#it's the people ignoring that part of their relationship (IF wukong does a murder) in order to warp the characters into the way they want

[cloud-somersault]

the way the fandom like. makes all these angsty art pieces and jokes and animatics of Wukong doing a murder and people in the comments go "ow! how could you" or "the angst is getting to me" or "haha! wukong did a murder!"

and then if you ever take that (somewhat widely accepted) concept and put it into a realistic context and like. act as if it actually happened, oh no, you can't do that! we can't have Wukong doing a wrong!

so like, what do people want? Do we just want the murder to be played up for laughs, or are we actually gonna acknowledge it? because imo, treating it simply as a joke and ignoring it otherwise is Not the move.

[the-monkey-ruler]

I saw all your JTTW posts and I’m curious; in the original story when do you think Wukong goes from viewing Xuanzang as an annoyance to genuinely caring about him and vice versa?

Ooo that is a hard one to pin point there could be so many moments. And it's hard to really put down because Wukong throughout the story has shown to care about Sanzang on some level (even low) every since the Ginseng Fruit arc when he took his place for the torture to make sure that he isn't hurt. Sure that was part of his job to make sure he doesn't die but he still didn't want Sanzang to be hurt either knowing as a human he wouldn't be able to take it like Wukong would. (Man said that the whips were like tickles to him, what a chad).

I would say that their biggest moments of clarity would also have been their biggest trials as well. White Bone Demon arc in specific. That was the first biggest hurdle and I think it’s the first one that they had to overcome to really start understanding the other. Wukong didn’t understand why Sanzang wouldn’t want to save people despite risking his own life in the process and Sanzang didn’t understand why Wukong was just trying to protect them from potential threats, even if they haven’t committed any attacks first. It was definitely the first major head-butting but I honestly think despite Wukong’s anger and Sanzang’s ignorance they both were forced to reevaluate each other.

Wukong went home and the first thing he did to save his monkeys was to illuminate 10,000 hunters that were killing them off. That is the population of a town at least. And yes, they were hunters but also, that is not a morally bad occupation, either. It’s just that these men were going after “prey” that they didn’t even know had a powerful monkey god on their side. And with just one scoop of his staff and some rocks he was putting like golf balls they were all wiped out. And Sanzang when he was captured again was only able to escape from the mercy of another person, and even then when he tried to relay a message to her father, he was only turned into a tiger and almost tortured to death 20 times over for his involvement.

Both of them were going through some of the lowest points in the journey and it’s only about a year into knowing one another.

It’s only when Bajie has to beg Wukong to come and even then he had to push for Wukong to take him seriously. And while Wukong does put on a show to tease Bajie and make him is what it was a single seen. That always makes me wonder how serious he was taking going back. And it’s when he chose to pay themselves despite any second Wujing and Sanzang are still in danger, but he still stopped and even asked Bajie to wait so he can properly cleanse himself for Sanzang else he is afraid he will be judged. As if he knows Sanzang would be able to see the murder on his hands despite it only being a couple days he is already killed more in a single day than he will throughout the journey.

And Sanzang is forced into his tiger state, being hunted down and chased around the castle until he is tied up and stabbed, the only reason that he didn’t die was because he had deities keeping him alive by pure force. He saw what it was like to not be heard and to be punished for what he thought was right and trying to help someone that helped him. While his actions themselves were not bad he seemed to be unaware of the consequences of those actions, and what they could lead to.

I think that this arc when they reconcile is definitely the most notable turning point of their relationship as from there on out I think he gets more obvious with how Wukong treats Sanzang. Even in the Red Boy arc which is just another year or two after the White Bone Demon Arc, we see Wukong having his first breakdown that he thinks he can’t do it. He really is hard on himself and thinks that it’s really impossible and that he can’t protect Sanzang like he should, and maybe they really should give up. Wujing hasta be the one to get them out of this mindset and let him know that No, they can do this and as long as they work together they can defeat anyone in the past, but they can’t do it alone.

From there Sanzang shows absolute faith and trust in Wukong in the Three Taoist Arc, going to each trial himself as he blindly follows Wukongs instructions. He isn’t sure how Wukong is going to save the day doing each trial he’s against the demon but he just knows that Wukong is going to do it. And I think that it was here that Sanzang at least starts to see he can trust Wukong with his life, and even if he is still a little crude and rude, Wukong is a loyal and kind person. And that Wukong starts to rely on Sanzang as well as a teacher. We see over and over again how dedicated Wukong is not only to protecting Sanzang but actually listening to scriptures and studying them with Sanzang. Whenever Sanzang has a moment of fear or doubt Wukong would recite the same scriptures back to him about what it means to overcome trials and tribulation. Wukong himself is still unempathetic to a certain degree but he does start caring more not only within his own party but also just about people in general. We see how he gave each monk a hair to keep themselves safe while he was rescuing them. And while he still shows signs of aggressiveness like in the Spirit Touch King Arc or One Horned Rhino Arc I think this particular act signifies when Wukong starts to change that mindset as well.

And we see that kind of trust again in the Women’s Kingdom arc, about 6 years into the journey. Sanzang is absolutely terrified of being forced to marry and wants everything in his power to leave. But Wukong knows that they can’t leave without a fight and tells Sanzang upfront that either he has to trust him and go along with his plan or that they have to risk fighting an entire country and being forced to even kill. Sanzang knew which one he would choose and agrees to follow Wukongs plan and pretend to be interested in the queen as well for the sake of keeping the peace until they can make a run for it last minute.

