#lmk the four stalwarts

[quitealotofsodapop]

Sun Wukong has been a lot of things over the many, many years he's been alive. King, pilgrim, rebel leader to name a few, but being a father was new. MK is a great cub, sweet, caring, and always happy. But he's also inherited Wukong's proclivity for getting into trouble and stubbornness. From what Tieshan and Ao Yo tell him, he's doing a great job.

Then MK went and got himself kidnapped again.

Wukong groaned, stomping up the steps to the dojo, tail lashing irritably. Perhaps saying MK was kidnapped is an overstatement, since he knows full well that MK more than likely went with the person holding hin very willingly and that his 'kidnappper' would never lay so much as a paw on his son, but it felt better for him to think MK was simply kidnapped. It's better than having to admit the alternative. Pigsy and Tang flanked him, equally concerned and furious, while the Stalwarts brought up the rear, the whole lot of them amused.

Trying to ignore the snickering of Ba, Wukong pounded on the door of the dojo, crossing his arms and tapping his foot in impatience. When the door opened, the cub thief himself lounged against the doorframe like an overly smug cat, grinning wide as he not so subtly checked Wukong out.

"Well, if it isn't the Great Sage! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company this fair day?" The Six Eared Macaque was practically purring, forcing Wukong to suppress a shiver as his voice rolled over him.

"Cut the crap, Macaque!" Wukong growled, "Where is MK?"

Seeing the crowd behind him, Macaque raised a brow before snorting out a laugh.

"I only just got him down for a nap, come on in. Please don't mind the mess, I haven't had a chance to clean up yet."

Wukong did just that, strutting forth angrily, making sure to slap Macaque in the face with his tail along the way. The inside of the dojo was, as Wukong suspected, trashed but otherwise looked to be in good condition. Well, as good condition a place can be if they had a toddler with the power of a god running about it for the afternoon. In a cleaner corner of the room was a small, Westlake bundle of blankets and cushions with a familiar chestnut brown tail sticking out of it. Wukong immediately went over to check on his son, noting that as he suspected MK was simply tuckered out and there was no injury to speak of on him. In fact, the moment he was in his father's arms, he let out a sleepy chirp and nuzzled closer.

"See? Kid's safe, just like I said." Macaque's voice purred far too close for comfort, his breath agaisnt Wukong's neck as he leaned over his shoulder. Wukong immediately whirled about, fur bristling, as he hissed.

"Don't do that! Sneaking up like some shadow!"

"What!?" Now Macaque looked less amused, "Here I am looking after the kid you lost track of, and you come barging into my home and insult me!?"

"And I thank you for caring for MK." Wukong practically spat the words, carefully handing the child off to Pigsy as he turned to properly confront , "But that's no reason for you to be leaning over me like that!"

"You mean like this!?"

Suddenly Wukong was forced to back up, mouth dry as he was very suddenly reminded that Macaque was taller than him, eyes wide as he stared up at the towering monkey as he stepped into Wukong's space again to lean over him. It was as if an electrical current was connecting the two as he tried to open his mouth, say anything, but so.ply couldn't find the words. Macaque too seemed to feel it as the amusement in his eyes seemed to fade into something softer. Ma let out a cough, suddenly reminding them of the audience.

"Okay!" Wukong shoved Macaque's face, forcing him to back up, "You made you're point! Just stay out of my space!"

"Whatever you say, You're Majesty."

Wukong growled to himself, his fur puffing up in irritation as the smug bastard's grin returned to its annoying sharp point, clearly mocking him. Macaque's eyes left his for the first time since his arrival as he turned to greet the Stalwarts, who happily greeted him back. The traitors.

Hehehe X3

For those not knowing; irl macaques will "kidnap" babies of their mates/romantic partners to babysit as a form of flirtation. Its them telling the parent; "Look how good a parent I am! Can I hang around some more?"

Just had the imagery of Macaque trying to take care "power of a god" cub MK for the afternoon. He quickly decides; "Oh well, any kid of Wukong's is gonna be like this. Come here ya little scamp!" cus now he's thinking of an island overrun with excitable cubs.

I love how Wukong is so mad/frustrated at Macaque that he silently hands MK over to Pigsy. Like "Bro, hold my baby." (ง •̀_•́)ง

But you *know* if they had been alone, that pull-into-my-arms would have led to something else. <3

Macaque cannot help being a flirtly lil shit towards Wukong, and the Stalwarts know it to see it. XD

[sloth-artstudio]

Four Stalwart Generals.

From Oldest to Youngest.

Ma, The Mountain's Might.

-

Liu, the Eyes of the Island.

-

Ba, Healer of All.

-

Beng, Fury of the Water Fall.

No one knows where the Generals are in the present day. Though there is a rumor surrounding a five star restaurant who's own just happens to be a Monkey or Primate.

((AN: General Ba is the only General with a mutantion that makes his fur white and not black.))

[centuryberry]

Summary: You go out and touch some grass (and meet many new faces.)

[lmk-monkiesibs-au]

as promised, here are this au's designs for half of the stalwart generals of flower fruit mountain!

let's begin with the marshals!

info on them under the cut!

up first, Ma!

she's the youngest (and shortest) of the Stalwart Generals, and based off a lar gibbon. her main color is green (duh), and metals are always silver (because op loves color-coding stuff).

personality wise, i envision her as more of a playful type. she's funny and a little chaotic, and really popular amongst the island's youngsters. she tends to be pretty blunt at times and isn't afraid to speak her mind when the situation calls for it. usually, Ma's pretty quick to drop any pretenses of formality amongst her fellow generals — she sees her responsibility as huaguoshan's marshal less like a burden and more like being part of the King's extended family (which, let's be honest, it kind of is). she's rated a 6 out of 10 in mihou's uncle/aunt scale. only because she's a liiitle too loud for him

her weapon of choice is a shangshou dadao — basically, a real big sword. how does she wield it considering she's really short? she's got loooong arms. where does she store it? think something like Azure Lion's sword — it's got a magic pocket dimension of it's own. or something.

she's unlikely besties with Liu. sorry I don't make the rules.

next up, Liu!

he's like. the second tallest of the generals, and looks-wise, mostly based off on new gods: nezha reborn version of wukong — while some other elements, like the red marking on his face come from snow macaques. his main color is teal, and metals (except for his jian) are champagne gold.

personality wise, Liu is very stern and reserved. he's extremely serious about his "job" as marshal and scarily orderly in everything he does. he might seem a little cold or distant at first, but he would kill and die for anyone he cares about (which, somewhat unfortunately, includes the entirety of ffm's inhabitants in one way or another). pretty soft spoken, Liu literally cannot raise his voice past a certain volume — that doesn't stop him from being the biggest gossip around. and that puts him down as a solid 9 out of ten in mihou's uncle/aunt scale. he's absolutely aware of that fact and cherishes it, even if he could not care less at first.

Liu's weapon of choice is the Jian. another type of sword, that while not as flashy as Ma's, certainly does its job. everything about it is pretty traditional; he's even got a whole scabbard getup for it, a tassel for tying at the pommel, et cetera, et cetera.

anyway, that's about it for the marshalls! next are generals Beng and Ba. they very much are developed but there's no art ready yet D: keep an eye out for them, because they will be posted too...eventually!

