#switch!macaque

[gaybananabread]

Ooh Lego Monkie Kid? Don't mind if I do!

Do you have any headcanons for the Stonefruit Trio (MK, Wukong, and Macaque)?

⁠☆⁠—⁠⁠LMK Stonefruit Trio Tkl Headcanons—⁠☆

~Sorry this took me so long to get to! School is finding new ways to kick my ass every day istg- ANYway, it felt good to write for these goobers again! Thank you for requesting!~

🍜Mk🎧

General:

Sunshine boy is definitely a big fan of tickles. Laughing at just a few touches, bonding with his friends, watching them let their walls down for the sake of silly happiness? Yeah, count him in.

He likes both sides, though being tickled does have a special place in his heart. He’s a lee-leaning switch, but not by a whole lot.

He can only say the t-word on special occasions (extreme confidence, other lers/lees in it with him, drunken boldness). 98.71% of the time, he’ll go beet red at the attempt.

Lee:

When he gets lee moods, everyone around him will know. He can sometimes just ask for help if it’s someone who’s used to his silliness, like Red Son or Mei, but other than that, it’s tacit signals.

He’ll run a hand through his hair a lot (exposing his side in the process), get way more fidgety than normal, speak in a higher pitch, and very nonchalantly stare at his friends’ hands. Not that hard to get the message.

Kicks, flails and squirms when tickled. He really tries not to, but his nerves pretty much go nuts. It’s best to pin him or get him from behind if you don’t want an accidental bloody nose.

Worst spots are his navel and lower back. He absolutely loses it whenever anyone so much as pokes there.

Melt spots are his palms and shoulders. Tickly massages and palm kisses leave him a puddle of giggles.

Really bright and bubbly laughter when you get him going. When it’s light, lots of little squeaks and half-hearted “no!”s

Ler:

Sickly sweet while also a teasing mother-trucker. If you think that’s confusing, imagine how the lee feels-

The sunshine boy definitely has a fiery side, so watch out

“You’re ticklish here too? Seriously, this is adorable. You’re adorable.”

“Holding it in, huh? I think it’d feel a bit nicer if you let out that laughter. Don’t you?

“So many good spots, so little time… Guess I gotta get to work!”

“Your blush is so pretty! I think I’m gonna paint my nails that color…”

He’s incredibly considerate of boundaries, even if you’re obviously okay with it.

Checks in wherever you seem to be laughing a bit too hard, though you’ve only just got done giggling. It’s smart to set up a safeword so he actually does know when to keep going.

Confident lees will love him. He’s easy to fluster if you can say the t-word enough times, and he nearly dies if someone confidently asks him to tickle them.

An aftercare master. He makes whatever your favorite drink is, gets snacks, makes a cuddle nest and just hangs out with you. If you’re not big on touch, he’s fine to just watch some YouTube videos and chill out.

🍑Sun Wukong☀️

General:

We can all agree that he’s a straight-up switch. Loves wrecking people, adores being reduced to a giggly puddle of mush.

However, he refuses to admit any of that

He likes the feeling of being vulnerable around his friends, but the thought of saying that is terrifying for him (again, good luck getting him to say that. The great Monkey King allegedly has no fear)

Lee:

He’s giggling like crazy before you even touch him.

If you even give a small hint of what you’re gonna do, get ready for him to run.

When you do catch him (he will eventually let you), he curls up like a pill bug and rides it out. If you mention his tail wagging, he’ll let out a string of adorably squeaky profanities.

His actual laugh is a lot less obnoxious than his “Monkey King” one. It’s bright and bubbly, full of squeaks and the occasional snort.

His worst spots are his ribs and his lower back, specifically the base of his tail. Good luck keeping him still if you go there.

Melt spots are his ears and hips. His hips are a bit of an obscure spot, but he will dissolve if you trace them.

Once you’re done wrecking him, he becomes a cuddly, sleepy little mess. Be ready to stay with him for at least an hour afterwards.

Ler:

He’s such a chaos goblin I swear-

Loves the “Tickle Monster” trope. He can and will use his power to make clones of himself and/or shift his appearance for optimum tickle-ability

If he’s the one doing the tickling, he can say the t-word. This is a power he always abuses.