I think it’s here actually that Wukong starts to change his mindset is when about the 7-year hits and we are faced with the Six-Eared Macaque Arc. And it’s really here that I believe Wukong challenges himself, about who he is, and what he stands for because it’s not the same as who he was when he first started. When he first started, he was still a warlord, just looking for a way out of his imprisonment, and while he was grateful, he still found it just solely on the mission. But at this point, he has shown that he is dedicated to the mission not because of his gratitude I’ve been released, but also that he has shown such dedication to learning the scriptures and being a Buddist Monk. He has shown time and time to get how much he is willing to go for his party and not only make sure they are safe but also how much joy they bring him. He has been alive for nearly 1,500~ years but it’s only these 14 years does take up most of his narrative, as if the first millennia were just a blink of the eye. It is these moments in the 14 that are the most important years of his life that change forever. And he’s going to have to come to with terms that he is changing, he wants different things, he’s a different person, he thinks differently within himself. This is why I think the Six Ears Arc is in the middle of the journey, as it shows how the middle is his turning point with not only how he sees himself, but how interacts with other people as well. It wasn't just that Wukong's mind was split but the parties' mind as well. And now, they are one.

Sanzang thought after seeing Wukong behead a man and give it to him that perhaps it really was hopeless, and even after all these years maybe Wukong is it willing to change how he interacts with the world. That Sanzang has failed as a teacher and he really has nothing to offer to be the one to have Wukong better himself. And that is true to a degree as the only person that could make Wukong a better person is himself. No one can Wukong for Wukong. He has to make that conscious decision. And I think that’s perfectly civilized with the Six Ears Arc and how he confronts his worst traits and realizes “I am better than that” and knows that he is more than what he is given.

Sanzang and Wukong have one of the most interesting dynamics within the store, and I think it’s because of how similar they are in how they react to both failure and how they react to challenges. Both of them are very stubborn, emotional, and very head harder but while Sanzang is stubborn, and the fact that he wants to give everyone a second chance and will be willing to risk his life to do so Wukong is stubborn and the fact that he refuses to take any chances and focuses on self-preservation for him and select few. Sanzang might be scared, but his heart is in a good place of trying to reach out to others and Wukong in some way could be unwilling to go light on others not only for the sake of his own amusement but of fear that if he doesn’t finish an enemy now, they will only come back to harm him later.

Wukong and Sanzang only have a deeper bond and greater unity after the Six Ears arc, most of their interactions, from then, on being about how they were lying to one another, and how they trust one another. And yes, they still have those bats for the sake of drama, comedy, or even just to move the plot, I really think that they started caring about one another in the first chapter but they trusted each other in the Yellow Robes Arc, and really understood each other by the Six Ears Macaque Arc. Sanzang perhaps is the only person that really understands Wukong.

[lizardbraining]

I adore this theory/rationalization so much and I’d like to add my own rambles to it:

Tripitaka (Tang Xuanzang, River Float, the Monk, etc.) is no saint in the JttW. Even though Sun Wukong (Monkey King, The Great Sage, Pilgrim, etc.) raises hell on multiple occasions, he never does anything evil. The first time he’s personally threatened with execution it’s because he didn’t bow correctly to the Jade Emperor, but that’s beside the point, and a ramble for another day.

In the Journey to the West, every character becomes a better person. That’s the purpose of the journey, after all, but it doesn’t change the way Wukong was brought into the party in the first place.

Tripitaka uses the tight-filet spell whenever he wants to, for any reason including no reason, according to my reading. While we haven’t actually seen it in action in LMK, we have seen how flashbacks to Wukong receiving it are different depending on who’s talking:

(MK)

(Azure)

It’s also worth mentioning that, even though Azure and Macaque tell us a lot about Wukong, neither of them get it exactly right:

Macaque’s broken-record quote is, “You should really read the book, kid,” but he gets parts of JttW incorrect on several occasions; like when he mentions Wukong not having to work for his magic when the Six-Eared Macaque knows damn well just how much he had to work for it because he was the imposter listening the entire time he was at Sifu Subodhi’s place (which is how he can mirror Wukong’s abilities).

This could be a deviation from the canon, which is all well and good, but then why mention inaccuracies to the book in the first place?

(Macaque says it in the context of MK seemingly glorifying everything Wukong does and asking how anyone could be mad at him, but I can’t really speak on that because, as someone who’s read and is currently rereading the books, I wholeheartedly agree with him.)

Azure’s recollection of events, as established, is more rooted in being manipulative, but even ignoring that, he mentions Wukong, “yielding to an agent of the celestial host” when this

[screenshot from one of their edits too lol]

(via Wukong’s memory) does not look like the face of someone yielding.

(Azure would have an excuse for this, I guess; but the entire point of the Six-Eared Macaque is he can hear everything past, present, and future. But, in that same vein, if someone murdered me I wouldn’t go digging for ways to justify their actions.)

Despite the fact that we don’t quite know how LMK Wukong’s past with the party all went down yet, it’s important to recognize it’s only ever been talked about it in the third person, by people who mostly weren’t even there, and Wukong’s shattered memories are the only things we’ve seen so far into his side of what happened. I doubt that it was completely awful, but the fact that Wukong destroys murals of them and hoards every demon-defeating magic item known to man and stays walled up in the ruins of his old family home and smashed through his own memories to find MK and helped the scripture pilgrims but still doesn’t have a good relationship with Heaven means something.

Whatever you think happened based on a multitude of factors, my interpretation is Wukong really doesn’t know how friendships are supposed to work.

It’s already been asserted above that Azure is a huge jerk and that he contributed to Wukong’s very careful, standoffish, borderline aggressive isolating attitude with his friends when the going gets rough, but I’d like to add Tripitaka to that mix.

Whether they ended up friends in the end or not, Wukong was still brought into this journey under threat of pain, just like LBD did to Macaque. We know Wukong stuck around since he doesn’t have the circlet in the Samadhi fire flashback, but we also know something was off in the episode where his memory was regressed, right?

Whether Tripitaka meant to or not, he reinforced the idea Azure planted that friendship is just a means to an end. He showed Wukong again that any sort of failure or stepping out of line meant pain and that the very title of friend is a manipulation tactic. Azure used him to try and wipe out Heaven, and then Tripitaka used him to wipe out demons.

