#Tales of the Gold Monkey

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982)

[thispunforhire]

For as much as people talk about the variety of shows that get produced in the streaming era, I think they undervalue the kind of weird and (to a modern eye) unmarketable stuff that got made in the 80s and 90s.

You could make a 30 minute workplace sitcom written and directed by the creator of "Escape: The Piña Colada Song" set at a Pittsburgh radio station during the 1940s.* It would run for 4 seasons.

You could make an hour-long supernatural comedy-drama about a man (Kyle Chandler) who starts receiving the newspaper a day ahead of time and uses his foreknowledge to change the future for the better.** It would run for 4 seasons.

In the excitement following the wild success of Raiders of the Lost Ark, you could make a show in the mold of the old adventure serials, about a 1930s seaplane pilot in the South Pacific.*** It would run one season but the concept would get ripped off to make Talespin, another unbelievable concept on its own. (You know the bear from Jungle Book? He flies a plane, and King Louis runs a Casablanca-style cabaret.)

*Remember WENN

**Early Edition

*** Tales of the Gold Monkey

[grayrazor]

Dieselpunk airplanes fantasy adventure is my favorite genre.

[chaptertwo-thepacnw]

1983

[countesspetofi]

ARCHER S09E01, "Strange Pilot"

[surfingkaliyuga]

“Tales of the Gold Monkey” Jaime Posadas 2016

[male1971]

Tales of the Gold Monkey

One of my favorites from childhood.

Tales of the Gold Monkey was broadcast in prime time on Wednesday nights by ABC from September 22, 1982, until June 1, 1983. Debuting the year following the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the series featured the romance of early aviation, exotic locales, and cliff-hanging action.

[pop-sesivo]

Tras el éxito de Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Hollywood decidió imitar la fórmula en el cine y la TV pero con pobres resultados. El héroe explorador, el cliffhanger de los seriales y los lugares exóticos solo funcionaron para Indiana Jones en los 1980s.

La imitación más conocida fue la serie Bring 'Em Back Alive (1982-1983), que duró una sola temporada (17 episodios). La protagonizó Bruce Boxleitner, como Frank Buck, trampero y coleccionista de animales salvajes en el Singapur de los 1930s.

Bring 'Em Back Alive estaba inspirada en el libro homónimo de 1930 escrito por el mismísimo Frank Buck, infame cazador con un don para los negocios, pues llevó su historia al circo y al cine.

Otro rip off de Indiana Jones fue Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982-1983), que solo emitió 22 episodios. Stephen Collins daba vida a Jake Cutter, piloto de un servicio de carga aérea en el Pacífico Sur, en 1938.

[victusinveritas]

Just a reminder that Tales of the Gold Monkey was real.

That said, fuck Stephen Collins.

[lint-beetle4]

Wukong x Fem Reader smut

Wukong with a breeding kink and Y/n who's very motherly, especially with the little monkeys and that just fuels his kink more as well as the idea of having a family with her.

King and His Queen (Sun Wukong x Fem!Reader Smut)

Wukong knew you were the one the moment that you started to coo at the his younger subjects, eager to baby them and learn how to care for them

What more could a king ask of his queen then to help in the raising of his subjects?

Wukong would help new mothers with their children, and sometimes just take the younger ones out of their hands for the older monkeys to get some peace

With you at his side? He could feel an old emotion stir in his gut as you gushed over his baby monkeys

He always talked fondly about the littler subjects, how they were full of spark and innocence

The way you smiled at them had his heart stuttering, and the way you presented a child to him made his instincts buzz in him

It was a fantasy of his for you to bear his child, for him to be able to claim you as his mate by dumping his seed into you

He almost felt embarrassed by it, but the prospect of having a family with you was just as enticing

Wukong felt his old age at the thought of how time would pass away so quickly with a family like that

He wants to see your kids walk and talk, learn about the world outside of them and listen to Wukong's tales

Wukong wanted nothing more than to have cubs of his own, with you and the moment he asked he felt rather silly at the way he stammered through the question, watching your face shift from confused to understanding in record time

"I just think--y'know--if we had..um--" Wukong took a deep breath trying to force the words out of his mouth. "Cubs, y'know? Of course, this is a serious commitment and all but--"

You shushed Wukong with a knowing and excited smile. Wukong never seemed to get over his stage freight, even if the stage was simply the way you patiently waited for him to finish. Knowing your poor lover would tie his tongue trying to finish his proposal, you nodded.

"I would love to bear your cubs, Wukong." You hugged him tightly, feeling his arms wrap around with gently. "It would make me so happy if we could raise a family together."

Wukong laughed wetly, grabbing your face to kiss you as he tried his hardest to ignore the way his tears drenched his fur. You deepened the kiss, dragging Wukong closer to you as your heart pounded in your chest.

Wukong lifted you up, carrying you to your shared bedroom. He gave you a slight peck on the cheek, trailing down your neck as he removed your clothing, treating you as if you were porcelain. Wukong's hands fondled your breasts, brushing over nipples playfully as he bit onto your neck, sucking the skin tightly.

You hissed slightly, back arching as Wukong rolled your nipples between his fingers. His tongue was wet against the darkening bruise, and he trailed your body with more gentle kisses. With piercing gold eyes, Wukong never broke eye contact with you as he sucked on one of your breasts, biting the nipple slightly.

You moaned against him, your hips grinding against a well placed leg. As Wukong gave attention to other, your hands stroked his hair, fingers getting tangled in his wild mane. Wukong shivered at the way your nails scratched his scalp.

Wukong pulled away from your chest with an audible 'pop,' the sage's hand massaging your hips as his mouth breathed onto your wet pussy. Your hips bucked impatiently, Wukong sucking eagerly on your juices, his tongue sending waves of pleasure through your core. You whimper, hands holding Wukong's head closer as you grind into his face. Wukong ate you out furiously, lapping up your fluids as his tongue swirled around your clit.