“The Tickle Monster’s gonna getcha, kid! Better run~”

“Oh sorry, couldn’t hear you through all that laughter. Did you say ‘keep going’? Perfect!”

“You know, I could stop, but where’s the fun in that? I think you can agree, can’t ya?”

“Your laugh is so fun! I could listen to it for centuries… But I think I can settle for five more minutes.”

It takes him a bit, but he does try to check in and see when you need a break. It’d be a nice idea to set a safeword or a clear tap-out beforehand, just in case.

He’s actually really good with aftercare. He makes the best lemonade tea, and he’ll attempt to make a good snack. Just watch out for any of his “inventive” cooking/baking methods.

🎭Macaque🏮

General:

He acts like he hates it. If you don't know him all that well, he'll seem genuinely done with it.

If you do know him, however, he has tells. The way his tail twitches when the t-word is said, the way just a hint of pink settles on his cheeks, the way his arms just barely clamp to his sides…

Yeah, he's not as slick as he thinks.

Prefers being tickled most of the time, but he isn't afraid to wreck a bitch just because.

Lee:

He will fight and deny it until the day his immortality runs dry, but he loves it.

Until you actually start, he'll act like he doesn't want it. Kicking, hissing, running, the whole nine.

The minute those wiggling fingers touch down, though? He melts.

All protest disappears, the only thing close being small “no”s through his laughter. His tail will wag adorably (be careful if you mention this).

He could just shadow-travel away, but conveniently “forgot because of the literal torture” he was experiencing or “couldn't focus enough” to do so.

Worst spots are his knees and his back. Him and Wukong share the infamous I-will-die spot at the bases of their tails, though this boy's is significantly worse.

Melt spots are beneath his chin and his ears. It is the cutest thing to just scratch beneath and hear his little purrs while he tries not to giggle.

Ler:

Puts his villain experience to use

He'll use his shadow travel to sneak up on you/cheat in a chase. Nobody said he had to play fair…

He definitely makes clones to help himself. One to hold your arms up, another to grab your legs, and a few to get the more annoying spots.

Teasing in a playful-yet-asshole sorta way. If you're feeling shitty, he'll be such a sweetheart, but he's a shit 80% of the time.

“Wow, ticklish here too? You're just a walking tickle-spot at this point.”

“You think this is bad? Just wait till I call in the cavalry~”

“It must be hard, being this ticklish and all. How have you survived so far? Thought you'd have laughed yourself silly.”

“Just a few little pokes and you're down for the count. Would suck if some of the villains found out…”

“Worst spot, huh? Better buckle up~”

Somehow knows exactly when to stop every time. You don't even have to say anything: he just knows.

Masterful aftercare. He honestly loves cuddling with his lee afterwards, so you're getting some unless you specifically tell him no. He'll send a shadow clone to go get you a drink and some snacks if you want. Peaceful music listening and most likely a nap (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)

[yourslimeybuddy]

two monkeys enter a brotherhood, only one comes out- (do NOT tag as shadow/peach pls im depicting them as familial here)

[puppyeared]

Once upon a time

[fluffypotatey]

It messes me up so bad macaque can just smell wukong from far away. And it wasn't a throw away line cause he literally sniffs right before they meet the real wukong

WAIT… WAIT!!!!

YOU MOTHERFUCKER COME BACK HERE

i have not struggled to hold in a scream so hard in my life because hello???? macky did what now!?? CANONICALLY????

HOLD UP

ITS FUCKING AUDIBLE!!!! ANON I DID BELIEVE IT WAS A THROWAWAY LINE WHAT THE FUCK

HELP ME

[mariposiel]

LMK S4 Spoilers

What do you mean this isn’t how it happened

[askblueandviolet]

you finally got that date you wanted, Mayor. how’s it feel?