Fortunately, Wukong is self-aware, and we can see it so vividly in how he acts across every single episode. He may be a bit silly goofy sometimes, he may take ridiculous brand deals and smile a little too much; but Azure’s right, he does hold people at arms length. He’s terrified of even indirectly using his status to manipulate people he calls friends. He doesn’t even come down from his mountain until the Spider Queen takeover between seasons 1 & 2, then after that he leaves for another season to try and stop LBD all by himself, then again to juggle Nezha, the Samadhi fire, and LBD.

He’s got this horrible habit of abandoning people to try and fix things alone, but maybe it’s because he wants to take responsibility in a way that the people above him never did, even if it’s to his detriment. He won’t let MK end up like him, manipulated by someone he thought was his friend.

And just as a side note, he may still think he’s like that despite his best efforts. Pigsy and Mei have scolded him for abandoning them and hurting them and throwing his power all over the place and accusing him of not caring what happens which, so far, has only caused him to be more reckless to keep them out of harms way.

I’m just saying, until the episode where they have to retrieve Wukong from the scroll, we never see his side, and he still has never told his own recollection of events.

It seems like we only ever hear from people who despise him or who idolize the ground he walks on, both regarding him as a being incapable of pain or regret because he’s the hero.

(i wrote this while sick before going to the movies and then finished it after watching a movie so forgive me if it's incoherent or whateer im laying down)

do you ever think about how Azure Lion groomed Sun Wukong from a young age into being this perfect people to act as the poster child for the Brotherhood, abandoned him at his worst, was confident he could manipulate him into working for him again and then tried to do the same with Xiaotian and Xiaojiao upon first meeting them? And that, by association, he almost groomed Macaque and you can see how his manipulation affected Macaque even into adulthood when he first met Xiaotian?

No?

Azure Lion groomed Sun Wukong, tried to groom Qi Xiaotian (and Long Xiaojiao) and heavily affected Macaque's world view on Sun Wukong.

EDITOR'S NOTE:: grooming in this case does not mean anything sexual between the characters, grooming is a common trope in media and it's commonly seen as a power imbalance and manipulation tactic (see: when a father grooms his son to take over the company by inflicting him with his own ideals)

Azure Lion has a tendency to display Sun Wukong on this high pedestal and sound very confident in how he describes him. The very first thing he says in his debut is this:

“I'm flattered, truly, but if it were not for Sun Wukong bringing us together, right? Without you, none of this would be possible. Your courage to stand up to the Celestial Host has inspired us to finally take a stand. To make a true difference in the world. And I could think of none other more suitable to lead us on our conquest than you, brother.”

notice how throughout this episode sequence Azure is spoken about like he's the leader and right in every word he says. The other adults at the table (Peng, DBK and Yellow Tusk) smile and turn to him as though he's in the right. They hang on to his every word. something interesting is the fact Macaque and Sun Wukong are talked down to like they're the younger pair of the brotherhood — Peng's insults to Macaque, the way DBK asks SWK to repeat what happened during Havoc in Heaven—

heck even the way they laugh at Sun Wukong when he's being silly is a clear indicator that they see him as... silly.

It isn't until Azure Lion speaks up that they turn to him and start seeing Sun Wukong into a new light.

Not only that but the way that Azure talks to Sun Wukong raises several red flags. He looks at all his brothers the same way (e.g when he's helping Peng during a flashback in Episode 8) but it raises so many red flags when he looks at Wukong like this.

And Wukong hangs on to his every word.

Because Sun Wukong believes in what Azure Lion is saying to him. Everyone believes him in that moment. he sounds so confident in the way he says none of this would be possible without sun wukong. It's a way to manipulate him especially considering Sun Wukong was not the one to form the Brotherhood - Azure was. Azure decided to form this trio after seeing Sun Wukong for the first time according his own flashback:

And guess what? It works. Sun Wukong was minding his own business up until that point, the only thing he'd done (if the timeline matches up correctly) was become immortal and return to Flower Fruit Mountain to train his monkey army. In JTTW at this point he would've turned into a giant version of himself, scaring the other spirit kings into joining alliances with him just from witnessing that—instead we get Azure Lion believing him to be the perfect idol for his plan to come into fruition.

Fun Fact: Macaque is the only one who looks at Sun Wukong like this during Azure Lion's little speech about him and being the rightful leader of the brotherhood.

He seems more confused and shocked than the rest of them are. Mind you, he's known Sun Wukong longer than the rest of them have.

He hears Azure Lion, a veteran celestial warrior, praise his best friend and put him up on a pedestal and it confuses him. because his best friend is not like that. at least, he thinks so—but Azure sounds confident, right? he's speaking so confidently about this, so he must be right... right?

It will, eventually, lead to Macaque changing his view on Sun Wukong entirely. this is why we have shadowplay.

"That's what I believed. What Azure would have you believe."

Azure Lion affected not only Sun Wukong but Macaque in his manipulation — the timeline does not show us where Macaque went after his fall out with Wukong but the theory that he ran into the Camel Ridge Trio before fighting Wukong again works considering that line.

(Not only that but Macaque also tries to do this with Xiaotian: he introduces himself in a easily approachable way and trains him, takes him under his wing, then stomps on him the moment he stops being useful to him. he uses him to get to Sun Wukong. Xiaotian reminds Macaque of Sun Wukong and he uses similar tactics that Azure Lion used to get to Xiaotian — and it isn't until the Samadhi Fire Ritual that he realizes what he's done by being reminded of his and Wukong's fallout. He, a bystander, was also affected and influenced by Azure's manipulation.)