You felt his fingers enter inside of you, curling slightly to hit your g-spot. You hum desperately as the duel sensation of his fingers and tongue overwhelmed you with intense waves of pleasure. Yet before you could cum, Wukong pulled away apologetically, holding his cock, wet with precum.

You spread your legs wider for him, begging him to enter.

Wordlessly, Wukong slid inside of you slowly, pausing to let you adjust to the painful stretch. At your command, Wukong bottomed out with a groan, his cock twitching inside of you.

"Breed me, Wukong." You breathed, grinding against his dick. "Fill me with your pups."

Wukong thrusted violent in you, more bites littering your neck as his movements become more desperate and animal-like. You wrapped your legs around the sage, his cock hitting deeply in your pussy. You continued to moan, nearly screaming as Wukong claw's tore through the covers.

With a growl and a final thrust, Wukong held you close, hugging you tightly as he filled you. You whimper, cumming around his cock. Wukong's purrs filled the air as he nuzzled against you, his cock still buried deep into you as it hardened once more.

"I'll fill you up, my queen." He muttered, hips thrusting once more. "I'll give you all my pups."

[bimb0fy]

perfect girlfriend; monkey d luffy

pairings; monkey d luffy x shank!reader

warning(s); mentions of scars, kinda suggestive at the end.

summary; luffy always had your name in his mouth, his girlfriend this! his girlfriend that! the crew never knew if you had actually existed considering the fact that your name didn't ring any bells or that well, they haven't met you yet. when luffy proposed a visit they all agreed to put an end to this little charade.

word count: 1,071 words

ᵐᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡⁱˢᵗ!! | ⁿᵃᵛⁱᵍᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ!!

— Luffy smiled as he ran over the deck, perfecting everything that looked slightly unpleasing. He hadn't seen you in months, going back to his old village meant seeing you again and he wanted it to be perfect. You both kept in touch by sending letters and after a while, ended up buying phones to reach each other faster.

Nami sat on a crate, her legs crossed as Sanji and Zoro stood beside her. Ussop was attempting to stop Luffy from falling overboard. She looked over at the two boys who rolled their eyes. "Not one bit huh?" Nami asked the two who nodded.

Sanji had faith in the beginning, believing the boy since well, he has a heart of gold, but after a while of hearing stories that sound like tales out of a naive boys mouth is well, unbelievable. Yes, it was possible for him to have a girlfriend, yet she can't be great in everything.

She can't be a fantastic with swords and a genius in the medical field, she can't be the best cook, better then Sanji Luffy might say, and have a hand for crafts. Maybe he was simply overcompensating about his love.

"Luffy, the ship looks great, I'm sure your girl will love it." Sanji smiled at the boy as both Nami and Zoro let out stiffled laughs.

"Whats so funny?" Luffy asked the group who looked at eachother. Luffy grew more concerned as he took his hat off, sliding them onto his shoulders.

"It's just that we uh." Nami started as she tried to figure out a way to frame it in a decent way.

"We don't think she exists." Zoro answered as Nami turned to the boy, her eyes wide as he shrugged. "What, it's better then lying."

"Y/n is real, why don't you guys believe me?" Luffy asked the crew who stayed quiet. He looked among them as he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "She's real, shes a pirate too, well, was a pirate."

"Yeah, and a doctor, and a cook, and a writer. She seems perfect, no one is." Zoro looked at the boy who scoffed.

"Well, she is, and look, we're here so you'll see for yourself!" Luffy said as he ran towards the front. Nami sighed as she stopped the ship, Luffy instantly jumping down, running towards a trap door. He opened it, jumping down for the group to follow him.

They were placed in an old basement, filled with materials and a section with belongings. "What is this place, it's so, rusty." Sanji said as he pinched his nose due to the horrid smell of fish guts.

"It's my home, well, was my home." Luffy smiled at the group as he walked over to his old bed, he opened a chest, taking out a satchel with his old belongings before climbing back up. "C'mon, I got my stuff, let's go meet Y/n!"

"Yeah, cause that's totally not stalling." Nami said as she climbed out, helping Zoro up as she ran after the boy who ran towards a bar.

"Luffy! My god we missed you!" The bartender smiled at the boy who hugged her. He turned back to his crew, looking around for another person.

"Hey Makino I got the broom." You said as you entered the room, you looked up to find Luffy who stood in shock. You dropped the broom as you ran towards the boy, jumping at him as he caught you, spinning you around.

You kissed his lips as he smiled, he set you down, wrapping his arms around you as he turned back to his crew who stood shocked. "Wait, she's actually real?" Zoro asked as he turned to Nami. She shrugged as he turned back to you.

"Guys, this is my very real girlfriend, Y/n." Luffy introduced you as you laughed. You waved at the group who waved back, Sanji with a huge grin plastered on his face.

"What a nice young lady you are-." Sanji's sentence was cut off by Luffy who had punched the boy, you covered your mouth before turning back to Luffy who looked serious.

"Luffy!" You yelled as he turned back to you, his expression softening.

"What?" He answered as you fliched his hat, he smiled as he held onto it, kissing your cheek before carrying you up, spinning you around one more time.

"Cmon now, I wanna show you my ship!" Luffy smiled as he held your hand, running towards the dock where the going merry happened to be. He skipped up the ramp as you looked in awe at the ship.

Luffy leaned onto the railings, smiling at the girl who stood on shock. "This is your ship? This is yours?" You asked the boy who nodded. He seemed proud of himself, you knew he had a ship but never expected a huge ship with an actual flag.

"C'mon, I'll show you my room, our room." Luffy smiled at the girl who scrunched her face in confusion. Luffy jumped down, holding your hand as he stared into your eyes. "Y/n, I want you to join my crew, we need someone like you, you know what you're doing, your perfect, your kind and smart."

"I left that life behind." You sighed as he looked away, you could tell her was upset. You hated being apart, he hated it more. Luffy was always an affectionate person, being away from his loved one hurt more then anyone could ever imagine. "I suppose you do need help to find the one piece."