MASTER POST

Asks Start 💙💜

Previous 💙💜

Next 💙💜

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

Day 6: Show/Fear

Prompt List

Pt. 5 of The Empire of Samadhi AU

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 (you are here) | Pt. 6

(This is day 6 of the Monkie Destiny Challenge Prompt Month October 2023)

Wordcount: 2k

Summary: Red Son is the son of an old empire, Mei is the daughter of a new one. Red Son, consumed by fire, was put into an induced stasis sleep to stop the world from burning until his family can find a way to safely remove the fire. They find a way but he never wakes up. Hundreds of years later he awakes to discover his power resides within another as she stares at him with wide eyes on fire.

Welcome to the Show. 

(This one’s a bit of a spookier one in light of this festive All Hallows’ Eve month. So warning for some mild body horror and creepy description. Please check the tags if you want more detail)

Their landing was awkward. 

Red Son ended up at the bottom of the pile with his face pressed into the floor with the other two on top of him. He knew immediately the destination was wrong when he felt wooden floorboards rather than dusty ash against his cheek. 

They had landed somewhere they weren’t supposed to. 

“Get off.” Red Son attempted to throw the two mortals off him and was kicked in the face twice by Mk before he managed to shove them both off onto the floor. “Idiots.” 

He lifted his head to look around and found they’d landed in a theatre of some kind. It was empty but the lights were on, bringing a warm sort of atmosphere. 

“Uh,” said Mei, with Mk draped over her lap like a limp rag-doll. “Hey, Samadhi Sifu… I think you took a wrong turn.” 

“I didn’t do anything,” Red Son spat. “Some idiot hijacked my portal.” He pushed himself to his feet, cursing under his breath. “They never would have been able to do so if I was at my full strength.” He straightened up after brushing small bits of gold dust from that shattered plate off his hanfu. It didn’t matter much due to the fact it was already covered in soot, but that couldn’t be helped. Merciful Buddha, he wanted a bath. 

“Ow,” said Mk, like he was the one who had gotten kicked in the face. Mei patted his back. 

Red Son glanced around the theatre. It was mostly built from wood. At first glance it appeared to be new, but the closer he looked the more blemishes and broken things there were. It was an old theatre. The curtains were threadbare. There were chips in the wood. The lanterns only lit the space dimly, just bright enough to create shadows without really lighting all that much. All the seats faced a massive white screen at the head of the room. It reminded Red Son of a shadow puppet screen, only much, much bigger. 

“We’ve got another thirty minutes here until my spell kicks back in,” Red Son said, glancing around for the doors or at least some sort of exit. He heard shuffling behind him and turned to see Mk falling off of Mei’s lap and face down onto the floor before popping back up, sitting cross-legged next to her. 

“Well, at least there’s no spooky monkey here,” Mei said. 

Upon being reminded of what exactly they’d been, not running, but retreating from, Red Son’s ire at whoever had portal-jacked him was washed over and drowned out by a very different sort of feeling. 

Mk and Mei seemed content to stay on the ground as Red Son started to pace in front of them. He muttered under his breath. 

Mk looked pale. Red Son had no doubt he’d be looking even paler if he’d known just who had been reaching for him. 

Red Son feared nothing. Not death, not life, and no living being. 

But his hands were shaking. 

From the cold, he hissed to himself through gritted teeth. He would never have been shaking if he had his fire. He wouldn’t be so vulnerable if he had it. The white lady hadn’t seemed like a threat at first. She seemed a mild annoyance at best. He couldn’t sense any massive power coming from her, so how did she manage to get to him? He needed to rethink. Reevaluate. He needed to think. He needed to get his fire back or they were going to die. 

“Well, well! That was quite a show!” 

Red Son’s head snapped back to look where the voice was coming from. It seemed to bounce and echo over the walls, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once. Shadows seemed to tilt, getting darker, stretching further.

Mei was on her feet in an instance, Mk scrambling up close behind her, staggering a lot more. 

The shadows seemed to converge on the stage, onto the screen rising up like ink until a shape was painted across it and then received form. 

It was a shadow puppet. 

A monkey. Merciful Buddha, Red Son had seen enough monkeys already today. Its mouth had been cut into a wide, unnerving smile, stretching over nearly half its face. 

"I see you all met the Lady Bone Demon's puppet.” The puppet slumped sideways, limp, head tilting to almost upside down. It was strange. It moved in a way shadow puppets normally didn’t, to Red Son’s knowledge. 