Additionally, Sun Wukong defends Azure Lion. He justifies attacking Heaven during Havoc in Heaven, he justifies the brotherhood's plan to go to war against Heaven—none of these plans are Sun Wukong's ideas. They are Azure's influence. In the original book, the reason why Wukong attacks Heaven in the first place is because they refuse to grant him the respect he wishes and thus Heaven is angry at him for dubbing himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. They ask the Jade Emperor to take care of Sun Wukong and he does—which, y'know, ends up with Wukong imprisoned afterwards. But in Monkie Kid it's all because of Azure's influence on Wukong.

Because he groomed him into being a faithful right hand man. And he is so confident in that that he gives these grand speeches and pep talks and says every perfect little line to make Sun Wukong want to follow him to Hell and back.

"When we triumph in this rebellion, the people will never live in fear. We're about to change everything. It's all because of you, brother!"

And, of course, he tries this on Xiaotian and Xiaojiao, too, when he first meets them.

When he presents himself to Xiaotian and Xiaojiao, he comes to their rescue. He already introduces himself as a savior and protagonist because he saves them from the scroll—even seemingly displaying himself as non-threatening because, while he laughs at them, he does so in a manner that's sincere and genuine. It's a goofy laugh. He's being goofy. He's playing to their good side.

It's the way he talks to them and laughs, introduces himself with such flamboyance and loudness that he mirrors Sun Wukong himself. He is such a direct influence to Sun Wukong that it carries throughout the few scenes we see of him that resemble what Sun Wukong has done with Xiaotian: the astral projection, the goofy displays of excitement, the sarcastic tones when talking about Tang, the way he greats his brothers when they are freed as old friends and all cheery and genuine.

He allows himself to be called uncy lion and romanticizes the past of the brotherhood while not elaborating on the fact he lead Sun Wukong and his brothers to a war while still blaming the aftermath and defeat of their party on Sun Wukong.

"Ah, well. The Sun Wukong isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with. He has quite a habit of keeping people at arm's length. We were young, mistakes were made... and some mistakes can't be undone."

He speaks of him in a way to spark doubt between Xiaotian and Xiaojiao and it works in the way they react to what he says. They are disheartened and Xiaojiao even mentions, later, how Sun Wukong has had a habit of keeping things to himself. I wonder why that is.

" [...] If your friendship with Monkey King meant anything to you—" "It meant everything to me." [....] "We're brothers. Nothing could ever change that."

It's the way that Azure talks to them about Sun Wukong. It's the way he still thinks he is close enough to Sun Wukong to say that nothing will change their relationship. It's the way that he tries to plant these ideas into Xiaotian's head when they first meet, because he is the Monkie Kid.

That and the fact that later, when Sun Wukong is bursting through each and every memory, he reaches Xiaotian and goes to him and tries to comfort him and say they'll get to safety soon and they just have to deal with the scroll curse—it's the fact that the moment

that pigsy

mentions Azure Lion

all of that gets paused for a moment

"Oh he says his name like that because he put him in the scroll, he shouldn't be here—" there is also the fact he's not fully blown surprised by this. he's also wary. he's hesitant. sure you can say he's surprised to hear they've met Azure Lion,

but then you get this

this is hatred. this is anger. this is not what Sun Wukong feels towards Macaque during Season 3 — he lunged at Macaque for putting Xiaojiao in danger, for putting Xiaotian in danger, for ruining his plan, and he hesitates to attack him, to deliver that final blow, his fist is shaking and Tang's interuption easily causes him to lose focus and he drops Macaque. He lets go.

THIS? This is him protecting Xiaotian. this is him not wanting Xiaotian near Azure. Xiaotian looks at Azure with wide eyes and a gaping mouth because "oh Azure's here?" but Wukong knows better.

And you cannot tell me Sun Wukong was not heavily hurt by Azure Lion's actions without looking at the way that Sun Wukong puts himself between Azure and Xiaotian immediately, how Sun Wukong tries to be a better person by putting Xiaotian's safety first, always, even if it means he gets possessed or hurt or thrown around.

You cannot tell me Azure Lion wasn't a manipulator or abuser or a person who used Sun Wukong's admiration of him against him, to turn him into an obedient follower and devoted friend, when the very first thing he does when he sees Wukong step between him and Xiaotian is sigh.

Sighs like an older mentor looking at their pupil and going "didn't I teach you better than that?"

And then he imprisons Sun Wukong.

Because he is of no use to him at that moment.

And the fucking kicker: Xiaojiao modeled her new sword after Azure Lion, then is blatantly disgusted by this when she figures out how much of a bastard he is and openly says so. Xiaotian looks distraught and confused. Because Azure admits to being guilty of using them and manipulating them. He aims for sympathy with them.

He aims for sympathy with Xiaotian.

He twists the narrative again when he and Xiaotian are alone.

He's manipulating him. He's using him.

He keeps painting Sun Wukong in this negative light. he keeps putting himself up as the sympathetic victim of it all.

"My former brother was sent to destroy us and all we had built."

and yet he still talks about Wukong as though he has a grasp on their relationship. he calls him brother. he has not abandoned that title. he still thinks of Sun Wukong as his brother and will continue to use him and his name in whatever way possible to get ahead.

Maybe it is not on purpose and Azure thinks he is being true and genuine with Xiaotian but it does not erase the fact he twists the narrative to paint Sun Wukong in a negative light in front of his successor. Because Sun Wukong and Xiaotian have a strong relationship, a bond so strong that Qi Xiaotian bursts with power and strength when he realizes Azure will not give him back to him. It's precision and control and Qi Xiaotian could wreck havoc among everyone for keeping his mentor away from him but he is so controlled and careful with his movements that he manages to not attack Azure, but throw him off balance to get him to release Azure.

All because Sun Wukong is important to him.

Because Sun Wukong was not going to treat his successor as though he were a weapon or a pawn in some major scheme like he was.