[jttwconfessions]

The biggest nitpick I have with the show is the lack of the sentient monkey troop - one of Wukong's biggest driving factors in gaining immortality was seeing one of his troop die from old age (in some iterations it's alcohol poisoning, rip grandpa) and in the show it's just real non-sentient monkeys. I would've loved to have seen the four stalwart generals in LMK's style or little baby monkeys calling Wukong grandpa. I understand there's a budget to animation and such, it just feels like a lost opportunity for Wukong to have a support network.

[idabbleincrazy]

The Experiment

Fandom: Smallville

Rating: E

Pairing: Clex

Word Count: 2891

Warnings: smut, pwp, s4 au, rift - what rift?, nipple play, nipple torture (but in a good way), frottage, dirty talk, first time, established relationship

Summary: Lex has a secret, Clark has a plan.

A/N: prompted by @leatafandom my perpetual cheerleader. If you can come up with a better title, lmk. The prompt: One of Us is lying + Lex has outrageously sensitive nipples. The slightest touch can be heaven or hell, depending. Perhaps Clark sucks Lex's nipples tenderly, while Lex squirms. Or perhaps Clark pinches and tortures them.

Squares Filled: One of Us is Lying ( @julybreakbingo )

Clark had a theory, one he planned to thoroughly test. 

He and Lex hadn’t been lovers for long, their long-withheld need for each other only being admitted to barely over a week ago. Even after four years of looks and innuendo, enough foreplay to drive even the most stalwart monk beyond the line of temptation, they'd barely done more than making out…on Lex's couch in his mansion office, in Clark's loft, in the backroom of the Talon. There'd been one or two instances of their groping and kissing leading to an embarrassing need for a change of pants, but that was it. They still hadn't made it up to Lex's bedroom, hadn't even seen each other naked yet - unless you counted the brief moments that Clark used his x-ray vision to check Lex over for internal injuries after one of the multitude of meteor mutant attacks - which Clark didn't. 

But, in the course of their slow, agonizingly slow, courtship, Clark had noticed something about Lex. Well, Clark noticed everything about Lex, actually, but that was beside the point. Something that he hadn't had the chance to notice about Lex before, since Clark had never been allowed to see this more intimate side of him. 

Somehow, even though Clark was the one person Lex allowed to take such liberties with his person, the only one Lex didn't grimace at and flinch away from any of the stray casual touches, those touches had never landed near this particular part of Lex's anatomy. Until one late-night make-out session when Clark's hand had brushed up over Lex's chest, and Lex had gone rigid beneath his palm, a soft groan in his ear and a bloom of wet heat where their groins were pressed together.

Apparently, Lex had very sensitive nipples. 

Clark knew Lex well enough to know that he would never get an honest answer out of him if he just asked outright. Not without irrefutable proof right in front of both their eyes. So, he came up with a solution that would both get him his answer, and finally bring their relationship to the next level. 

Clark's parents had gone out to Granville for the weekend to offload some of their excess crops and livestock at the Lowell County Fair, so he had no curfew for the next two days, so long as all the chores got done in a timely manner. He was finally going to get to stay the night over at the castle, and it was the perfect chance to implement his plan. 

"Lex, no! I'm not staying in a guestroom." Clark tugged Lex away from the room he was trying to lead him into, urging the older man down the hall towards Lex's bedroom. "You can't tell me you don't want this just as bad as I do. I'm eighteen, Lex, and I'll be in college in a few months. There are no legal ramifications to be considered in keeping my virtue intact, and my parents can't say a thing against it even if they do find out."

He knew Lex wouldn't need much persuasion, they'd been teasing each other since the moment Clark stepped into his office. Clark had slowly been proving his theory on Lex's sensitivity, grazing, brushing, and bumping against Lex's chest throughout the day, each slight touch resulting in a bitten back gasp of breath, a widening of pupils, an ever-growing bulge beneath charcoal slacks. 

As expected, Lex let himself be led to his own room. Let himself be pushed up against the solid wood door as it closed behind them, resigned defeat slowly taking over his features as he let Clark capture his mouth in a heated kiss.

Clark grinned against Lex's mouth, his tongue delving past parted lips as he put the next part of his experiment into action. He let his hands wander slowly up Lex's sides, too-smooth fingertips sliding over expensive cloth as he caressed, his path meandering, not making it at all clear where their destination lay. He kept Lex pressed against the oaken door as his thumbs crept closer to Lex's nipples, wanting to feel every minute reaction that the older man would try to hide. 

When he knew that Lex was thoroughly distracted, he brushed his thumbs over the tiny buds, the dual assault taking Lex by surprise. The hands threaded through Clark's hair clenched for a fraction of a second, a barely discernible shudder skated through his lithe body, his chest simultaneously arching towards and pulling away from the light touch, the barest whisper of a moan breathed into his own mouth. Clark pulled away from the kiss, eyes sparkling in triumph.

"I knew it!"

Lex gaped at him, bereft at the loss of Clark's warm bulk pressing against him. His nipples were visible beneath the thin fabric of his shirt, pants tented obscenely. He looked halfway towards thoroughly debauched already, and all Clark had done was give him one sound kiss and the hint of pressure against his skin. If this was how he looked now, Clark couldn't wait to see how hot Lex looked after he was fucked and completely sated. 

"Kn-knew what?" Lex's voice, once he'd found it, was both husky and tremulous. "Clark, what do you know?" 

Clark smirked knowingly, taking Lex's hands in his and leading them to the overly large bed that took up most of one wall of the spacious room. 

"Lex, your nipples are a major hot zone for you. Why didn't you tell me?"

Lex spluttered in indignant refusal, shaking his hands free from Clark's and taking a step back. The slightest hint of color tinted his pale cheeks; whether from anger or embarrassment, Clark couldn't be sure. Probably a mixture of both. His heartbeat sped even quicker than it had during their kissing, Clark's enhanced hearing making the perfect lie-detector. 

"They are not, Clark, don't be ridiculous!"

Clark's smirk widened as he reclosed the gap between them, easing Lex down to the plush mattress. 

"Yes, they are, Lex. You don't have to lie to me about it."

"I'm not! Why would I lie about something so banal as this?"

"Really? So, my observance of your reactions is the lie?"

"Yes. I do not have sensitive nipples, Clark. True, like with most people, it feels good when they're played with, but they're no more erogenous than any other male's."

By this point, Clark had Lex exactly where he wanted him, laid out along the length of the bed beneath him. Any trepidation Clark might once have felt about finally making it to this stage of things fled out the window in the face of the challenge Lex was so obviously issuing. 

"Hmm. Why don't we put that to the test then, Lex?" 

Lex didn't bother answering as Clark settled over him, straddling his waist. He rolled his eyes in an only slightly feigned exasperation, and stretched his arms up before tucking them beneath his head, his devil-may-care attitude back in place. 

"Fine, Clark. If you want to spend our first night together disproving your delusions, be my guest."

Clark wasn't kowed in the least; after four years of dealing with the strategic billionaire, he knew when he had him on the defensive. Instead, he simply smiled and leaned in for another kiss, his fingers coming up to trace around the collar of Lex's periwinkle button-up. Letting his fingers trail down and over to circle around one still-tightened nub, he felt Lex resist the urge to shiver, the slim body beneath him tensing, instead. 