Red Son scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. “You look more like the puppet here.” 

“Oho!” said the shadow puppet. “Good-” it flipped, revealing its other side, where the only difference was there was an slashed X in the place its eyes should have been, “--eye.” The puppet laughed. It doubled over with shrieking laughter at an awkward angle that didn’t look right. 

Red Son found himself recoiling a bit. The thing sounded insane. Granted not as insane as him when he laughed, his cackle was much more impressive. 

Out of the corner of his eye Red Son saw Mk grab Mei’s arm. 

“Mei,” Mk said, his voice slightly shaky, urgent, “that sounds like-” 

“I know,” Mei said, her voice grave, on edge. 

“What are you two talking about?” Red Son snapped. 

“Is that the Dragon Heir I see?” The puppet twisted itself as though it were hanging upside down from a branch. Sure enough the shadow of a tree rose up to assist the illusion. “And another puppet!” Its smile looked almost thrilled looking at Mk. “Isn't this all just so interesting? But who’s the third? I’ve never seen you before.” It dropped back down, into more of an animalistic, unnatural crawl. The shadow seemed to grow bigger as it crawled towards them, but it never moved off the screen. 

“Who I am is none of the business of the likes of you,” Red Son said. “You know very well who you brought here. So cut the theatrics and state your business or we will burn your little theatre to the ground and you along with it.” 

The puppet seemed to find that very funny, laughing and twisting. Red Son could feel something in the wood of this place. Something in the shadows growing thicker and moving. 

“Oh, but the show is the best part!” 

Mk cried out. 

Red Son spun around to see shadows wrapping around his ankles and wrists. They lashed out around his arms binding him tightly and then pulled before any of them could react. 

“Mk!” Mei yelled, reaching for him. She grabbed his wrist just before he was pulled into the shadows. 

The rings lit. Mei practically spat out fire. “Let go of him.”

“There’s the famous fire!” The puppet seemed to smile wider, bigger, it sounded like it was a twisted form of excitement. “What a performance you gave that day!” 

The strands of shadow snapped when Mei’s fire neared it and she caught Mk before pulling him to his feet.

“Mei,” said Mk, clinging to her. 

“I know,” said Mei. “It's him.” 

“What are you two peasants talking about-” 

“You know,” said the puppet, drawing their attention, “really, it was rather impressive how you played right into her hands, bud.” It walked across the screen, but this time it continued off it, onto the wall. The laughter echoed. 

For a moment Red Son thought the shadow was talking to Mei, but then Mei was stepping in front of Mk and shielding him with her arm, flames flickering dangerously above her. 

“Mk had nothing to do with it,” Mei snapped. 

The puppet laughed again, tumbling through shadows and bouncing from one place to the other around the room. It bent in unnatural directions. “Nothing? Nothing? He caused this.” 

Red Son had to admit, he was curious. Curious as to how the man half-cowering behind Mei was responsible for… well, it was rather hard to understand what the puppet was referring to. 

“I didn’t,” said Mk, but he didn't sound very confident about it. 

“Do you think she would have gotten your precious friends if it weren’t for you? You think she would have gotten to your pathetic Sifu without your help?” 

“He’s not pathetic!” Mk shouted at it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about-” 

“All your second chances, all your do-good kindness lead to this. If it weren’t for you the Lady Bone Demon would have never gotten her hands on the rings.” 

“But,” said Mk, his voice small, “I didn’t do anything…” 

“And you think that’s a good thing?” The puppet laughed far too much in Red Son’s opinion. It lost its effectiveness after a while. At least on him. Mei and Mk just looked more and more unsettled and anxious. “You and your Master, so alike. Neither of you said anything to each other, did you?”

“What is he talking about?” Red Son asked, looking at Mk curiously. 

Mk shrunk back from his gaze. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Mei said. “Whatever happened doesn’t matter. So you better shut your mouth, Liú.” 

The puppet stood for a moment, frozen still. Then it’s head snapped off the wall to look at Mei. 