Azure Lion showers people with praise that they do not deserve nor want and does so in a way that makes the party feel either delighted to have aided with his success or horrified at the revelation. He does so when Sun Wukong brings the brotherhood together (which wouldn't have happened if Azure Lion hadn't seen Sun Wukong with his subjects that one day) and he does so when Qi Xiaotian for returning his brothers to him (which he didn't know he was doing, because Azure Lion told him he needed to defeat the curse without mentioning his friends would be released too, at least from what I can remember).

"His betrayal, his brutality. He took the only friends I had from me. I would have done anything in my power to bring them back. But it wasn't in my power, it was in yours. You saved my friends. You returned them to me. And for that, I am eternally grateful."

This is similar to what he says to Sun Wukong when he was thanking him for bringing the brotherhood together.

And then, what happens when all this manipulating and tricking does not work? When Qi Xiaotian teams up with Sun Wukong instead of siding with Azure Lion?

"After all Sun Wukong has put you through, how much he's let you down, you would still meet your fate trying to protect him?! (...) He doesn't deserve such loyalty, yet you insist on learning the hard way, just as I did! I should've never trusted the Monkey King! The False Sage, Equal to Nothing!"

He fucking insults Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong who rushes in to protect Xiaotian, who shoves Azure Lion out of the way, and checks on Qi Xiaotian when he glitches out and starst to lose control of his powers.

And when he's losing against Xiaotian? When he struggles to keep up with him?

"Look what he's done to you! Reduced you to a mindless, savage animal."

Again, Macaque's obsession over Sun Wukong makes sense now. His obsession is a result of Azure Lion's doing. His obsession is what Qi Xiaotian could have been had he not known Sun Wukong for who he really is: his mentor and friend.

What gets to me is what Xiaotian says to him when he's losing:

"That's what you were pretending to be, right? To be my friend? To care about me? When really, you were just using me to get what you wanted! To turn me against my own mentor! Well, put your hand in the monkey cage and expect to get bit, son! Come on! Come on! Come on, Uncy Lion! You're the big hero, right?! Then prove it! Show me!"

It's a perfect way of snapping back at Azure for all his manipulation.

And then Azure dies.

He learns he's being manipulated for someone else. He cries and smiles and dies.

What for?

He doesn't save anybody.

He doesn't suffer consequences of manipulating people. He doesn't do anything heroic and he doesn't even save the world by sacrificing himself because Nezha is the one who seals away the Jade Emperor's powers in the end.

He's a natural manipulator.

He's not a hero.

he's a loser

[tigerseye46]

Some peachpigshiping with B6/13/58/60 and C30/41/60, please?

B6. “What if I told you that there’s a surprise for you outside?” B13. “I’m not the person you want in your life.” “Yes you are.” B58. “You look amazing.” B60. “I’ll continue doing this until you smile.” C30. “I love you, but I wish I didn’t.” C41. “Fuck you! Get out of my house!” C60. “Oh, now my opinion matters? I wish we had never met!”

I had fun with this one, here's some jealous Pigsy content!

Pigsy watches carefully as the two disguised monkeys interact with each other. Wukong says something snarky that the pig can barely catch, Macaque stutters and blushes then the king’s hand goes up to his mouth as he lets out a laugh. The scene makes Pigsy’s hand clench around the spoon he’s holding, tempted to throw it in between them.

Macaque has been around them for months, forced by MK and Wukong to join the group. At first the shadow monkey obviously loathed the idea at first, citing that being around the group was a fate worse than death, but he had gradually warmed up and repaired his relationship with Wukong.

Now the two monkeys were side by side most of the time, rarely did Pigsy see them alone together and he hated it with a burning passion.

He told Wukong that it was a bad idea to bring that monkey in and despite the fact that Macaque has changed, he still didn’t trust him. In fact, he wanted to murder that monkey when he had learned what he did to Xiaotian. That monkey could betray them at any moment! No way was he letting his guard down.

Although, he would be lying if the kid was the only reason he refused to trust Macaque. Wukong was his main reason. He had fallen hard for the king months before the other monkey had shown up.

They clashed for a long time, mostly due to Pigsy’s anger, before they were able to reach an understanding. He found things about the king that made his heart flutter, how beautiful poetic verses would slip out of his lips, how he was surprisingly thoughtful at times, his care for those around him, his determination and so many many things that showed why Wukong was so amazing, why he was so beloved.

But unlike most people, he saw Wukong, not just as a hero, but as a person.

He really likes the king and all he wants is the feelings to be returned.

The pig is brought back to reality when he hears more laughter, he lets out a sigh and furrows his brows.

Tang taps him on the arm. “Pigsy.”

He stares at the scholar. “What?” He hisses under his breath.

Tang giggles and comments, “If looks could kill, those two would be dead by now. Although, I’m sure Macaque is your intended target.”

“What are ya talkin’ about?”

The scholar places an elbow on the table, a hand underneath his chin as he gives a wide smirk. “That you like Wukong.”

He stomps his feet. “I do not! Shaddup, Tang.” He’s already told Tang about his feelings in private but no way is he letting Wukong overhear.

“You do,” Tang teases in a sing-songy voice.

“Quiet! They could hear!”

“Hear what?” Wukong questions as they walk up to them. Beside him, Macaque has his arms crossed, his chin puffs out and on his face is a smug smile. Pigsy growls, of course that six-eared bitch heard it.

“Nothin’,” he answers, sending the six-eared monkey a threatening look.

“Alright. When will the kid be back?” Oh, that’s right, the two had come here so they could get MK for training.

“A few minutes. The kid should be finishing his last order soon, if he doesn't get distracted, that is.” He chuckles then gestures to the seats next to Tang. “Sit down. I’ll make ya somethin’.”

“Okay.” The king’s smile makes his heart skip a beat. He turns around, not noticing the way the king gazes at with complete adoration and appreciation.

“Peaches,” Macaque starts, “remember that time we stole a whole bunch of candy and random items from that human village?”