Not lingering, Clark slid his wandering hand back to the center of Lex's chest, fingers undoing buttons as his mouth left Lex's, lips sliding along his jawline and down to his throat. Quickly enough, Lex's shirt was spread open, pale, smooth skin cool beneath his hands as he pushed the fabric over Lex's shoulders. Sitting up, Clark sped out of his own shirts, glad he no longer had to hide his abilities from the man he loved. Lex's eyes darkened just as they did every time Clark allowed himself to be truly honest about who he was, when he showed Lex how much he trusted him with this knowledge. Clark thought the show of power turned Lex on just as much as the trust, if not more.  

Clark tossed his shirts aside carelessly, staring down at the man he straddled. Long swathes of bare skin that he'd only managed quick flashes of over the years. Lithe, pale, and improbably hairless - no wonder Lex was always on the colder side - and Clark couldn't let himself feel the usual guilt that washed over him when confronted with the results of the meteor shower. Lex was too perfectly beautiful this way for him to think it a mistake. 

"Clark," there was a warning in Lex's voice as he spoke, his hips bucking up slightly to emphasize the growing need he was experiencing. 

"We have all night, Lex. Show a little patience."

Lex let out a little growl that Clark completely ignored, opting instead for bending back down to take a closer look at the pink bud of one nipple, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips. This was gonna be fun. 

Clark started his assault with the barest nudge of his nose against it, the tiny flutter along Lex's skin noticeable given how closely they were pressed together. Lex gave a melodramatic sigh of boredom. Clark chuckled.

Knowing Lex wouldn't be so easy, Clark switched tactics, flicking his tongue out over the tautening nipple, hearing the almost silent gasp of breath. Not giving Lex a chance to recover, Clark blew a cool breath over the wet skin, watching the way the skin of the areola prickled into gooseflesh. Good to know that reaction wasn't entirely dependent on the presence of hair follicles. He felt Lex gulp hard, knew he was swallowing back a groan. 

Lex's cock was insistent against his hip, the heat of it noticeable even through the layers of fabric between them. An idea struck Clark, and before Lex could even take in the shifting of the mattress, they were both completely naked. Clark wasn't sure a cock could be perfect, but if anyone's was, it was Lex's. Only slightly less pale than the rest of him, with a ruddy, plump head; long enough to require both of Clark's hands to cover the shaft, and thick enough to make Clark count his blessings that he could hold his breath for insanely long stretches of time. Circled at the base by a surprising, sparse, thatch of auburn curls. 

Wrenching his gaze from the tantalizing appendage, Clark refocused his attention back to where it was needed. He leaned down and laved his tongue over the left nipple that had, as yet, been neglected. Clark felt Lex’s cock twitch against his thigh, his skin becoming sticky as it left behind a drop of pre-come. He shifted his weight to support himself on one forearm as he slid his other hand up Lex’s side to pluck at the taut bud he’d abandoned. A low, almost silent, groan rumbled in the chest pressed up against his own. 

“Clark, this childish.” Lex’s voice was raspy, thick with held-back need, and failed to carry the chiding tone he no doubt was aiming for. “Call off your pointless experiment, and let’s do this already.”

“Not pointless if I get to prove a point, is it, Lex?” Clark breathed his words against Lex’s nipple, and was rewarded a harsh breath that heaved Lex’s chest. “Just admit it, and we can move on to other things.”

“Nothing to…admit.” 

“Really? ‘Cause, y’know, I’ve played with my own nipples before, Lex. And it’s never felt nearly as good as you’re making it seem like it feels.”  

“Do you really even count as a comparison point?”

“I’m as sensitive to my own touch as other people are to each other’s, so, yeah.”

Clark put an end to Lex’s attempt to argue his way out of the situation with a teasing, light, nip to the nipple within his reach. The move earned him the most vocalized gasp yet. Soothing his tongue over the abused nub got him an arch of back, Lex’s chest pushing against his chin as the older man silently sought out more. 

Lex’s hand snaked up into his hair, fingers clutching tightly at the strands, knowing there would be no damage. His resolve was cracking, and Clark knew it. Closing his lips over the pearl of flesh, he suckled, feeling it warm as blood was pulled to the surface. He let Lex hold him in place, knowing the older man would succumb far more readily to the truth of his self-perceived weakness if Clark could not see his face.

"Christ," Lex groaned, finally allowing his desire to be heard without enhanced hearing. "Thought I was supposed to be the evil one, here."

Clark growled at the self-deprecation; Lex knew how much Clark hated the way everyone still insisted on seeing Lex as a carbon copy of his father, despite years of the younger Luthor proving otherwise. The vibration of the sound against the sensitive flesh garnered a shocked whimper. 

"Clark! Oh, fuck it. I give! Alright? I give." Lex's fingers tightened again in Clark's hair, pressing him into his chest as he worked his mouth over and around the nipple. "I'm more sensitive there than most, okay? You win."

Clark grinned around the scrap of flesh resting on his tongue. Pleased with himself for making the older man break quicker than he had expected, Clark suckled harder, just to hear the moan the action produced. His hand pinched the right nipple again, and he felt Lex's cock press against his own as the lithe, slim body squirmed beneath him. 

"Jesus, Lex", Clark murmured around the nipple in his mouth, "you are so hot like this. The great Lex Luthor, losing control. Because of me. Wanna make you come like this, Lex."

"Fuck!"

Clark felt Lex's legs wrap around his waist, keeping their erections sliding together as he writhed. The lower half of his body bucked and twisted as he arched his back up, pushing his chest into the dual ministrations of Clark's hand and mouth. Clark could feel his own throbbing cock hardening even further, but ignored the roiling need for release. He needed to see Lex fall apart even more than he needed to come. Both of those slender hands were on him now, one tangled securely in hair, guiding him, the other clawing restlessly at his back, trying to mark the invulnerable skin. 

"Oh, God, Clark! Feels so good. Don't stop! Christ, don't fucking stop!"

Clark didn't plan to. Pinching the left nipple gently between his teeth, he tugged, a shiver of pleasure running down his spine at the keening sound he pulled from Lex's throat at the action. His cock was sticky now, with the slick-slide of Lex's pre-come as he rocked against him. 

One harder bite to the nipple in his mouth, one more pinch to the right, and Lex shouted and went rigid under him, his limbs clamping around Clark, clutching him tighter, as warm fluid splashed between their stomachs. Laving his tongue softly over the left nipple as he eased Lex through his climax, his thumb stroked soothingly over the right, gentling the older man down from the heights of his pleasure. 

As Lex unclenched from where he was wrapped around Clark's broad frame, Clark released the tortured buds from the prolonged contact, nuzzling his nose around the sensitized skin. Lex's hands relaxed their grip, scratching and tugging turned to petting, and Clark let himself focus on his own immense need. 

"That's it, Clark, come on." Lex's fingers stroked through his hair and across his shoulders, encouraging him as he began to thrust down against him, Clark's aching cock sliding smoothly against Lex's softening member. "Let me feel you come for me, baby. You just gave me one of the hottest, amazing, insane orgasms of my life, Clark. And later, you're going to fuck me, oh, yeah, that thick, hot cock of yours is gonna be so deep inside me, I'll feel it in my throat. But I need you to come for me, first. Come on me; mark me with that hot Kryptonian come, like I marked you. 'Cause I'm yours, Clark, just as you are mine. So, come for me, Clark."

"Lex!"

Rutting against Lex's lax and sated body as the billionaire spilled hot, dirty whispers into his ear, Clark let the rush of arousal course through him and came. Great, thick ropes of come that spurted between them, mingling with Lex's, his eyelids clamped shut to block out the growing heat burning behind his eyes. 