It became less of a shadow and more of a tangible thing. Its eyes were lifeless, its skin was more alive looking than a puppets should be. It had lace designs stretching across its skin in dark cracks across its skin. Its mouth stretched just as wide, but despite its upward tilting motion it didn’t look like it was smiling. It didn’t look completely like an object nor completely alive, some mix of both. Red Son could see both its eyes at once now, the slashed X over one of them looking like a gaping black hole. Its one eye was a pinprick amongst a pool, just as black, its pupil surrounded by a ring of purple. 

“You’re cursed,” Red Son realized. 

Its head snapped to look at him and Red Son felt frozen in place by it. The weight was nowhere near that of his fire contained in the rings above Mei’s head. But it was uncomfortable all the same. This thing in front of him was twisted and wrong and there was a lack of sanity in its one working eye that made it feel as though something would snap at any second. It looked as though it should be twitching but all it did was stay deathly still, not breathing but very clearly alive. 

“Not our problem,” Red Son forced out, despite the way the words tried to lodge in his throat with the things one eye on him. “Dragon Girl, we’re leaving.” 

“There’s no doors,” Mei muttered. 

Red Son whipped his head around to check. And she was right. He hadn’t realized it at first, but there were no doors, no windows, no holes or cracks in the wall to slip through. 

There was no way out. 

It was a claustrophobic feeling. But Red Son wasn’t about to let a sealed room intimidate him. 

“Very well then. Let us make one.” 

“I can’t let you leave,” said the puppet that Mei called Liú. “They’ll come soon.” 

“Elder Liú,” said Mk, “we can help you.” 

“I can’t let you leave,” it said again, its mouth moving with the words unlike its shadow had when it spoke before. It was a horrifying sight. Shadows moved behind them, creeping closer. “I can’t let you leave. I can’t let you leave. I can’t let you leave-” 

Red Son snorted. “You can’t stop us.” 

It just kept repeating it over and over again, ignoring him. The shadows stretched higher. They curled over top of them. Red Son watched them creep out of the wall, wrapping around the puppet, over its mouth and face and dragging it back into the wall. 

“Guys,” Mei said, glancing at her feet. “I think we’re in trouble here.”

“Then use my fire,” Red Son said through gritted teeth. 

“Oh yeah,” Mei said, “right.” She shook off the shadows that had started to cling to her foot and the rings blazed brighter above her. 

“Wait! Stop!” said Mk. 

“What?” Mei said. Then yelped, because a shadow lashed out and wrapped around her arm. 

One latched around Red Son’s leg and the shadows suddenly seemed a lot thicker and stronger than before. 

“They’re shadows,” Mk said. “The more light you give them the stronger they’ll be.” 

“How does that make sense?” 

“Just look, the more light there is, the more shadow can be seen. Unless we could get enough light to get rid of every shadow, more light would just be making it worse.” 

“Then what’s your suggestion,” Red Son snapped, clawing at the shadow that had attached itself to his wrist. 

“Less light,” Mk said. “They can’t touch us if there’s no shadows to shape in the dark. We need to break the lanterns.” 

“This is a terrible idea,” Red Son said. 

“Do you think I have enough control over these rings to light up a whole room?” Mei asked. 

Red Son did not think that. 

“That’s what I thought.” 

“Fine,” Red Son snapped. He snatched some fire away from Mei. The shadows had crept up to his hips now, wrapping and slowly sludging further up. He burnt some off his wrist so his hand was free. “Aim for the lanterns.” 

Mei missed twice. Red Son’s feeble second-hand fire couldn’t reach very far but the sparks landed and managed to light the lantern. 

“No,” the voice echoed, “what are you doing? Stop- stop I can’t exist without them-” 

“It's okay, Elder Liú,” Mk said, “we’ll get you out of here.” 

“Stop!”

“Ugh,” said Red Son, straining against the shadows that were now up to his shoulders. “You’re disgustingly reassuring, aren’t you.” 

“I try,” Mk said. He was trying to hide it but Red Son could hear the panic in his voice. 

The last lamp went out, burned to nothing, but light still remained. 

“Dragon Girl, the rings.” 

Mei cursed. 

“Mei-” Mk’s voice was cut off as the shadows wrapped around his mouth and started dragging him down. 