Luffys face brightened up as he looked at you, smiling before carrying you up to the ship. You giggled as he set you down in the Captains quarters. The place was surrounded in pictures and souvenirs from adventures they had gone through. A desk filled with books and paper, probably stories written by him. You turned to the bed that seemed big enough for two people.

"You planned this, didn't you?" You turned to the boy who smiled, raising his eyebrows. You laughed before setting down on the bed. "I'll go get lunch ready?"

"No need, Sanji 'll do it." He smirked as he placed his hands on your waist, you smiled as you looked back at the boy, he traced your scar on your left cheek with his fingertips in such a loving way. "Now, let me show you how much I missed you my love."

[vintagegeekculture]

The Hall of Amazing Men: Branscombe Richmond

A new admission to the Hall of Amazing Men, Branscombe Richmond is best known for being an actor where he played Lorenzo Lamas’s friend, the Lando Calrissian-like sharpie Dallas Sixkiller, or as Moki, the smartmouth Hawaiian friend of Magnum, P.I. But behind the camera, as a tough as nails stunt coordinator and stuntman, Branscombe Richmond created and developed nearly all the eccentric and eye catching events in the TV series American Gladiators: Atlasphere (the one where people roll around in giant balls), Powerball (done simply because they needed a sport that could be created cheaply because they ran out of money for development) and all the various ones where musclemen shoot tennis balls at people, and where you have to avoid muscular women by jumping on a bungee cord. I don’t think it would be inaccurate to say that with his development (on a really thin budget, no less) of memorable, eye catching sports and events that, with his stunt training he knew could be done safely enough so that even kinda-sporty housewives from Illinois could do them without injury, Branscombe Richmond created American Gladiators. He turned an idea into a realized, practical show that can be done – I don’t think it is inaccurate at all to call him the uncredited creator of American Gladiators.

In his career as a stuntman, Branscombe Richmond, meanwhile, is another one of those faces that shows up over and over playing evil henchmen, members of motorcycle gangs in rough biker bars the hero brawls with karate (if there’s ever a rough scummy biker bar out there, you can bet Branscomb Richmond is in it), and hordes of nunchaku wielding ninja, to the point where if you are, like me, an 80s-90s action aficionado, his face makes you go “oh, hey…it’s that guy!” Can you really call yourself an action fan if you don’t start identifying “your” evil henchman? His IMDB page is mostly roles that are named “Gunman In Jeep,” "Biker #2," and "Terrifying Clown."  

If there is a Evil Henchman Hall of Fame, Brandscomb is there alongside the great Al Leung. You can spot his face as a henchman in Never Too Young to Die (with John Stamos), Action Jackson, Batman Returns, the Hidden, Iron Eagle III: Aces High (objectively the best one as it had Ms. Olympia Rachel McLish), and Star Trek III, where he was a Klingon henchman to Christopher Lloyd who almost got disintegrated and had to feed his disgusting slimy monster dog-salamander. It's comforting to know the profession of henching is alive and well 300 years in the future.

On television, Brandscomb Richmond was on every single cool show from the 80s: Tales of the Gold Monkey, TJ Hooker, Manimal, Airwolf, Knight Rider, Baywatch, and many times attempted to kill the A-Team, especially from motorcycles. Like Chiba, another stuntman-actor, Branscombe Richmond specialized in motorcycle stunts, and he was admitted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2003. He is, to this day, the guest of honor at whatever motorcycle rally your embarrassing hick uncle attends. I have no evidence for this, but I have long suspected that the reason Richmond was hired to be Dallas Sixkiller in Renegade with Lorenzo Lamas was so they could get his unpaid advice on motorcycle stunts (much like how I have always suspected Warner Brothers hired Ben Affleck as Batman as a "backdoor" way to ask him to direct).

He also played the older brother of the Rock in the Scorpion King, which is an interesting choice because despite getting roles as American Indians (and being beloved in the American Indian community, who, as a whole, deeply love characters who are smartmouth, wiseass sharpies/scammers who get one over on everyone), Brandscome Richmond is in fact, like the Rock, of Hawaiian origin. His first major role in television, that of Moki in Magnum PI, was in fact Hawaiian.

Why are there so many Pacific Islanders in stuntman careers, MMA, and professional wrestling? The answer is surprisingly pedestrian. It’s because Pacific Islanders are a sizable ethnic population in Los Angeles, where movies and television are made, so if you need someone in L.A. that are tough as nails and can take a hit, a Samoan or Hawaiian is a good choice.

Happily, Branscombe Richmond is alive and well, mostly retired as a traditionally large Hawaiian family patriarch. He does occasional voice work, as Gibraltar in Apex Legends, a character physically based on him as well. I imagine he is relieved to be working in showbiz and no longer risking brain damage to do it.

[ca-dmv-bot]

Customer: TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY TELEVISION SHOW DMV: MONKEY. SEXUAL? Verdict: DENIED

[quitealotofsodapop]

First Princess Songzi to the Stone Matriarch to Guanyin:

referencing my updated "Celestial Family Tree" + what the monkey doing there? and the Stone Monkeys lived on FFM theory.

>:3 huehue been cooking on this au/theory for a while now

First Princess Songzi had become so digusted by her father comparing humanity to little more than beasts, that when she reincarnated she was reborn as a Stone Monkey/Shí Bǎomǔ.

A Stone Monkey who would become the last Stone Matriarch of Flower Fruit Mountain. She ruled for many years, fair and merciful in a way unknown to demonkind at that time. Her orange-gold fur seemingly glowed in the sun as she watched over her troop, her eyes warm with the light of Heaven itself.

Until the Great Flood.

Being creatures not meant for deep water, the Stone Monkey troop that had survived on Earth for so long had found themselves all but wiped out within a single tidal wave.

The Stone Matriarch wailed and cried for any of her lost troop to answer her for years. Her own mate among the missing and presumed dead.

There was not enough food to feed those who had survived the initial waves, and not enough clean water to sate the thirsty. From her grief, the Stone Matriarch and those who had survived began making preparations.