Lex tugged Clark up the bed to settle beside him once the shudders of his orgasm had subsided, hands stroking over his body, rubbing their commingled spend into his skin. Clark mirrored the motion, his cock giving a valiant twitch as he ran his fingers through the sticky mess splattered across Lex's abs. Clutching each other closer, their lips met in a slow, sated kiss. They had all night, after all.

"Hey, Lex," Clark broke the kiss and looked down at the drowsy face. Lex hmm-ed at him and raised sleepy blue eyes to meet mischievous green. "Ever thought about getting them pierced?"

~~~~~~~~~

@leatafandom

[miki-13]

Stalwart Snippet- Raison d'etre

(I do not own Journey to the West, or the dialogue taken from below)

Ma’s eyes widened, a rare look of shock on her face. Liu’er heard Beng exclaim and Ba gasp before he followed Ma’s eyes.

The Monkey King slumped forward over the banquet table with a despondent expression, tears trickling down his face.

Alarmed, the monkeys surrounding him bowed down and asked, "What is disturbing the Great King?"

He noticed their distress and wiped his tears away, trying to hide his own sadness. “Don’t worry my children, it is all right! I am very happy, I am just… just thinking about the future-”

But even as he said this, his voice cracked on the last word and more tears spilled out. “All right, back up you lot!” Beng barked, standing up. “Make way!”

“Come, my king,” Ba murmured gently, leading him away while Beng followed behind and made sure the servants and guests remained where they were.

The monkeys murmured amongst themselves, some chuckling quietly. "The Great King indeed does not know contentment. Here we daily have a banquet on an immortal mountain in a blessed land, in an ancient cave on a divine continent. We are not subject to the unicorn or the phoenix, nor are we governed by the rulers of mankind. Such independence and comfort are immeasurable blessings. Why, then, does he worry about the future?"

Liu’er snarled at them, furious. “Shut your damn mouths at once, you-”

“Enough..” Ma’s voice cut through the crowd’s murmurs while gripping Liu’er’s shoulder to stop his tirade. “You would not make light of your friends’ or family’s worries, so do not make light of our king’s. For he worries for us all and does the best he can to make each day a blessing. The best thing you can do for our king now is to continue on as you always have.”

This calmed the crowd and Ma pulled Liu’er with her as they began to disperse, hand never leaving his shoulder. It was only after they were out of sight that she let go and the two started running.

When the two came to the royal bedroom, the king was still weeping in Ba’s embrace as she gently chirped to comfort him. Beng’s arms were wrapped around both as he wept alongside the king, unable to bear seeing his distress.

Ma knelt before him, gently taking his hands in her own. Liu’er wanted to move in closer, but he felt frozen in place. The other three were all over him, there was no room for him to join.

Resentment clouded his gaze.

“My beloved, beautiful king,” Ma murmured, raining kisses over his hands. “Please tell us what troubles you so we may share in your burdens and bring comfort to your heart.”

“… I’m afraid… of dying. Not just me, but all of you.”

His voice, so small and scared, broke Liu’er’s heart. And from the expressions of the generals, their hearts broke along with his.

“We will all die eventually and leave nothing but our memory behind. And then even that will fade. Even though we all live in paradise now, it might not stay that way forever. The thought of us living in vain, forgotten by all… it’s too much to bear!”

Ba’s own tears fell as she held the sobbing king to her tightly. Beng was bawling by now and even Ma could not hold her own tears back as she buried her face into his hands. Liu’er couldn’t bear this scene, eyes burning as tears slid down his face.

This was so wrong. His king was proud, bright, carefree and filled with life and energy. To see him so despondent and saddened was like the very balance of nature had been irrevocably broken.

He hated this. Hated he could not get closer, could not offer his own comfort. Because what could he say to ease the fear of death and being forgotten?

Then like a lightning bolt, he was stricken with an idea. “There might be a way,” he found himself saying, “that we don’t have to.”

This made all four freeze and turn to him. Ma, Ba and Beng in confusion… and Monkey King with hope. “Explain,” he ordered, voice hoarse.

Liu’er swallowed, throat dry, and explained, “There are three groups I know about that have found ways of achieving immortality: The Buddhas, the Immortals and the Holy Sages.”

The white-furred macaque found himself on his back as the Monkey King flew onto his chest. “Where are they?!” he cried out, urgent.

“A-across the mountains and seas, on the continent known as China.”

Liu’er found himself being hugged tightly before kisses were rained down on every part of his face. “Liu my starlight, you have saved me!” he crooned with tears of relief and joy.

The white-furred macaque stared ahead stunned, face beet red from the affection. The Monkey King held him so preciously as he turned to the other three.

“Even if I have to wander the four corners of this world and all of it’s planes, I will find these people and learn how to escape the calamity inflicted by King Yama! We will all live together, free from death!”

Beng and Ba cheered in delight and Ma smiled with relief, her eyes meeting Liu’er’s. “Thank you,” she mouthed, fondness in her eyes.

He nodded, smile beginning to worm it’s way back on his mouth as he curled into the Monkey King’s embrace. To live forever by such a bright and beautiful being was not something he expected… but he could not find a single thing wrong with such a fate.

[spotsupstuff]

Did Wukong can reconcile with Six and Ma? After neglect and tension in years they relationship can't be the same...

Wukong have their own problem, same with Six and Ma...

But i want them all to get along T_T

SWK's relationship with Ma is pretty alright! Unlike Six, Ma never blamed SWK for leaving huaguo shan after SWK came back cuz of the WBS arc in the Journey. She was angry at first but SWK explained why he has to go to all four Stalwart Generals- Beng n Ba were sad about it but accepted it quite easily (adults have more of emotional braincells), Ma was pissy but understood the importance of the Journey n just needed to make peace with it which she did and Six was silently enraged just beyond himself and never changed (Ma is kinda like. what Six could've been had he accepted SWK's autonomy in decision making)

Neither Ma or Six blame SWK for the war against Heaven too hard. After all, they were both sitting there at the table when they were discussing the possibility of a fight. They both nodded their agreement, blinded a bit too much with the power Sun Wukong held and their own double (or triple) immortality

The most damage done between SWK n Ma is actually how many times Ma just up and left Beng n Ba's residence for long periods of time (more bout that in ur other ask) which by extension was also leavin SWK when he needed his whole family there to fall back upon the most. The Journey ends very differently in FT compared to the novel- SWK ends up... Very emotionally scarred Ma might actually be one of the bigger reasons SWK ends up going "missing" for those 500 years before LMK happens. This is still a work in progress, but Im leanin towards this being true

They have stuff to talk out, but ultimately these two never stopped loving each other

Sun Wukong and Six are...

Complicated

During s3, a 7 month period, they go from completely hating each other n refusing to even work together in a healthy proper way, to having to communicate because the circumstances are forcing them to (n so SWK ends up easing up a little, while Six is only manipulating the whole situation n everyone in his favor), to SWK fucking hating Six's guts again while Six becomes completely lost on every possible level possible to him (this is where his redemption starts) to ending up in a kind of uncertain place

Six starts attendin therapy basically from the very start of his redemption arc- by the end of s3 he hasn't gotten Very far so he's still a prick n disgusting to people n stuff but he is slowly moving foward. So he's in the sorta limbo-like feeling of moral change in progress and Sun Wukong still harbors strong dislikin towards him but he's mature enough to recognize that Six is changing