“Mk!” 

“THE RINGS!” Red Son yelled at her.

“I GOT IT,” Mei roared back. 

The shadows wrapped around Red Son’s mouth and started pulling. 

The rings flickered. 

“NO!” the puppet appeared in front of Mei’s face, reaching. 

All at once the light went out. 

Red Son fell flat on the floor, followed by two thumps. 

“HA!” said Mk. “I told you! How can you get grabbed by something when you’re already in it! It's like swimming!” 

“Water has currents that can grab you,” Red Son snapped at him. 

“Shadows aren’t tangible like water.” 

“You make less sense the more you talk.” 

“It worked, didn’t it?” Mk huffed. 

“Woo! Mk!” Mei cheered. “I’m gonna see that last bit in my nightmares! Haha! Where’d Old Liú go anyway?” 

“Um, I’m not sure,” Mk said. “Let me check.” 

There was a moment of shuffling and silence in the pitch black. Then Mk’s bright voice came. 

“Found him! He’s small now. Looks like a real shadow puppet.” 

“What? How can you see?” 

“Huh, I wonder if we could un-curse him like how we unpossessed Mk,” Mei said, ignoring Red Son’s question.  

“He feels like he’s made out of dry stuff,” Mk said. “I don’t know if it's safe to try.” 

“Just give him to me,” Red Son scoffed, blinding feeling around for Mk. “I’ll seal him in so he won’t jump back out the moment there’s shadows to jump from if you’re both so worried about it. You can figure out what to do with this thing later. We’re going to be pulled back any minute now.” 

Red Son heard a sound that took him a moment to place as Mk’s muffled laughter. 

“What? What are you laughing at?” 

“Nothing,” Mk said. “Here, hold still, I'll hand him to you.”

Red Son sighed and held out his hand impatiently. 

He could feel Mk standing in front of him, hesitating. 

“What now?” he groaned. 

“Just… be careful with him. Don’t hurt him okay?” Mk finally handed him over. 

“Whatever,” said Red Son, casting the spell to seal the puppet in its current form. “He’s none of my concern, living or dead.” 

Mk didn’t reply to that, but he could practically feel his worry.

“There,” Red Son said, shoving him back at him. “He won’t be any trouble for now.” 

“Great,” said Mei. “So do we need to talk about why Liú looks like a monkey? Or…?” 

The ground lit up underneath them. 

Mk yelped, his face illuminated and rushed to stuff the small shadow-puppet into his hanfu. 

The room lit up in flames.

| beginning | next |

[cloud-somersault]

just got reminded of "Liu" in Liu'er Mihou being treated as a name by itself... and so the "er" at the end is...a kind of sweet addition because "er" is an honorific/diminutive used for like childhood friends. it's cute and carries affection in that way, like someone you know well. A close friend.

so calling macaque "Liu'er" is Wukong basically treating "Liu" as Macaque's given name and adding that 'er diminutive affectionately. Obviously, this is something he did when they were mates before and he also had other names for him that are very intimate.

the fact that Macaque lets this slide and doesn't snap at Wukong about it means that he likes being called that, too 🥺💕

[hekcart]

The Nezha one lasted for 10 minutes and was EXTREMELY hard for me to draw don't ask me about the gays over there 💀

[ghost-tripitaka-au]

…. Big brother..? Would you like to reenact journey to the west?

Tripitaka:…

Tripitaka: Welp…I may as well go one more century being kidnapped…

KH!Wukong: I’m sorry what-

MK: He gets kidnapped…like…almost all the time…

KH!Macaque: The wind could kidnap him at this point.

[thenightshiftcomic]

Help how did Kody become Macaque-coded this was not the intention I promise

[squidthechaotickid]

Macaque is so incredibly trans to me. Is he a trans man or is she a trans woman, you may ask? Well, the answer to that is yes. They're also nonbinary btw

[bl00dh0rs3]

more monkey thoughts. Dont look at me im just trying to explain/figure out More reasons why they (moreso LEMH) make me go crazy (again)

OKAY Full disclosure. this was spurred by some posts ive seen floating around and they are Objectively correct and i agree with them, but the wordage they use is what bothers me and makes me think--its about the general and growing frustration and dismay over LEMH's portrayal and like... increased Importance in LMK, at the expense of like, literally all the other characters new and old.