Preparations for the Matriarch to fling a light into the future.

The Stone Palace which had housed countless generations of families was left how it was on the day the flood took them all away. Signs left to tell the next generation or whomever found it that; "We were here. We lived and loved and died. Let the Earth remember us." They wrote upon the walls of the caverns and painted the rocks with their stories so that whomever found them would Know.

The Matriarch found the highest peak of the mountain, one which saved her from the flood waters, and began praying to Hòutǔ and Nüwa (as was customary) as she dug her final resting place. The goddesses of the deep earth and of creation were of great importance to their kind.

The Matriarch buried a peach seed beside her in case that if she failed, her body would at least feed the children of later generations with the fruit.

And she went into her deepest sleep.

The Boulder utop Flower Fruit Mountain had not been there since the "beginning of the Earth" as the tales said - but it might as well have to the yaoguai that settled on the island once the flood waters receeded. The young goddess Nüwa not only created a new Heavenly Pillar to repair the world, but also helped the displaced creatures of the earth find new homes to settle safe from Heaven's destruction. The Boulder greeted them to a paradise lush with fruit and flowers.

As a stroke of misfortune; a waterfall, formed in the aftermath of the flood, concealed the entrance to the Stone Palace. Meaning that those who had settled, did not discover it for some time. And the waters of the cavern eroded some of the many stories left on the cave walls.

One day the Boulder split open, revealing an egg-shaped stone. A young monkey falling out of it like a chick from a nest. The troop of monkey yao had no idea what to make of the little one. Only the bravest four cubs (Ma, Ba, Beng, and Liu) dared to approach this outsider and greet them as a new playmate.

The cub was nicknamed "Xiao-Shihou", their "little stone monkey". Later to be known as their King for his bravery and resourcefulness.

And even later renamed Sun Wukong as he had learned the ways of man and immortals.

Sun Wukong never met his mother. He never knew he had a parent to speak of. But he would learn from his time in Heaven that he was not the Only of his kind that existed once. That there was once strangers like him out on earth and in the stars. And that there might be a way to continue their work...

So he began researching ways to preserve his life and create his lone-parent child at the same time so that they would not be left alone as he was. The knowledge of Liu'er Mihou being a subspecies survivor was uncompletely unknown for millennia afterwards.

When The Bodhisattva of Mercy; Guanyin appeared in court on the day Sun Wukong lashed out at Heaven, her knowledge of her past lives rushed to her heart like an arrow. Before they were Miaoshan she were another human, and 30 so lives before that often a mortal animal or a plant. But her first ever reincarnation - the one which spearated them from their first life as First Princess Songzi - was that of a Stone Matriach preparing a safe place to bare her baby.

Guanyin could not inform Heaven of this fact - as it would put a target far greater than even now upon their past-self's child. The Jade Emperor and Queen Mother still found it difficult to separate Guanyin from their passed daughter. They simply would not be able to comprehend the stone monkey's connection to them.

So they pleaded for Sun Wukong to survive his punishment, even if it wasn't ideal for him or his people. Even all knowing - The Buddha simply could not let the Monkey King's destruction go unpunished or untested. Until he could become more patient, more wise, he must rest and mediatate upon his actions. Guanyin would approach the Monkey King many times throughout his Journey, always with the air of a worried mother. They even comforted and cried with him when he discovered the fate of the island after the war, and later when he lost his mate. Though at the time Sun Wukong he did not understand exactly why the Goddess cried with such sympathy alongside him.

And depending upon the story (AU), the Bodhisattva may have accidentally set the perfect conditions for their own spirtual grandchild to be formed.

The Goddess of Birth became a creature able to bare their young without a partner at the cost of their own life. And later in creating her child, the Stone Matriarch would enter the cycle of reincarnation to eventually become the Bodhsattva notorious for their Mercy and their skills in bringing life into the world.

As for Sun Luzhen?

The Matriarch's Mate (Patriarch? Consort?) had not died in the flood waters as she had thought - but had been swept away into a cavern where they too presumed their love had been taken into Diyu. The Consort in turn buried themselves into the side of the mountain's base as opposed to the top - the Egg that formed only discovered over 2000 years after it's twin when the mountain itself was cracked open.

Sun Wukong meets this long-overdue cub in the clean-up effort, and discovers to his horror and sorrow the origins of them both.

Along the walls of The Consort's resting place lay a vast record of all the Stone Monkeys that came before them - the Matriarch having always adored her studious mate's rambling. The Consort even leaving aside names they and their mate had considered for their planned vast brood ("little heaven" and "walks reality" was among them), and wishes that whomever found their baby or any other stone egg take care to remember those who sacrificed to ensure their survival.

Sun Wukong drops to his knees upon reading the pre-chinese markings uncovered by Azure Lion's battle. The newly-hatched cub in his arms cooing with curiousity at his matching sun-orange fur.

[wukong-s-only-wife5000]

Hey for LMK Mac master list can I request “you see him again” cause boy totally needs more love imo 🤌🏼 you’re writing style slaps btws!

LMK!Macaque: You See Him Again.

Content/Trigger Warnings: N/A.

Authors Notes: You just gonna make me cry, thank you sm. I totally agree with you, he needs all love. Luckily for you, I was planning to post this today. ;3 Hope you enjoy!

<---Previous | Masterlist | Next--->

You didn't want to socialize or even leave the house, but one of your mortal friends needed you to go on a double date, which you didn't like but understood. Sisters took care of each other, and it was better to have backup to 'whoop ass', as Wukong often liked to say, than to be alone. You didn't completely pay much attention to the male you were basically on a blind date with. He was okay-looking and as interesting as any other tall and handsome foreigner. You couldn't remember much of what he told you… Like his name, how he knew your friend's date, where he was from and why he was visiting China.