"I want you to be alright, Liù." he says, meaning every word of it, without any love in his voice. It's only a fact, because everyone should have the chance to be alright. Cuz logical thinking and emotional thinking are two very different things and while logically one can accept something, the emotional part is going to take a while. It can be factually nice that an abuser is becoming better, their victim can think that, and still hate them These two end up somewhat getting along, but yah it's not gon be a clear slide into an immediate sibling-like relationship. And SWK's stuff actually ends up going unresolved until the "season 4" thing I mention here and there, so their relationship also doesn't really start re-developing cleanly until that

AND SIX AND MA........ WELL

Those two are one of the main focuses of s3 (fuckin apparently -looks over the hard canon s3 ideas-) so they get a shit ton of relationship development. It goes from them being abusive towards each other, to being forced to listen to each other by the circumstance, to a necessary truce, to a difficult ass fuckin arc where Ma quite seriously threatens Six's life (more info on that in ur other ask again) n ends up venting a metric ton, to them having a talk about each other's perceptions of the other

(Six can't even remember what it was like to have an older sister- he only factually knows that Ma should be one to him so the entire trip he kinda tries to Force her into that position and Ma fears him, is disgusted by him and feels helpless when faced with him and what he stands for. she can't see him as her brother [disowned him anyway] n so he is more or less to her just this.. strange fuckin man tryin stuff at her- shits Uncomfy)

n after that talk they just sorta agree on "Hey. We both ain't exactly fine when it comes to each other so lets just let everythin be and when/if there will be a time when we will be able to possibly start over, lets just try to be some normal regular friends.". The time ends up being the s3 finale cuz Dat thing ends up bein intense so they kinda tryin dat afterwards. Shit's rocky but hey Ma isn't that afraid to get completely blasted around him so that's gotta mean sumthin

The three end up gettin along but there's always the 😬 emotion lurkin behind everythin n das just a thing they gotta learn to live with now 😔

[quitealotofsodapop]

Wonder what the stone royals reaction to Shadowpeach is, specifically, the extremely rocky relationship Macaque and Wukong have and how the two can't go two seconds without bickering, yet would immediately drop everything to protect the others the moment any danger appears. They don't have the context of Macaque being a redeemed villain or how those two had a nasty breakup and only just recently reconciled the Noodle Gang has

They are delighted but concerned???

You see; Prince Shihou and Prince Liu'er have had a "hey, a love match arranged marriage would be cool"-situation going on for a long time. Something that they've have been aware of since cubhood.

BUT they had a little falling out with that whole "Brotherhood" business and some foot-in-mouth comments by each other;

Actual version of their "under the mountain"-breakup:

Wukong: "WOW. And I thought I fumbled!" Shihou, face in hands: "Can we please change the subject?" Macaque, remembering the Scroll: "In your defence, peaches, I had been a little unreasonable." Wukong: "Aw, thanks plums. Only took you 2000 years." Macaque: "Would you have preferred never?" Wukong: "I would have preferred it before we nearly killed each other!" Wukong & Macaque: (*new heated argument about the past ensues!*) Shihou: "Um... are they ok? Should we call somebody or...?" MK, unconcerned: "Oh yeah, they're ok. This is how they lead up to flirting." Wukong & Macaque: (*argument quickly turns into frustrated yelling and crying, ending with a passionate hug and kissing*) Shihou: "Wow. You were not lying." MK: "Unfortunately. So many training sessions cut short..."

Ultimately the alternate stone royal family are happy that their elder son still managed to find his soulmate despite fate trying to pull them apart at every turn.... but they aren't entirely used to all the cat-fighitng.

The Stalwarts: (*have been Shihou's and Liu'er's friends since childhood.*) Marshal Ma: "Nah. This is totally in character." General Beng: "Only difference is that Liu'er isn't wearing a dress." Marshal Liu: "And has his adult fur." General Ba: "It's so silky! Like the night sky!"

[quitealotofsodapop]

When Tieshan told Macaque of the scarf, she knew what she was doing. She may not know much of Ancient Stone Monkey culture, but she had 500 years, a mountain full of lost stories and secrets regarding the clan, and quite the incentive to learn as much as she could. After all, it could literally be the difference between life and death for Wukong and his second try at parenthood. She wasn't going to risk sowmthing as simple as a lack of knowledge from stopping her...

So somewhere on that island she came across a depiction of Stone Monkey mourning rituals, including how some monkeys would choose to bury themselves beside their mates during the Stone Egg ritual, or lacking a proper resting place, with their mate's former items so that the dao of their mate would be absorbed by their Egg. A way for their mate to live on through their child, so to speak. This means she knows what it means for Wukong to have buried himself with Macaque's scarf and continue to wear it as a waist wrap even now. And she knows Macaque and Marshall Ma knows it, too.

Pigsy asks her how she knew mentioning the scarf would get Macaque out of his funk.

Pigsy: How the hell did you know that would work!?

Tieshan: Because despite not being raised by them, Macaque is still a Stone Monkey of the Lotus-Eared variant. In their culture, to bury oneself with something covered in their mate's dao is to wish for the cub to absorb the dao and have a piece ofntheir mate pass on to the cub, if not in blood, then in spirit. We can see in Xiaotian's coloration how Wukong and Macaque's dao had mixed together to create a child that looks like both parents.

Marshall Ma: Wukong would have known about this as well, the Elder whom led us before Wukong had taken the throne of the Stone Matriarch had raised him with as much knowledge about the Stone Monkeys as he could before he passed.

Xiwangmu, interested: Stone Matriarch? I have not heard of such a being.

Marshall Ma: 'Tis the title of Wukong's predecessor, the one whom Azure claims to be Lady Sonzi's reincarnation. We know her as the Stone Matriarch of Flower Fruit Mountain. She had led our predecessor tribe before the Floods. It is said she had left an egg bearing her Heir upon the Mountain, the very same one Wukong had hatched from. It is why we made him the Monkey King once he had discovered the ancestral palace behind the Water-Curtain Cave.

Prev.

Tieshan did spend about 500 years watching the island as it's vigil, and protector. She and the Stalwarts had many times come together for meals and chats. The topic of mourning rituals came up when she expressed a comparison to Wukong's state to that of a funeral burial. The Stalwarts were quick to show her the murals inside of Water Curtain Cave, relaying the stories Elder passed on to them from his time. How the Stone Monkeys not could form a vestal child from their own Dao, but from the Dao of lost spouses - given that they buried themselves at their side or with their belongings so that the couple had a chance to produce a shared child.

Tieshan recalls how her sworn-brother's favourite scarf was last seen in Wukong's arms...

The reveal that Macaque is Xiaotian's other parent (spiritually and genetically) is enough for him to shake out of his funk - not only did Wukong still love him after all that happened, but he made an effort to ensure that his second child would be born with Macaque's life energy!

I like to think that before they leave Flower Fruit Mountain; Xiwangmu and the Jade Emperor make a point of finding one of Shíhuā's shrines/statues and sitting down to just... talk. Both to each other and to their daughter (or whomever she became). They ask her if she was happy in that life. Mention how her son can be such a handful at times but they care for him still.