Again, objectively that is INCREDIBLY true and i feel it 200%!!!! Its frustrating because they just yoinked aspects of SWK's relationships with characters like DBK from the original JTTW and Shoved them on LEMH like theyre Tropes that can be shifted around without consequence--it seems fine and interesting when you first watch LMK with no context or background knowledge, but after knowing what his ACTUAL deal was in the book, looking back on LMK makes what they are doing with LEMH feel lazy and Genuinely poorly researched, rather than an intentional divergence from the original story--because as a general rule of thumb, even if the fans dont Like what you changed, you still want the things in your story to be done On Purpose, like you at least Tried to put effort into it! Its about showing the audience that you think they deserve a narrative that was crafted with Care, not just slapped together and thrown out for a quick Hype/Cash grab, yk???

Anyway So THATS the thing, and thats all cool!!! My issue (and i cannot stress this enough this is Me being Silly and Obsessed with the Six Eared Macaque im a chronic blorbo haver there is no Cure) is that those posts Also tend to talk about LEMH as though... he is a boring character. As though he's just kind of "eh". Or at least thats how my Admittedly biased eyes read them--no beef! Its just gotten me to thinking and now i want to try to write out What im thinking and Why, bc thats a helpful thing to do when you're struggling to figure in your head, obvs obvs

And im of course willing to admit that Yes, in the original text, he is just kind of There! He serves his purpose (aiding in SWK's character development) and then he dies and he doesn't come back again! Hes kind of a metaphor but hes also just an annoying guy! Hes not presented as anything special! I get that that is what is Canon, and thats theres no way to really like... read anything deep into it. Bc theres literally nothing there.

But my problem is that i cannot let characters like that just Be. Especially if the premise of said character could be absolutely FASCINATING if you take it all Completely seriously and At face value--if you try to see whatever is going on for them through their eyes, their minds. Its like.... You can buy a shirt from the store as is, and some might be fine Wearing it as is--while other's might see that shirt and decide it needs a bit of hemming and perhaps some embroidery on the sleeves. Altering it does not change the fact that the original design is what it is--thats just One altered shirt that one person is wearing and perhaps lending to a friend or two, yk???

I love metaphors l. Sorry that dragged on, back to monkey--

To me? LEMH exists in a nebulous state of inevitable connection with SWK--because i like to take the "LEMH is SWK's ~dark side~" thing seriously. In my eyes, they are literally the same person, the same qi, split into two bodies.

There are stories that exist today that explore this idea, characters with this kind of relationship--and i find them incredibly compelling! Because i adore stories that play with the question of what makes a person a person. What seperates you from your maker/origins? What is your purpose in life when you are intrinsically connected to another person, at your very core? Does that mean you exist For them? Do they exist for you? How does thinking that way affect a person, mentally and emotionally? How does it affect these characters, specifically, in conjunction with their personalities and the lives theyd led up until the point they knew about this connection? Have they always known about this connection? Only one of them?

How much more drastic would it affect you if you were essentially a nobody--and the person you are connected to is a public figure? Like Sun Wukong?

Id go crazy. Id go fucking insane? Can you imagine. Its about the potential!!!!! The potential of what knowing something like that would do to someone!!! Im losing the words im apologize i need to calm down--im Not done yet.

What i am getting at here.... is that LEMH would likely work Best as a character who's metaphorical aspects are taken Very Literally--especially so if the story also decides to lean into the idea of his hearing reaching through to the past and future, in any way. He is a character that would thrive on being portrayed in a way that allows him to be a bit Meta, if that makes sense

Yes, you Could just let him be a silly monkey who decided to start shit with SWK for giggles one day--that can absolutely have its merits! But that does not satisfy me, and that is why i am so passionate about him. I want to take my little guy so so fucking seriously because i think it would be SO fucking cool. And a very useful and convenient way to explore ideas about relationships with The Self--since in my eyes, that is what his relationship would be with SWK.