You never expected they would take you both to a puppet show, though. It seemed childish and when you really looked at them, they acted the part a bit too well. He swore that it was the best show they'd seen, but you were only interested when you saw the flier your friend's date had. It was a shadow play… which was much different from a simple puppet show in your opinion. 

Ever since your meeting with the emo monkey man, you always thought of Macaque whenever you're in the dark, staring somewhere only to discover it was the shadow of something, or happened to see something that reminded you of him. Did you maybe need to see a doctor? Potentially. Regardless, it was safe to say he'd plagued your mind and, unbeknownst to you, it was just as much as you plagued his. 

Before the play started, you caved and decided to get a helping of popcorn and a drink, something your friend complained about since you'd refused when they were buying earlier. Your journey to and from the line and back was infected with Macaque and almost made you order a popcorn with Pepsi instead of popcorn and a Pepsi.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to today’s shadow play,” 

You couldn't stop yourself from smiling to yourself. You'd only heard it when you’d first met, but you knew that voice from anywhere. He seemed to be using a human disguise and since the boys liked the plays, you guessed that he did them often. 

“You like these too? You seem excited,” you didn't know if it was your date or your friend who spoke.

“You can say that,” you trailed off. 

It was a brief moment, but Macaque’s gold eyes locked onto your (e/c) ones and his smirk grew before he continued.

“For the new viewers, I will start with the tale of the Hero and the Warrior,” and he did. You were no fool. You could tell that the story was based on him and Wukong. A hero that left his friends behind after obtaining immense power… yeah, that sounded like Wukong, alright. You loved Wukong like a brother, but sometimes he got too caught up in himself that he frequently forgot about others, it was something you noticed in MK too.

“Now, I can tell you about the Goddess,” his voice broke you out of your thoughts, and you noticed he looked at you when he said goddess. 

Your heart was already beating quicker knowing he was there, but when you heard his new story of a goddess the Hero once served, and had both him and the Warrior smitten, you knew that you were the goddess reference. He didn't even try to hide that from you… your brain was then quick to notice something; Macaque insinuated that both he and Wukong were smitten with you the second you met.

“This one is so adorable and tragic at the same time,” your friend swooned, and you rolled your eyes at the hopeless romantic.

“It’s kinda boring…” Yeah, you sort of forgot he was there and his hate for romance? It was never gonna work out. Maybe you took it to heart most because it was about you… The thought almost made you want to laugh.

When the show was over, the few people that were there applauded, you included. You thought your friend’s standing ovation was a bit of an overdo, but eh, who were you to judge? You met eyes with Macaque once more before he turned and walked away. Not wanting to miss the chance, you stood up.

“Where you going?” your friend questioned you.

“I'll meet you guys outside, okay?” was all you said over your shoulder before you chased after the hooded figure,

“Wha-” you barely heard her. “Okay, then?”

When you walked behind the stage, you saw a door as it closed. You walked over to it and opened it to be met with an alley and the back of the hooded figure you knew was Macaque.

“Hey, puppeteer,” your voice stopped him in his tracks, but since his back was to you, you couldn't see his grin. He knew you'd follow him, and you proved him right… It made him oddly happy.

“Sorry, miss, but I’m not signing autographs right now,” he said as he turned toward you with a lazy smirk. You could barely see the rest of his face, only his mouth.

“You get people wanting your autograph?” you mused at the thought of him signing autographs.

“Indeed,” 

“I'd never taken you for the shadow play storyteller type, Macaque,” you said with a slight snicker, he playfully clicked his tongue at being caught.

“I never thought you'd be the type to come watch one, (Y/n),” he lifted his hood and looked down at you with a slight grin. “What gave me away, hm?”

“Your voice obviously gave you away, dude,” you folded your arms, and a small smile adorned your face.

“Obviously,” he chuckled, “wasn't that obvious to MK.”

“Yeah…” you trailed at the memory of MK explaining the time they went to one of Macaque’s shows and how it didn't go too well. “He’s kinda clueless sometimes.”

“Remind you of anyone?” he teased, which made you laugh a bit.

“Most definitely,”

“Did you like the tale?”

“I did,” you gave a nod. “I guess I sympathize with the warrior… being in the shadow of the hero is something I bet the Goddess can relate to.”

“I bet,” he chuckled softly. “Like what you see?” he asked as he noticed you kept looking over his features. 

“I like the real you better,” you confessed and cleared your throat, your words caught him off guard. “I guess 'cause I get used to seeing demons in their true form that seeing their human forms feel… wrong,”

“Oh? Why’s that?” he asked before he chuckled, shook his head and reverted to his true form. “How’s that?”

“Better,” you smiled at him before you looked away and cleared your throat again. “Ya know, since it’s the one I’m used to.”

“Got something in your throat there, (Y/n)? You seem to be clearing it a lot,” he teased. “Too much popcorn?”

“I just wanted to…” 

You didn't know what you wanted to do. Why’d you go after him again?

“There something you needed? I doubt you wanna leave your boyfriend hanging,” he tried to tease, but his cocky attitude had a change to it that you didn't quite pick up on.

“He isn't my boyfriend, and never will be either. Not with that attitude.”

Oh, the irony. 

“Your failed date, then?” he asked curiously. He didn't know why it bothered him that you were there with another human man, but it did. Regardless of the outcome of said date.

“We’ll leave it as that,” you sighed in exhaustion, he didn't need to know the details. He thought your reaction was kinda cute though… “What are you doing here?” you asked as you finally remembered why you went after him.

“Cause I wanna be,”

“Macaque,” you folded your arms, unconvinced.

“Unlike His Majesty, some of us need to make a living,”

“So you're doing shows for money?”

“Yep,” he said and looked over your features. 

“That’s shocking,”

“You work, don't you?”

“Touché,” you chuckled and rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly. “Not at the moment, though… I guess you can say I'm on vaca.”

“I never expected you to be a liar, ya know,”

“What did I lie about?”

“You told MK you’d visit, but every-” he cut himself off and continued, “he said you never showed,”

“Were you trying to see me again?” you raised a brow in amusement, but he couldn't deny that he was caught.