Guanyin witnesses this from a distance. Tears roll down their face as it hits how the two royals truly see them their kin. They weren't lying when they called Guanyin their daughter, and Wukong their grandson.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Todos saben que el rey mono suele ser visto como alguien perezoso, que siempre esta durmiendo en su cabaña (Muchas personas sobretodo Pigsy ven a Wukong de esta forma) pero... ¿Como alguien tan holgazan puede tener una nacion tan prospera como Alolai?

Porque eso es lo que es Alolai paso hace mucho tiempo ser un territorio terrateniente que los demonios suelen tener alrededor de China a ser pais por su propio derecho con economia, cultura y politica.

Algo que muchos demonios desearian en sus propios sueños; si hablamos de Alolai posiblemente no sea un pais reconocido por China, al menos por los humanos, pero en las sociedades demoniacas/celestiales/miticas de todo el mundo es un pais reconocido y posiblemente la potencia no. 1 de esas sociedades.

La economia del archipielago esta conformada en la agricultura de sus frutos, el ganado se basa en las granjas de saltamontes, larvas, escorpiones y entre otros insectos; podrian tener mineria pero no conozco mucho de eso (¿pero podria tener obsidiana? o algun metal que no posea China) y su amyor fuente de ingreso sera la pesca ¿porque no? si es un pais insular estan rodeado del mar; todo eso es exportado al continente.

Ahora el dia a dia de Wukong consiste en la adnimistracion de todo con su consejo (Que consiste en los incondicionales) hablando de como van las cosas, el manejo de leyes y de festivales importantes en la antigua capital (Huagoushan) la seguridad de los subditos en sus travesia de ida y vuelta a sus hogares.

Y tambien administra lo militar suele ver a sus tripas, supervisarlas y ver los reclutamientos, pero esto se encargan principalmente sus generales.

Dime que sus monos no estan entrenados... (Posiblemente tengan entrenamiento obligatorio)

Wukong se asegura de planificar los festivales con mucho cuidado para que todos puedan llegar y salir de las diferentes islas de manera segura. Casi como Hawaii

Esos 37 correos del abogado tratan de economia, festividades o cosas internacionales.

Me imagino una pequeña trama en donde Mkrew esten haciendo una actividad grupal e invitaron al rey mono (Mac no aparece por el bien de la trama, esta en el teatro trabajando y no pudo ir) y practicamente wukong brilla por su ausencia; MK y Mei van con el rey mono a la isla a pedir una explicacion y ven a Wukong muy ocupado con un joven escriba (Tiene una tablet en lamano) revisando las cosas del dia.

Practicamente es la trama de ''Reina por un día'' luego de que hablamos de esto me acorde XD

Pero resumento esto, le piden ser ''rey por un dia'' y el escriba le llega la memoria el celular de Mei con las lista de cosas por hacer, piden refuersos con el resto de MKrew... digamos que tiene un nuevo cambio de pespectiva del rey mono...

Por eso nuestro mono favorito aprecia sus siestas XD

translation via google:

"Everyone knows that the monkey king is usually seen as someone lazy, who is always sleeping in his hut (Many people, especially Pigsy, see Wukong this way) but… How can someone so lazy have a nation as prosperous as Alolai? Because that is what Alolai is. A long time ago, it went from being a landowner territory that demons usually have around China to being a country in its own right with economy, culture and politics.

Something that many demons would wish for in their own dreams; if we talk about Alolai, it may not be a country recognized by China, at least by humans, but in demonic/celestial/mythical societies around the world it is a recognized country and possibly the no. 1 power of those societies. The economy of the archipelago is based on the agriculture of its fruits, livestock is based on farms of grasshoppers, larvae, scorpions and other insects; They could have mining but I don't know much about that (but could they have obsidian? or some metal that China doesn't have) and their main source of income would be fishing, why not? If it's an island country they are surrounded by the sea; all of that is exported to the continent.

Now Wukong's day to day life consists of the administration of everything with his council (which consists of the unconditional ones) talking about how things are going, the management of laws and important festivals in the old capital (Huagoushan) the safety of the subjects on their journey to and from their homes. And he also manages the military, he usually looks after its entrails, supervises them and sees the recruitments, but this is mainly taken care of by his generals." [(screenshot of little monkeys in armor :3)] Tell me his monkeys aren't trained… (They probably have mandatory training) Wukong makes sure to plan the festivals very carefully so that everyone can get to and from the different islands safely. Almost like Hawaii. [(screeenshot of Wukong with his laptop, with many unread emails)] Those 37 emails from the lawyer are about economics, holidays or international things.

I imagine a little plot where Mkrew is doing a group activity and they invited the monkey king (Mac doesn't appear for the sake of the plot, he's at the theater working and couldn't go) and practically Wukong is conspicuous by his absence; MK and Mei go with the monkey king to the island to ask for an explanation and they see Wukong very busy with a young scribe (He has a tablet in his hand) checking the things of the day. [(screenshot from G5 My Little Pony where the princesses take over for their Queen mother for the day)]

It's basically the plot of "Queen for a day" after we talked about this I remembered XD But to summarize this, they ask him to be "king for a day" and the scribe gets the memory of Mei's cell phone with the list of things to do, they ask for reinforcements with the rest of MKrew… let's say that he has a new change of perspective of the monkey king… That's why our favorite monkey appreciates his naps XD"

I loved this conversation we had - basically the only reason Wukong has any time to hinself is because he has the Stalwarts and his lawyer hammering out the details of running the kingdom.

In terms of rare ore; the most expensive is Jadeite/Jade which is found throughout China (perhaps the kind found on Alolai has a distinct pattern?). And since Flower Fruit Mountain is meant to be an extinct or dormant volcano, its likely rich in obsidian and diamonds.

And ofc fishing is a great part of their culture - hard not to when you're surrounded by a super-fertile tropical sea! I can see a few islands in the chain being dedicated fisheries who periodically restock the local area.

Wukong is likely the only demon king with a recognised country, rather than a measly compound or an in-name-only kingdom.

And he knows it! He's a demon with big shoes to fill. So many permits and documents require his signature just to keep things running smoothly.

So when Wukong accidentally skips a group activity with his heir, MK and Mei stomp/fly over a little annoyed, only to see the King surrounded by his Marshals and Generals, all with different administration tasks to fufill.

Wukong: "MK, I am so sorry I flaked out today. I have a festival coming up in a months time, and we need to hammer out all the details before we can move forward. I also have a bunch of emails I need to answer from my lawyer. Need to approve the opening of a new bug farm. Quality control the latest durian harvest. I am swamped.' MK: "Can't you use your hair clones?" Wukong: "Nope. They have really poor sense of judgement. One nearly poisoned the whole archipelago by approving an untested pesticide. I sleep better knowing I read things over myself."

Mei and MK are genuinely curious! Who knew that the Monkey King was in charge of so many details of his kingdom? And he looks... pretty tired to be honest.

MK and Mei share a look.

Mei: "Hey, Monkey King. What say after you finish up these festival details - you take the rest of the day off? MK and I can deal with the other stuff!" Wukong: "You think you're able for it?" MK: "Uh yeah! I'm the Monkie Kid! If I'm your successor, I need to figure out how to do King stuff!" Wukong: (*shares sly smile with the Stalwarts*) Wukong: "Ok. Let me just message Fire Star to send Mei today's agenda. Don't be scared to call me if you need help with anything, ok?" Mei: "We'll be fine! I've seen my parents do legal stuff lots of times! I bet just one day-" (*phone starts blowing up with messages*) Mei, trying to save face: "Oh. Thats a... lot of things to do for one day." Wukong: "Are you sure you can handle it?' MK: "Absolutely! You finish up here, and we'll see to it that you get an uninterrupted afternoon of snoozing!" Wukong, knowing grin: "Okie-dokey!"

