who has been manipulated and nearly murdered by Macaque about as many times as he’s kicked Macaque’s ass, is the first person in… possibly ever to notice and call Macaque out for trying to be a ‘bad guy’ when his heart isn't in it, because he is not as dense as people think, is the student/fanboy of the guy who killed Macaque, and occasionally gives Macaque the wildest bouts of deja vu imaginable because he is sooo like his mentor but also just different enough to give Macaque hope that he can be better than both of them. Oh, and also he's a monkey now. Neat.

Their dynamic is hilarious. It’s sweet! It's full of so many layers, intricacies and parallels (ugh, the Parallels) that I tried not to get into, along with everything from MK’s perspective, because I really wanted this to just focus on how funny their dynamic is from a meta perspective. Truly, nobody is doing it quite like the soy sauce duo. Sorry for the absurdly long ask once again, and have a lovely day/night/whatever time it is where you are. waves from the precipice of madness*

I got you

My thoughts are going under a read more since the ask itself is so long (which thank you for giving me such an in-depth and delightful read EVERYONE GO READ WHAT UNHINGED ANON WROTE), so here we go!

Unfortunately I'm thinking too hard about all the stuff you told me not to, because Macaque being there when Wukong isn't is. Wooo boy.

I can only imagine what it was like watching this person who abandoned you do the same thing to his "beloved" student, and then watching said beloved student do a similar thing to his own friends.

Like, Wukong always going off for more power and immortality was out of paranoia right? Out of a fear of not being strong enough to protect the people he cared about? Out of a fear of mortality? And then MK not spending time with his friends and blowing off game night and distancing himself was ALSO out of paranoia for the imminent threat LBD posed. A fear of putting the people he cared about in danger (this is why 4x08 fucks so hard. SERIES LONG CHARACTER TRAIT. Anyways).

And then I just imagine Macaque watching all of that go down (he's bored and it's tuesday and it's time to go spy on/bully MK again) and seeing MK start to make the same mistakes Wukong did, and he's like "hold my bear" and has to step in and force MK to see what he's doing. Macaque was right, MK really is "that bit too much like him" but he's also still different from Wukong in key ways you know.

Which, it makes it so funny to me that Macaque is all like "MK you really are dense" about MK thinking of himself as the warrior, because it's like...Macaque. Is that not why you're here, because Wukong left MK like he did to you. MACAQUE YOU KNOW HE'S ALSO THE WARRIOR IN THIS SCENARIO. THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE. WE ALL KNOW HE'S THE WARRIOR.

But MK is ALSO the Hero, and he completely redefined what a Hero is for Macaque! Seriously, look at his face here:

(Right when MK says "We're heroes it's what we do!" is when this shot pops up. Screaming)

Macaque is DUMBFOUNDED that MK is so willing to risk his life for Mei in what seems like a completely hopeless situation. The fire is going to destroy Mei, right? Why reason with her, why try to save her, you can't do any of those things.

But MK does. And he does it despite what everyone else is telling him, what even Macaque himself is telling MK, and MK's refusal to leave Mei (which the hero is SUPPOSED to do to the warrior) shatters Macaque's world view to it's CORE. TO IT'S CORE.

Because, like, I think about 4x11 and how Macaque tried to reason with Wukong in his own completely hopeless situation, and how that didn't work—that was one of the inciting reasons Macaque started to believe "Look out for number one—because if you don't no one else will" right? But then MK said "hold my beer" and disproved something Macaque thought was an unchangeable fact, and then Macaque left before even watching MK go through with saving Mei.

And it's so funny how all that happened, and then MK gives his "then be a warrior speech:

Macaque: “Nice speech kid, but it’s not gonna-” MK: “Ugh, STOP! You keep playing at being this bad guy, acting like you’re just in it for you! But I know, deep deep down you’re not that guy. Help us. Make it right.” Macaque: “I’m not a hero bud-” MK: “Then be a warrior.”

(3x13 Time to be Warriors)

And here MK basically tells Macaque that "you don't have to be a hero or a villain you just have to help", getting us a little bit out of that "good guy" and "bad guy" false dichotomy, and then after all is said and done and Macaque tried to actually be a half-decent mentor in 4x10, he said this:

Macaque: "Point is, it’s time to start making your own choices—something I wish I would have learned a lot sooner than I did. You don’t want to fight Azure because people might get hurt, you don’t want to not fight him because people might get hurt--so do something else! Only you get to decide who you are kiddo.”

AND HE'S BASICALLY THROWING MK'S WORDS BACK AT HIM, OR AT LEAST THE IDEOLOGY BEHIND THEM, TELLING MK TO NOT FALL FOR THE FALSE DICHOTOMY, THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO CHOICES. HE'S SAYING LOOK FOR THE THIRD CHOICE.

(yes this is all from my hero and warrior meta! I think I've definitely gotten better at writing stuff like this but I still think it's a good read)

4x09 also parallels 2x07 in a very unique way, where Macaque steps in while MK is being that bit too much like Wukong again, except this time it's because MK is isolating himself on flower fruit mountain.

And that interaction only get's even funnier the more you think about it, like one: Macaque was totally drinking Wukong's milk while he wasn't there and spying on MK again, two: Macaque revealed himself at the perfect time to insult Wukong being "a lazy peach eating idiot, ignoring all the worlds problems" and three: he immediately back tracks on his whole "snarky edgy monkey" persona the moment MK starts glitching. Look at his face here:

And then he's all like "play my video game!" which doesn't initially help MK, and oh my god. No one is doing it like them you're right. Macaque sucks at being a teacher just as much as Wukong. Like he didn't plan on being a mentor either. It's so funny.

[sixears-macaque-yt]

I think Bai he specifically is believed to be a child because she’s smaller and has a notably younger voice. Pretty sure lbd was even referred to as something implying child at one point and used the child body to lure and trick mk into thinking she was a helpless little girl.

In general she’s pretty clearly intended to be decently younger than everyone else even her cat ear headband being more childish from a character design perspective. ( the MK thing was stupid af tho I agree)

Yeah I get that, but that puts her around 16. Mk has to be at least 18 to drive, and he's been pigsys delivery boy for a few years.

I could be crazy but the lady bone demon doesnt strike me as the type to make the chest area of a vessel bigger for no reason.

As for lbd referring to her as a child that's still not really a good thing to judge by- macaque calls mk and mei kids too.