Wukong snorts. “I remember. Didn’t one of those villagers throw a shoe at you?”

“And a barrel of hay!”

They laugh together which makes the pig fume. As he’s cooking, more stories and inside jokes are shared between them that he (and well, Tang) will never get. He wonders how many memories they’ve had with each other, he knows part of their history, how Macaque tried to replace Wukong to get him back for leaving, along with trying to replace his friends.

“You chose them over me?!” Macaque shouts with his teeth bared. “They’re pathetic!”

“Maybe so but they’re my friends! I won’t let you touch them!”

“You consider them your friends?” He gestures to four on the sidelines. They are a monk, horse, fish demon and a pig that has an aura that reminds him of his own. The group’s faces are a mix of panic and fear. “You’ve really downgraded, Peaches.”

“More like upgraded. Now, are we going to do this or not?”

The other monkey doesn’t answer him and instead wraps some shadows around himself, turning back into the perfect reflection of Wukong. They lunge at each other, confusing the others about who is who, the fight goes on, destroying rocks and creating cracks around their area.

At a certain point, one of them looks back at the group, concern and worry present in his eyes, and for a second, Pigsy can tell that’s the real Wukong. The scene feels so familiar, like he was there but that’s crazy, right?

He is brought back to reality when someone snaps their fingers, he turns and sees Tang with his fingers touching. “Uh, earth to Pigsy, you were kinda just standing there. You okay?”

“Hm? Yea, I’m fine.”

Wukong tilts his head and says, “Really? Because you haven’t even paid attention to your soup.”

“What?” The pot is almost whistling and the broth is bubbling way too much. “Oh shit,” he mumbles and lowers the heat. He finishes it quickly, pours it into two bowls, and adds the noodles. The smell wafts in the air. He passes it to the two monkeys. “Here.”

“Thanks, Pigsy,” Wukong says with a smile that shifts Pigsy’s cheeks to a tint of red.

“Yea, thanks Pigsy,” Macaque repeats with an eye roll. Pigsy ignores him.

They continue their stories while eating, Tang nods at certain points, laughing with them and commenting about different aspects. Pigsy enjoys getting to know more about the king but at the same time he’s boiling, like a volcano about to burst, it’s not a new feeling by any means. It’s probably the most familiar feeling out there for him, besides protectiveness, begrudging acceptance and masked contentment.

This whole thing is a reminder that he will never have this with Wukong. The king hardly notices him, sure, they talk and they understand each other now yet to the chef, he’s only a small presence, just acknowledged as the kid’s boss and not much else, barely a friend. He’s positive the king doesn’t give him much thought and that hurts the most, remembering that he’s considered one of the million unimportant people in Wukong’s immortal life. All he wants is to be part of Wukong’s world. A world that scarcely anyone is let into, somehow that includes Macaque, stupid monkey.

“Hey! I’m back,” MK greets as he walks into the shop and waves.

Wukong waves back. “Hey, bud. Ready to train?”

“Yep! Is that alright with you, Pigsy?”

The pig bobs his head. “Yea, go ahead, kid.”

“Thanks, boss!”

“Mhmm.”

Macaque ruffles the boy’s hair. “Can’t wait to kick your butt in training.”

“Bring it!”

Wukong rolls his eyes. “Try not to hurt each other too badly.”

“I’ll try, Peaches.” They both ruffle the kid’s hair again and Pigsy notices how they look like a happy family, he absolutely despises it so much so that his knuckles turn white.

He hates Macaque, if he gave the monkey a chance maybe he would like him but he doesn’t want to. The pig is clouded by jealousy. Wukong and Macaque’s closeness makes him sick to stomach. The king is sentimental, blind to the fact that the six-eared monkey will no doubt stab them in the back, maybe he needs another reminder.

He grumbles as Macaque leaves with the kid while Wukong lingers. Wukong spins around and takes something out of his pocket, money. He holds it out for Pigsy. “Huh?” Since when has the king paid before? Delivery orders aside.

“It’s for the noodles.”

“Ummm… ya don’t have to do that.” Maybe not having to pay for noodles will make Wukong happy, it’s a small gesture.

“Really? Aren’t you the one who complains when people don’t pay?”

Tang slams his bowl down with a thud and whines, “Yea! You always get mad at me for not paying.”

“That’s because you’re a freakin’ freeloader, Tang,” he snarls. “It’s on the house, Wukong.”

Wukong raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Are you sick or something?”

“No, just in a good mood.”

“Yea, I can tell by the bright smile on your face,” the king jokes.

The pig emits a small ‘tch’ noise. “Wow, you read me well.”

The monkey grins at that comment and leans over to hug him, he sucks in his breath. Tang sips his soup in the background, letting them have their moment. The hug is warm and gentle, the chef’s stomach does a light flutter, briefly he can pretend he matters to Wukong. He doesn’t notice when the other slips the money in his pocket, preferring to focus on the warmth and his imagination. For a moment, he can think I matter to him. He cares about me.

That is broken when Macaque peeks his head in and calls, “Peaches!”

Wukong separates from him, he holds in his disappointment, his fingers twitching to pull the king into another hug. He receives a playful wink. “See you!” The second monkey puts an arm around the king’s neck and leads him out.

Pigsy scowls and grips the inside of his pockets, when he feels something foreign, he takes it out, rolling his eyes fondly when he finds the yuán Wukong slipped in. He goes back to work, attempting to push down his anger and longing then receiving a small jab to his chest when he remembers again about how he doesn’t matter to the king.

Weeks pass by and the longing continues, growing stronger with each passing minute, each passing day, as it has been for a while. He dreams of finally having Wukong’s smile, yearning for the day the king will call him his, that they’ll get closer eventually, at least enough to finally matter to Wukong. It blinds him to Wukong’s loving gaze along with the small and soft touches.