“What if I was?” he stepped closer to you till you were a breath away. “Why does my old pal Wukong get to be friends with you and I can't?” he asked softly.

“Hm,” you looked up at him. “You're in my personal space,”

“Does it bother you?”

“The alley is already small, it'd like as much space as I could get.”

“What if I don't wanna move?” he smirked a bit.

“Then I won't be your friend,” you shot back.

“Oh, playing dirty,” he chuckled but stepped back. “Does that save our potential friendship, plum?”

“You don't have the rank for nicknames,” you stated in a matter-of-fact voice.

“Yet,” he added.

“That might take a long… long time, ya know,”

“I have nothing but time, you know that,” he leaned close to your face. “See you soon, plum. Maybe without a boy toy.”

“Would you rather yourself as my boy toy?” you had no idea where that came from, but you were internally screaming at what had just come out your mouth. Where'd that confidence come from?!

“Definitely,” he leaned back and looked away as you did as you both blushed. “Later, goddess.” with that, he fell back into a portal before you could say anything else.

“Why are the cute ones always so irritating?” you said to yourself in annoyance, but your undeniable smile said you definitely weren't complaining.

Friends. Yeah, you could both work with that… For now.

[nekohime19]

Heart behind the lie # 7 : I'm home

Macaque is seized by some feelings, he let it go

The sun was above him. Not the pleasing, blooming light he was used to, the one that embraced him like a long lost lover, the one that made him feel like living was a gift. 

The sun above him was cruel. It burned his eyes without a shred of pity, rays falling upon his battered flesh like a rain of knives. It wasn't the friend he was accustomed to, it was the King of the sky, gazing at his dying body without any mercy. The cruel light veiled the sage’s shoulder, like a glistening cape made for the holiest, the mightiest of beings, the ones siding with goodness. 

And Macaque wasn't good. He was the demon that tried to make the chosen one bleed, the fool the heroes trampled on to reach higher heights. He was nothing but a shadow, a fickle, shapeless thing, easily burned by the light it stupidly fell in love with. The winds were right, it was madness to love someone who will never wait for your steps, who will never bend to your level. They had whispered truth in his ears since the dawn of his birth, but he had ignored the warnings, choosing to follow the shadow of a monkey coated in gold despite knowing he will never be enough for him. 

Tears nipped at his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He held them inside of him, drowning his own heart, his own lungs with sorrow. He would never let the sage see his tears, never again. He would die with fire in his eyes and a sneer on his face, mocking the King till his inevitable end. 

Sun Wukong wasn't golden anymore, his fur was soiled by the warrior's blood, gold strands coated in the liquid life of the one that loved him the most. Macaque gazed at the sage's eyes, two murderous red bolts glaring at him with disgust, something he never saw before on a face so sweet. Macaque had never been afraid of the sage, he never understood the tales painting him as a ruthless monster. 

How can a monkey so kind, so accepting, so illuminating be a monster ? 

He understood now, in the face of the red coated beast, staff raised above him, light gliding on it, like the sun itself blessed this death. He understood the terror that seized people when they glanced at the Monkey King. 

“You're my best friend in the world Liu'er !”, lies echoing in his mind, lies he fell for willingly, lies he had hoped were truth. The Six-eared Macaque, tricked by lies, the vilest disgrace, the cruelest downfall, of all for him. 

He had nothing left, he realized as death fell upon him in the form of his King. His home was Sun Wukong's, his people were Sun Wukong's, his goals were Sun Wukong's, his heart was Sun Wukong's. And now, his life was in the hands of this man. 

"I love you." He whispered, the truth he never dared to utter falling through his lips with ease, the foolish thing in his chest beating with the senseless hope that these pathetic words would be enough to grace him mercy. 

Sun Wukong stopped, staff grazing the warrior's face, and Macaque hoped for a second that he would be spared. That, at last his friend would remember their kind days, and let him go with the winds. Macaque had done wrong, he tried to hurt the monk, but he wasn't the worst, he had heard of demons doing more dreadful things to the pilgrims, and of them being spared by the King. To begin with, he never planned to kill Tripitaka, he only wanted Wukong to come back to the place he belonged. Contrary to many others, he wasn't motivated by greed, or lust, but by love, surely this would grant him his King mercy.

Surely, Sun Wukong would remember everything he had ever done for him, and let him escape. 

The sage let his staff fall upon him, the weapon tearing his eye, digging its way through his skull. Macaque screamed, all hopes burned forevermore, as he felt life evade him. 

“I like you more than anyone else, Liu'er”. 

"Liar." Muttered the macaque as death came and dragged his soul to hell’s depths. 

Macaque woke up with a trembling heart, it wasn't the first time he dreamt of his death, but it became more frequent since sleeping beside the sage. He turned towards the golden fluff ball curled up in his left, still paralyzed by his dream, and felt his fear spikes. It wasn't easy to wake up besides the one that killed him after he dreamt of his death, it made the lingering memory of the nightmare more real. Macaque closed his eyes, and concentrated on his surroundings. He focused on the peaceful breath of the sage, of the way his fur felt pressed on his left side, warm and soft, on the way his own heart was beating, on the chants of nature outside the shack. 

Sun Wukong, the pilgrim, wasn't here, the one beside him was an overgrown puppy too needy for his own good. He wasn't Liu'er anymore, weak, pathetic Liu'er lying on the floor as his King ended him, he wasn't the same. 

The sage stirred, ears flapping slightly, but he didn't wake up, only snuggling closer, snout diving in the warrior's fur. Macaque had tried to sleep elsewhere, to stop The King from joining him, but it had been useless. Sun Wukong didn't sleep if he wasn't pressed against the warrior, he always barged in, uncaring of doors, locks and hisses. 