Of course things don't go according to plan.

MK and Mei vastly underestimated how much work is involved in running a country.

Namely the fact that everyone seems to want something from you! MK has to turn down multiple requests for photos, autographs, and interviews since nearly every other monkey is excited to meet their Prince in person.

Mei is forced to call up reinforcements via Pigsy, Tang, and Sandy to help lessen the weight on their shoulders. She also attempts to call Red Son, but he's busy at home, so all he can provide is context to certain legal documents they have to fill out.

Pigsy takes charge of evaluating the recent harvests - his shrewd opinion on fresh produce quickly proving him to be a drill sergeant of quality. Many monkey farmers come away from this day fearing Chef Pigsy. Though the pig does pass out when presented with the most recent yield of insect larva.

Tang thinks answering the emails is him getting away lightly. Until he nearly goes mad from the constant notifications from Wukong's Laywer, village leaders (or their more tech-literate family members), fishery owners, farmers, and the annoying requests from major companies asking for the King's endorsement.

Sandy is able to fulfil requests for transport and fishing pretty easily, but by the end of the day he's a little overstimulated.

Once the day is over, everyone is glad to see the Monkey King return to his throne.

Wukong, well rested: "Oh hey, guys! How did your day as Monkey King go?" MK, exhausted: "Never leave again!" Mei, crying from tiredness: "How do you do it!?" Tang, caffeinated and jittery: "Four different emails about ownership of a mango tree. Four!! And they all cited different legal sources!! It was the same tree!!" Sandy: (*downing chamomile tea like beer.*) Pigsy, ok but concerned for the others: "Maybe it's best we let the King do the king stuff from now on. Ok?" Wukong: (*fond chuckle*)

They are far more understanding if the King is too busy to attend group outings in the future.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Macaque, making his grand entrance wearing one of his best outfits just to flex: Now, what is all this rackets!?

The group turns to see a drop-dead gorgeous goth monkey with shouldering eyes, Wukong can feel his face heating up as he realizes that's his shirt. Luzgen realizes what his brother-in-law is doing and starts to grin. Baije is currently having a huge gay existential crisis because while he may be straight, he also has eyes!

Luzhen: Nothing of note, dear brother-in-law! Wukong's companions have come for a visit and to ask he return to the journey the Bodhisattva had task him with.

Macaque turns a regal eye over them as all of them except for Wukong, who is still shellshocked at the sight of his mate looking downright divine, have the sudden realization that Wukong didn't just have a brother. He has a husband, one who looks as though he would feed then to the lions at a moment notice: I see... well then I suppose I shall join in this conversation. Considering it involves the fate of my mate and king.

And then Macaque makes sure to kiss Wukong upon the cheek, causing the already blushing mess of a king to go into an overheated state as he stammers in a flustered manner, tail wrapping around Wukong's waist to pull him close.

Prev.

YES XD

Luzhen smiling deviously at Macaque's performance. If its one thing the two agree on, it's their sense of humor.

Wukong blushing and stuttering like a malfunctioning computer at how enchanting his mate is looking right now. This monkey has been in jail for 500 years, his brain is overheating. Only reason he aint doing something unholy rn is cus there's baby monkeys and a monk present.

The Stalwarts are smiling deviously in their own ways - you know they helped Macaque prepare for this introduction.

Each pilgrim has their own reaction.

Zhu Bajie's is the loudest. You can hear his jaw drop and the gears turning in his head as he realises "Thats a guy!?"

Tripitaka is Terrified. One cus attractive people scare him, and Two because Macaque really does look ready to toss the monk into the ocean for making Wukong sad.

Sha Wujing politely covers his eyes and says a cheery "Hello!" He does not wish to look disrespectfully.

Ao Lie doesn't even act surprised (horse or not). Brother Wukong spoke so highly of his mate that the dragon just assumed he'd be as drop-dead gorgeous in person. Lie does however giggle behind his sleeves at Wukong's love-struck expression.

As Macaque's kisses his mate's cheek and wraps his tail around him, Wukong can only reply with a sound akin to steam escape a kettle. And with the near-instinctual wrapping of his own tail around Macaque.

It all sends a very clear message to the Pilgrims that the bodyguard they took for granted has many very good reasons to drop his employment at any time if he so wished.

And that theres someone very willing to cut them all down if they ever take him for granted again.

[quitealotofsodapop]

If Yuebei is added to Marbled Egg as Alternative Slow-Boiled than Uwkong is DEFINITELY in the stage where he is still trying to hide his pregnancy. Literally only the Noodle Gang, Stalwarts, and Nez Ha (babysitter rights) know. Which means DBK doesn't learn till later and neither does Macaque

Nez Ha learned on complete accident since he decided to check in on Wukong when there was complete radio silence for a while, and found a hyper-hormonal monkey crying while holding newly-crafted MK. Nezha provided much-needed emotional support when Wukong was at his lowest, and accidentally gained the title of "Babysitter/Uncle Nezha" when he was able to get MK to calm down from a lazer-eyes tantrum. He's also super protective of Wukong, and makes sure his status and MK's existence stays a secret from the rest of the celestial realm.

The Stalwarts already knew and have been keeping a tight wall of protective sibling around Wukong for the last couple hundred years, a wall that got a little tighter with the arrival of their "Prince". It's easy to wave off many of Wukong's habits and physical changes to curious demons as being the result of carrying his "first born" Xiaotian.

Wukong only lets his tight circle know about the Stone Egg/Yuebei since again, she's been cooking since the Journey and he doesn't want either of his cubs exposed to the high-profile life of Heaven/Demons. MK picking up the Staff sort of ruined part of that plan...

And now of course, depending on whether MK was in a glamour/disguise when he picked up the Staff/first caused chaos (cus "Superhero!!"), then the Realms now have an idea that the Monkey King has either a mortal successor, or a secret baby no one has heard about!

DBK doesn't know about the Stone Egg, but he's let in on how MK was made. Imagine the shock and horror he'd feel upon hearing how much Wukong almost sacrificed to help Red Son?

Macaque is also in the dark about the Egg - but not for long. He has to get used to the noise of this new world before he can homed in on there being one extra heartbeat with Wukong.

[quitealotofsodapop]

I was also thinking of shower thoughts and it occurs to me that Marbled Egg! Wukong is pretty paranoid to a rather ridiculous degree. Now, I love him like that, it makes sense for him to be protective of his cub after everything... what I was wondering tho is WHY! Because if he had Nezha as more support, than presumably he should have less reason to be distrustful of people near MK... then a small though came to me.

What if it's because something had happened before?

Look, Wukong has a LOT of enemies. More than anyone can possibly count. The show even goes so far as to say he's fought and presumably killed hundreds upon hundreds of demons. In the show, it's been established that even if Wukong had once killed someone, it isn't impossible for them to come back to life. Both Macaque and Azure are both heavily implied to have done so.

So what if one of Wukong's other enemies, one that has perhaps fallen into obscurity with age or their influence downplayed by historical biases, were to return long before Wukong ever met Tang. When MK was still a newborn cub, I was too young to remember much of anything. What if they tried to attack FFM and somehow got their hands on MK, if they tried to do something to him because he is Sun Wukong's son and heir? What if the event left Wukong paralyzed with fear to the point he becomes overly paranoid and protective of his cubs, to becoming a helicopter parent?