Despite Pigsy's gruff nature, he is a pure softie underneath, he makes sure to give Tang an extra bowl of noodles if the scholar is having a hard day, never kicking him out of the shop. He takes it easy on Xiaotian, making sure the kid takes care of himself and so many other things. That same softness applies to when he’s in love.

One day, all of them decide to hang out together and unfortunately, that includes Macaque.

They’re walking together, Pigsy is in the back with his arms crossed while Tang, Sandy, Xiaojiao and Xiaotian are in the middle and a disguised Macaque and Wukong are in front, smiling and laughing. The pig is absolutely glowering at the pair, his eyes soften when Wukong turns back and shoots the group a small smile because no way is it directed solely at him. The monkey goes back to focusing on Macaque, the pig’s stomach twists and turns.

He balls his fists and lets out a low hiss. He watches as Macaque nudges the other monkey, whispering something, how the monkey’s cheeks shift to pink and a triumphant smirk appears on the six eared monkey’s face.

Pigsy decides at that moment to storm off, he can’t be there, he can’t watch as Macaque flirts with Wukong.

He misses it when Wukong glances back again with his brows raised.

Pigsy goes far away from the group, getting lost in the crowd of people. “Pigsy,” a familiar voice yells. He shakes it off and keeps walking. “Pigsy! Pigsy!”

He growls and spins to see Wukong running up to him. “What?”

The monkey stops in front of him. “You okay? You left without saying anything.”

“Fine,” he answers while his teeth grind together in anger. He stomps towards the direction of the shop with Wukong following.

“Really? You seem angrier than usual.”

“I’m fine,” he repeats.

“Uh huh. Someone’s grumpy.”

He huffs. “Not in the mood.” Go away.

A look of concern flashes across the king’s feature before going to a wide and charming grin. “You know I forgot to say this earlier but you look amazing,” he compliments and gestures to the blue flannel.

Pigsy’s pulse quickens and he suppresses the rosy red. “Thanks,” he mumbles, a frown still present.

“What? That didn’t make you happy? I’ll continue doing this until you smile.”

“What? Botherin’ me?”

“Exactly. Now come on. Let’s go back to the others, it might cheer you up.”

He grips the pig’s hand, Pigsy gasps and yanks it away. “Don’t touch me,” he hisses.

The king’s palm remains in the air, his mouth agape, he shakes it off. “Sorry. So where do you want to go? We can go anywhere you want.”

“I’m goin’ back to the shop by myself.”

“Sounds boring. Hang out with me, just the two of us.”

Just the two of them? No, he’s not going to stay. “I… I’m good.”

The king seems almost disappointed but why would he be? “Come on! It will be fun! We can spend some quality time together!”

He opens his mouth to reject Wukong again when a “Peaches” rings in the air. Macaque is a good distance away from them.

Wukong gives him a small wave and a gesture to stay where he is. The pig scoffs. “You should go to him. After all, I know how much he matters to you,�� his voice drips with venom.

“Huh? Of course, he matters to me, you all matter to me.”

“Yea, right.”

Wukong lifts a brow. “Pigsy, what’s wrong? You can tell me anything.”

“Why do ya care?”

“Because you matter to me.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Huh? You do. Is something wrong? I can make it better. I promise.”

He reaches for the pig again and the pig growls, “I said, don’t touch me!”

The king swallows roughly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you hated being touched. I’ll try not to do it again.”

Pigsy fumes, “Oh, now my opinion matters? I wish we had never met!” The last part slips past his mouth and he bites his lip.

The monkey’s ears droop. “Wh-what? Did I do something to upset you?”

No turning back now. “Yes!”

“What did I do?”

“Everythin’! Like makin’ my kid your successor and puttin’ him in danger!”

“Huh? I thought we were over that.”

“I thought we were too and it’s not just that. It’s every little bit of the things you’ve done. It’s how you laugh, your smile, your humor, every bit about you, includin’…” He clutches his chest. “Includin’ the way you make me feel. Bein’ around you makes me feel happier than I’ve ever been but at the same time it hurts. Knowin’ that ya don’t feel the same and never will. That there are a million other people you’d let into your world before me. That I’m so unimportant to you. That you look at Macaque more than you do me… that’s part of the reason I didn’t want him around because I knew you would rather be with him and I couldn’t bear it. Because… I love you but I wish I didn’t.

Something tightens in his gut at finally admitting this. He wrings his hands, focusing only on Wukong’s slacked jaw and widened eyes, not seeing the looks from people passing by them or Macaque’s smirk and crossed arms, head tilted in amusement.

Wukong is still like a statue and Pigsy feels like sinking into the ground where the king will never be able to find him. “Aren’t you goin’ to say anythin’?”

The king opens his mouth slowly. “Pigsy, I…” then he closes it.

Pigsy scoffs and lets out a laugh. “Gods, I knew it. I knew it would be this way.”

“No! Pigsy, I…”

“Don’t worry about it, Wukong. I already know your answer. Just confirms what I knew.”

“No! I-”

“It’s okay. I’ll… see you.” He rushes off, tears of frustration prick his eyes. When he gets back to his shop, he leans his head against the counter and sits there for ages.

Wukong doesn’t come to the shop for a few days and Pigsy’s mood sours significantly. He snaps more than usual and despite the others’ best attempts, he doesn’t open up to them, won’t smile.

He was aware of how Wukong would react, doesn’t make it hurt any less.

Pigsy is in his apartment when he hears knocking on the door. He growls and rubs his eyes. Who could be knocking at this time of night?

“Alright. I’m comin’. Hold your horses.” He opens it to reveal Macaque. He hisses, “Get out!”

“Nice to see you too and nice pajamas.” He snorts then pushes past Pigsy, he observes the place. “Interesting decor. We need to talk.”

He narrows his eyes and slams the door shut. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“You don’t have much of a choice. Peaches is upset.”