AND ALL THIS STUFF ABSOLUTELY HAS ANOTHER SIDE TO IT, HOW IT ALL COULD AFFECT SWK ON HIS SIDE??? LIKE HOLY SHIT. HOLY SHIT i dont know if i want this post to be That long so i might stop here and come back later to talk abt it from SWKs side in a rb or something--

anyway point is. I thank LMK for introducing me to the Six Eared Macaque, but upon further analysis the way they did him is actually pretty garbo, and im biding my time for till someone introduces me to or Makes a version of him that takes him to his full potential. thats all thanks for coming to my TED talk, get out of my house please

[siixkiing]

 “Yeah, yeah. You’re cute. Just stop smiling at me like that.” [From Mac to Wukong]

☯ GRUMPY AFFECTIONATE STARTERS ☯

"Oh, worried I'm up to something~?"

His grin only spreading more at the shadow's words, mischief bubbling just below the surface. Honestly, it was cute that a simple smile was the cause of such reaction from his fellow celestial monkey. Only stirring him to see how much he could tease him now in response — what buttons he could push to get even more out of him.

The sage began leaning closer, invading Macaque's personal bubble JUST enough. Though he was mindful for now not to get too close or touch him — he wanted to tease him sure, but there was still those personal boundaries he kept in mind for now. Their relationship was still very rocky right now and he didn't want to do anything to push that divide that was already there.

"I'm not allowed to smile now~?"

"Cause you can't handle the cute, is that it~?"

[fluffypotatey]

Thanks for enlightening me to what they did. [Macaque sacrificing himself to the Pagoda because “I get all the consequences and you get to mope!”] This is like him trying to make up for Wukong sacrificing himself to surrender to the Jade Emperor. The Pagoda may be no Five Phases Mountain, but at least Wukong can be the one to run away this time. I am NOT okay ;-; Could I 👉👈 cut off the rest of my nonsense and just resend the single piece of brainrot I've yet to see covered by you, reblogs, or another anon? because I understand my asks are too much at once lol. In trying to avoid burdening you with multiple tiny asks as each thought comes to me, I try to cover everything at once, but that has its own drawbacks. Sorry about that! You can ignore what I sent before since other anons/reblogs have basically mentioned those aspects already. This specific bit about everyone fighting for the title of most sacrificial butt had a lil more effort because I wanted to provide some entertainment for you :D

Wukong falls, his pained cries filling all six ears, and Macaque halts. The past, the present, the future. The visions brought by what he hears, all those whispered memories converge on that moment. Why him- why again-? He turns to call out his name and watches as MK races to Wukong's side, his monkey form flickering from some invisible connection that's strained and hurting, just like it did the first time you found him sitting by the cliff's edge, he's hurting too from this. You don't need to think about it. You're already in the way, the second you hear Li Jing say "this nonsense ends now." You're grabbing his arm and dispelling the spell. It's silent all around. There's a single ring of the bell from your angsty little soundtrack. AND THERE MACKY GOES, his eyes shadowed as he grits his teeth, "Xiaotian..." But his mind is already made up. Calm, focused, acceptance in between the gloom. "You go...and save the world." HE SAYS WHILE TURNING AROUND WITH HIS RED SCARF LOOKING LIKE A CAPE BILLOWING IN THE WIND. Wukong is stunned, "What? No! Macaque- No!" as he starts sinking into the shadows. He can only yell out once more before before everything disappears. What is WRONG WITH HIM. Wukong bodily tackling him from heaven to the earth wasn't enough. I need to crush him on the ocean floor. ~ oooh red is the color of heroes ~ ooh classy cape look and STUPID DRAMATIC LINE DROP YOU SAVE FOR THE END OF THE SEASON YOU LOSER MONKEY. he wants to be the knight in shining tattered cape sooooo bad/j and then pretends it's all for Mk and not also Wukong. Hey, do you think Macky knows how to use a washing machine?

*through tears* nah, i bet he doesn’t know what a washing machine is

WHY IS HE LIKE THIS T^T

[enbymacaque]

My dad and I were talking and he came up with a bit abt Macaque doing shadow puppets for fortnite or smth and it haunts me