My mind immediately went to the Demon King of Havoc/Confusion - Wukong's first ever victory. Not sure if I like the big cat or the baboon versions more (maybe a Gelada?).

Its been over a thousand years, and while some old villains have redeemed themselves and adapted to their new lives (Black Wind Demon and Moon Jade Rabbit in particular), some are so "off-grid" that its hard to get a read on them and their motives.

Enter the former terror of Flower Fruit Mountain. A demon who initially presents himself as reformed to demonkind... until he learns that Sun Wukong has a helpless infant in his care.

Wukong is fast asleep, exhausted from caring for both his cub and his Stone Egg. A earth-shaking scream of dispair rings through all Three Realms when he awakens to an empty nest and broken doors.

The Stalwarts assemble immediately. They recognise the foul stench of the Demon King long before Wukong - having each survived the beast's rule for over a decade.

They find the Demon King burnt to a crisp inside his old cave.

Wukong never thought he'd be so relieved to see his baby crying on the dusty cave floor. Xiaotian is shaken but completely unharmed.

This leads to a little bit of confusion to how the baby survived such rough treatment. And why the Havoc Demon is currently little more than a pile of ash.

Nezha (alterted by Wukong's call) explains sheepishly that he placed a stronger-than-usual Man Yue blessing that activated when true danger threatened the baby. The blessing + Xiaotian's inherent power had pretty much vaporized the former Demon King the second a claw or fang dared touch his skin.

Wukong is too relieved to even listen to the reasoning. He's just overjoyed that his cub is ok!

Despite the kidnapping having a happy ending, it left its mark on Wukong. He became more cautious, more paranoid of other demons - especially ones he knew from the old days. He never wanted Xiaotian out of his sight, something that annoyed the little monkey as he started to grow.

A similar kidnapping likely occurs in Aus where Xiaotian's connection to Wukong is also known.

The only difference being; the Demon of Havoc likely doesn't get far before the Six Eared Macaque rips him to shreds. Or getting a furious pig charging at him with a kitchen knife.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Holy crap! I can only imagine how the Stalwarts are dealing with all this.

You mentioned that they have been keeping an eye on Wukong all these years. Did they know about the mysterious Stone Egg their King took in before his disappearance, or did Wukong keep it secret?

Did they know about the fight that cost their King his memories, or did they find him after the fact once they were informed that he disappeared?

If so then why haven’t they come forward? Why haven’t they said anything? Why are they only here when Peaches already has a new life and family? Why are they only here when he’s having a full blown existential crisis? This is what’s going through Peaches’ head as he’s essentially being info dumped to by these strangers who claim to know him.

No doubt Peaches is feeling so overwhelmed by all of this. So, Dadsy puts his foot down and shoos everyone away because he can see that his eldest is seconds away from a breakdown.

I feel like, despite his grumpy exterior, Pigsy is the more emotionally sensitive parent. He’s not and did not start out perfect, but he has learned read his boys like the back of his hand. Peaches, particularly, he found quite easy to read and understand his quirks and habits. He doesn’t know how, or why they sometimes made his feel strangely nostalgic. Oh, well 🤷

+ bonus anon ask;

The Stalwarts were def panicking when they checked in on their King and found evidence of a scuffle. They knew he had been tending to an odd rock for a while, but they had assumed at first it was a case of him brooding like a hen over a regular stone.

An alarm is sounded off across the Realms when the King fails to return that morning.

Eventually it's Nezha who finds a patch of destroyed woodland just outside of Megapolis, along with scraps of the King's nightclothes and pieces of shell-like rock...

The Stalwarts had debated for a while over whether or not to walk in and claim "Peaches" as their missing brother, but after seeing him with a newborn Stone Monkey and a pair of his Pilgrim brothers reborn, they decided it was better for him to heal where he couldn't be harassed by Heaven or Diyu.

They also made sure to keep the *Amnesia-thing* to themselves. The Celestial Realm nor Wukong's enemies need to know about that. They had found the smell of a suspicious-smelling liquid on the King's clothing scraps.

The Stalwarts take care of the island with it's King away, driving out villains and humans alike to preserve the Monkey King's home.

The four also keep a close eye on their King and future Prince. A gym teacher here, a kind granny there, a grumpy regular here, a market stall owner etc... just to make sure they stay out of world-ending trouble.

Their little brother deserves a happy childhood after all he's been through.

They do reveal themselves however, after the chaos of New Years throws Peaches/Sun Wukong's condition into the limelight. He's not just some kid claiming to be Sun Wukong's successor - he IS Sun Wukong with his memories stolen!

They help his adoptive family with the cleanup around the city, and formally introduce themselves as Peaches' *first* found family. There's a minor panic that they've come to "take him away", but the older monkeys quickly calm that fear - they've been around for a while, and have no interest in ripping their brother from his present troop. They explain their side of the story, and how they felt it would be a kindness to let their little brother live happily and for his little miracle to have a normal childhood. Had they come forward, he would have been immediately recognised and targeted for his condition.

Peaches does get a little overwhelmed by all this lore though, and the Stalwarts take the cue to leave from a concerned Pigsy, promising to continue protecting him and his family from harm. Pigsy appreciates their ability to read the room (unlike Tang, who's been interviewing them for the past hour or so).

They do however joke that Pigsy is now their Dadsy too since he's adopted their baby brother! And MK is now the "baby-est" brother of their little family to spoil! Pigsy grumbles a little at that, but doesn't object. XD

[quitealotofsodapop]

How I like to think MK got his nickname in Marbled Egg

Ma, leading 'Mr. Qi' and Xiaotian into her office at school: Wait here while I get Xiaotian's new tutor, Shihou.

Wukong, nervous because he'smeeting his son'steacher the first time, vetted and reccomended by Ma who knows him from thw nearby university: And you're absolutely certain he won't hurt Xiaotian!? He checks all the boxes!?

Ma: Absolutely! Trust me. One you see him, you'll know why I picked him.

Wukong: You said he was human, can he even handle a monkey demon!?

Ma: Wukong. Jsut trust me.

Ma leaves and comes back with an equally concerned Tang. Wukong is still nervous but immediately perks up as he realized what Ma was doing. That older siblings of his got his Master's reincarnation! Tang and Wukong are equally nervous as Ma mediate and leads the meeting, helping to determine schedules, venues, and curriculum for Tang and Wukong. During the meeting Xiaotian, who was knt he corner, runs up to Wukong with a picture he drew.

Xiaotian: Daddy! Daddy! Look what I drew!?

Wukong: What is it, buddy?

*shows a 6 year oldest rendition of Sun Wukong holding hands with a little monkey kid*

Xiaotian: It's Monkey King and me!

Tang, sees the picture: That it is! I guess that makes you Monkie Kid then???

MK: *eyes begin to light up with excitement*

I love Marshal Ma setting up Tang as Xiaotian's tutor - the Stalwarts are devious and adoring. They know Wukong wouldn't trust just anyone with his precious Little Heaven, so who better than Wukong's reincarnated former Master? Tang is just delighted to have a low-stress teaching job, and is low-key nerding about the adorable little monkey demon who seems to love the Monkey King as much as he does!

I love the idea of MK getting his nickname from Tang. Immediately warmed him up to his tutor.

So imagine the shock Wukong has when Tang convinces him to come along to his favorite lunch spot, only to see the reincarnation of another one of his brothers! And even more so - Ao Lie's decendant! And he thought he was lucky to meet Sandy!