“So? Shouldn’t you be with him then?”

“No. I should be with you. To tell you how stupid you are.”

Pigsy balls a hand into a fist. “Screw you!”

Macaque puts his hands up in defense. “Calm down. I meant no disrespect, well yes I did but that’s besides the point. You couldn’t have waited for Peaches to answer you?”

“I already knew his answer.”

“No, you didn’t. Peaches is an idiot. He wanted to answer but didn’t know how to start. Now he’s moping. It’s pathetic honestly. He misses you.”

“Why should he?”

“Because he likes you, idiot.”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“Yes, he does. Look I don’t get what you and Peaches think I have.”

“A relationship obviously. You like him, he likes you.” Macaque roars with laughter. “Why are ya laughin’?”

“You- you think Peaches and I are together? Oh my gods. You really are an idiot. No wonder Peaches likes you!”

He stomps his feet and points towards the entrance. “Fuck you! Get out of my house!”

Macaque cackles and wipes a tear. “Hear me out first. Look, I know you don’t like me but what I’m saying is the truth. Peaches likes you, gushes about you all the time. He and I are just friends. All we’ll ever be. But you, he loves you.”

He rolls his eyes and yells, “Sorry if I don’t believe the monkey who clearly has a habit of lying!”

“That was before. I’ve changed, I promise. And I’m trying to pay back Peaches’s kindness. He loves you a lot. I don’t think I’ve seen him happier.”

“That’s a lie.”

“It’s not. What if I told you that there’s a surprise for you outside?”

“A surprise?”

The six-eared monkey swings the door open to reveal Wukong on the other side, his tail and ears are droopy and his gaze cast down on the ground. “Peaches!”

Wukong perks up, his golden orbs sparkle when he fixates on the chef. He lunges forward to wrap the pig in a bone crushing hug. “Pigsy!” His tail thumps to the ground.

Pigsy’s face flushes and he rests a hand on the king’s back. “Wukong…”

The king steps back and rubs the back of his neck, Pigsy holds back a whine at the loss of warmth. “Sorry! You said not to touch you.”

Macaque watches them then shrugs his shoulders. “Alright. Have fun. I’ll be off.” He walks away, leaving them to their own devices.

They exchange glances. Wukong starts with “Pigsy, I missed you.”

The king missed him? “I… ummm…”

“Can we sit down?”

“Huh? Oh! Uh. Sure.” They sit down on the couch. “Wukong. I…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry. Did I really make you feel that way? That I didn’t care about you?”

“Well… ummm… Wukong. It’s not that you didn’t make me feel that way. It’s just I thought ya didn’t. It’s silly.”

“It’s not silly. Why did you feel that way?”

“Well, look at me. I’m not you. I didn’t go on a journey, become a hero. I’m just some angry pig demon that runs a noodle shop. I don’t have any amazin’ powers. I’m nothin’ special. I’m not the person you want in your life.”

“Bite your tongue! Yes you are. I don’t care what powers you have. You’re amazing just as you are and you are a hero. I hear what you’ve done for the kid and the others… and you’re great. Really. You mean a lot to me.”

“I do?”

“Yea. I think of you a lot. Too much if you ask me. Despite your grumpiness, you have a great heart and… you aren’t afraid to tell me when I’m wrong and stuff. And I like you a lot. When you mentioned that there are people I would let into my world before you, that’s so untrue. You are one of the people I let see the real me.”

“Wukong…”

“I love you, Pigsy. I really do. I’m sorry I didn’t say it back before. I was surprised. I didn’t think you felt the same way. I tried to show I was interested. Did you never notice the way I looked at you?”

Pigsy blinks slowly, recalling everytime Wukong has ever looked at him, it’s more than he thought, there was always something unrecognizable in the king’s eyes and now notes it as pure love. “No, I didn’t.” He smacks his forehead. “I’m… I’m an idiot.”

Wukong laughs, his laughter sounds sweet. “Yea, you are, my dear idiot.” Pigsy flushes slightly at the affectionate tone that comes with the nickname. “But I am too.”

“I’m sorry I got jealous and snapped at you.”

“Pigsy, it’s okay. Your jealousy was kinda cute, hot even,” he adds with a wink.

“Sh-shush. Gods, I feel stupid now.”

“Oh, you should.” He receives a smack to his arm and he laughs again. “After you confessed, I was thinking a lot. I wanted to give you space but I got sad at the thought of you never wanting to see me again since I never responded. I’ve been wanting to confess for a while and I bought you this.” He pulls out a box and unlocks it to reveal a round golden bracelet with two gems.

Pigsy is amazed at the object. “Wow. This is gorgeous. Is this a courtship bracelet?”

“Yep. If you want it that is.”

“I do, it’s absolutely gorgeous but are ya sure you want to give this to me?”

“There is no one else I would rather give it to. May I?” The pig bobs his head, the monkey slides the bracelet onto his wrist and holds his hand. “Beautiful. It looks wonderful on you.”

“Tha-thanks. I love it.”

Wukong kisses his head. “I’m glad.”

“Ummm… Wukong, you kinda missed.”

“Oh?”

Pigsy cups his cheek. “Yep.” He kisses him on the lips, he can taste the peaches that no doubt has resided on the king’s mouth.

“Mmmmmm.”

They separate and lovingly stare at each other. “I’m sorry again.”

“Don’t be. I love you.”

“I love you too. Y’know maybe I’ve actually started likin’ Macaque after all.”

Wukong chuckles. “He’ll be glad to hear it especially now that I’m not “moping” as he puts it.”

“I’m glad you’re happy.”

“I’m glad you’re happy,” Wukong mimics and smooches him for a second time, his tail swishes from side to side. “You mean the world to me.”

“You do too.”

They kiss a few more times and as Pigsy leans against Wukong’s chest, it fills him with unspeakable joy to recognize how much he matters to the king, his boyfriend.