The King began to shake, body overtaken by tremors as he pressed further in the warrior's side. Macaque wasn't the only one haunted by nightmares, he noticed that Wukong had his fair shares of tortuous dreams. The sage never made any sounds when he dreamt of horrors, he shook and cried, but his voice never rang. Macaque had wondered more than once if he had been unaware of some of the sage's nightmares. If, in their past, Sun Wukong had woken up in the middle of the night after being tortured by his own mind without the Macaque being there to wipe his tears. 

It shouldn't bother him, it shouldn't hurt him. He tried to ignore the way Sun Wukong would flinch when Macaque grazed his forehead, the way he hid behind him when smoke arose from fire, the way he looked at scalding food with narrowed eyes, the way he would still when something fell on his back. 

He tried to ignore how Sun Wukong was hurting, but it was becoming more and more difficult after each day at his side. 

“This is only because the shaking is bothering me”, reasoned the Macaque as he petted the sage, combing through his fur and scratching in-between his ears. The sage continued to tremble, but he began to purr, a weak thing barely echoing, and Macaque stayed there, incapable of finding sleep after reliving his death, incapable of closing his eyes with a trembling mess at his side. 

Sun Wukong stopped shaking after a while, his tremors leaving him as the nightmare faded away in a kinder dream. Macaque gently pushed the sage away, and escaped the sofa, relieved to see that the King was still sound asleep, even if he did whimper slightly. The warrior took his phone and turned on a dim light to navigate more easily, he slipped out of the shack and sat on the threshold, looking at the falling waterfall with faraway eyes. 

He had gotten out of the shack once or twice, to find food or simply to call for the wandering King, but he had never gotten too far, he knew Sun Wukong hadn't too. Macaque turned on the phone to shake off his thoughts, he fell upon the group chat the kid had created, and was quite surprised to see the two kids very much awake at this ungodly hour. 

Emo Monkey (he wasn't responsible for this nickname, but he hadn't found the way to change it yet) : why are you both still awake? 

The chaos child ( he learnt quite quickly that this name was really fitting for the dragon girl and her chaotic ways) : The hot topic monkey is awake! My monkey bestie here was showing me all the cute pics of Wukong! Great stuff. 

The girl had been quite reserved at first, he didn't even know why the kid added her in the first place, but she quickly spammed the group chat with memes and other things Macaque didn't really get. She was also collecting pictures for blackmail on Wukong and, well, who was Macaque to not indulge this? 

Everyone's favorite : we're having a sleepover but without being in the same room! :) 

Emo Monkey : You should go to sleep, you're gonna whine about it tomorrow if you don't. 

Everyone's favorite : yes, Mama Mac. 

The chaos child : AYO, AFDGYC, that's funny as hell. 

~ The chaos child changed Emo Monkey username for Mama Mac~

Mama Mac : I'm not appreciating this teasing.

The chaos child : that's because you're no fun. 

Mama Mac : And you're insufferable. Go to sleep, child. 

Everyone's favorite : the mom has talked, Mei. 

The chaos child : Nooooo, but MK. We still have so many pictures of Monkey King chewing on stuff to see. 

Mama Mac : the pictures will still be here tomorrow. 

The chaos child : who would have thought the emo monkey was secretly caring. 

Everyone's favorite : I saw it coming the day he didn't kill Monkey King for hugging him! 

The chaos child : the good old days. Eyo, you think I could see the King? Kinda wanna snap pictures of him myself, Macaque's suck at taking pictures. 

Mama Mac : hey! I'm still here. My pictures are fine. You just don't understand my art. 

Everyone's favorite : idk, Monkey King has been more calm these days… 

Mama Mac : he's still stressed as hell, the guy tried to break in when I was taking my bath, again. 

The chaos child : kinky 

Mama Mac : no, don't even think about it. 

The chaos child : too late. 

Mama Mac : Anyway, he's still unstable, come at your own risks. 

The chaos child : I like risks! 

Mama Mac : I will not be responsible for her death. 

Everyone's favorite : this is terrible mom behavior Macaque, :(

Mama Mac : I AM NOT A MOM! 

The chaos child : poor guy, he's in denial. 

Everyone's favorite : he'll come around. 

Mama Mac : I hate you both. 

The chaos child : *gasp* but we're so adorable, how could you! 

Everyone's favorite : impossible, we're unhateable! 

Mama Mac : debatable. 

The chaos child : you're just a cranky pants monkey. 

Mama Mac : both of you need to sleep, and to shut your mouths. 

Everyone's favorite : night Macaque, cuddle Monkey King for me. 

Mama Mac : Absolutely not. 

The chaos child : we know you do, there are pictures.

Mama Mac : He forced me. 

The chaos child : likely story. Just go back to your “nemesis” *COUGH* “boyfriend” *COUGH*. 

Everyone's favorite : they could be good friends, yk. 

The chaos child : when you're someone rivals for years, it's not rivalry anymore, it's gayness. 

Everyone's favorite : I can't argue with the facts, they're gays for each other, and it suddenly made a lot of sense. 

The chaos child : this is a bitter ex situation. 

Mama Mac : you both are delusionals, and blind. 

Everyone's favorite : THE HERO AND THE WARRIOR WERE LIKE THE SUN AND THE MOON.

The chaos child : that's like peak gay behavior. 

Everyone's favorite : How could I not see it before, nobody calls his rival the sun without feelings.

Mama Mac : it's poetry, POETRY, it's not literal. 

The chaos child : wow, gay poetry. 

Everyone's favorite : I'm questioning every interactions, how could I not see the gayness! 

Mama Mac : I'm out of here. 

The chaos child : you run away bc yk we're right, mah boy, you are gay. 

Everyone's favorite : the tension was so obvious too! Omg, it's like an enemy to lover situation! 

Macaque scowled and put aside the phone, not wanting to be teased anymore. Those two definitely had a running imagination, and way too much energy at this ungodly hour. At least, their silliness did chase his somber thoughts, and the lingering feelings of his nightmare. The warrior sighed and looked at the waterfall, eyes lost in violent water. His fingers twitched and his heart stuttered, he was seized by the want to explore his old home, the want to walk on familiar paths. It wasn't the first time he felt that way, but, till now, he had always ignored it, always pushed it away. 

It was becoming harder to not give in when what he longed for was within reach. 

The warrior was startled by a quiet chirp, he turned and saw Sun Wukong groggily trotting towards him. The sage sat beside him and yawned, eyes clouded by mist, his golden tail tied itself to the ebony monkey's hips. 

"You usually never woke up this early." Muttered the warrior, and the sage replied with a grunt, tail squeezing the macaque's waist as if he would disappear at any moment. "Yeah, okay, you're cranky, geez." Snickered the warrior. "You wanna take a walk?" He didn't know why he asked, why he dared to fathom it. He regretted asking the second he heard himself, but he didn't take it back, letting the sage decide for him. It was easier to let someone else decide for him, but it raised, at the same time, a bitterness he knew very well. No. He wasn't a follower, not anymore. "I'm taking a walk." Corrected the warrior, he rose, startling the sage, and walked towards the waterfall. 

Sun Wukong followed after him, this time not walking in his shadow, but beside him. Macaque hesitated before the waterfall, tiredness gnawing at him, doubts blooming in his mind. He knew giving in to this desire was bound to break him, he knew, deep within, it was a bad idea, it would shatter every wall he had tried to build. But he was tired of fighting against his own wants, tired of pretending he didn't long for his home, for places that were once familiar. 

Tonight, he wasn't strong enough to resist temptation. 

The macaque passed the waterfall, and walked in the forest. He knew where he wanted to go, the place he wanted to see the most. Flower Fruit Mountain changed, a fate inevitable, for it was a place holding life, and life was never static. It was strange, to see familiar blending with newness, to see trees marked by his claws tangled with trees he had never seen before, to see rivers he dived in flowing in new places. It was bittersweet to feel the weight of time, but it was also reassuring to see that he hadn't been completely erased, that his memory resided within the steps he imbued in the mountain. 

Sun Wukong looked around frantically, ears twitching at every sound, tail lashing excitedly behind him. It wasn't the first time the King walked in the forest, he wandered sometimes, pushed by childish wonder. But it was the first time he walked with Macaque, mayhaps this was enough to make it new and exciting. 

Macaque stopped before a cliff, and laid under a towering tree, watching the glimmering sky with a hammering heart. The sage laid beside him, snuggling him shamelessly. This was his haven, the place he sneaked in when life was stretching him thin, he spent hours napping under this tree, hours watching the sky change, hours cuddling with his best friend. 

Nostalgia didn't seize him, no, what drowned him was something he never expected. Relief. As if the weights he had dragged for days suddenly disappeared. 

"I'm home." Whispered the macaque, as if he didn't quite believe it, or perhaps didn't want to. Feelings surged in, it burned to lay there, his skin scorched by memories, but he didn't move, didn't dare to. "I'm home." He repeated, more certain, more firm, as if to chase away any doubts lingering, any fears shackling him. "I'm home." And he let the tears fall down, not capable of holding them together, not capable of hiding the ocean dedicated to his lost home he hid for eons. 

He was home. This wasn't the shadows of a tree laying on the roadside, or the shambles of an abandoned house, this was home, a land with a place for him. He let himself be overwhelmed, be drowned by feelings, he was home, and it hurts, it burned him because he knew he couldn't stay forever, he knew he would be chased one way or another, nobody wanted a battered shadow in his land. He knew this was weak of him, to give in to his own longing, he fought it for so long, only to crumble because he wasn't strong-willed enough. But it also soothed his bleeding heart, the one longing for safety, familiarity, warmth. He was home, and for the first time since he landed there, he cried. 

The first tears were small, quiet, a weight barely there that could be wiped by a single flick. But the more he cried, the louder he became. The tears surged in, one after another, his face crumbled, pain etched on his skin. He cried, till his whole body was shaken by tremors, till his voice echoed in the night, old wails stumbling one after another. He couldn't stop, shaken by the storm, drowned with his own tears, he couldn't even breathe. 

It would be a stupid way to die, but fitting for the fool he was. 

Golden arms hugged him, he was pushed in a soft chest, petted by familiar hands. Coos and purr echoed in his ears as he curled on himself, shaking as if he was standing on the coldest mountain. Magic surged in his veins, a way to calm him, to ground him, to appease the storm seizing him. He cried till the sun rose, never clinging to the golden fur, but diving in it greedily. 

When he looked at the one hugging him, he realized the other must have used quite a lot of magic to calm him, the glamor etched in his forehead faded away, revealing a wound in the shape of a crown. 

"You overdid it." Mumbled the warrior, voice rough, abused by cries. 

Some of Sun Wukong's glamours did break after he was reduced to this state, notably the one on his eyes, but the one on his forehead was special. It was stronger than any other veiling his body, carefully weaved, made to withstand anything, and stand (like the one on the macaque's face, one he refused to take down, no matter if he died of magic depletion). 

The macaque traced the scar with his eyes, he raised a hand, but hesitated when the King flinched. 

"I'm… it’s okay, tell me if you want me to stop." Muttered the warrior, he traced the wound with his claws, heart beating frantically. Perhaps, he was tired after crying for so long, after being overwhelmed by his own feelings, but he couldn't deny what was in front of him anymore. 

Sun Wukong was hurting, and as much as he didn't want to acknowledge it, as much as he wanted to think of his killer as a ruthless monster, he couldn't when one graze on his wound was enough to make him shake.

The macaque poured the drops of magic he received in his fingers, he ignored the pain seizing him, and veiled the wound with renewed glamor. It wasn't as strong, but it would do for now. 

The warrior sighed and dived in the sage's chest, not caring about anything, too tired to fall prey to hatred. He purred when the sage scratched his ears, it felt good, he could see why the golden monkey liked it so much when he did it. It felt nice, to be embraced, to be in familiar arms, to let go of his anger, and let himself enjoy what was given. 

"I'm sorry." Muttered the ebony monkey, he didn't know if he was apologizing for crying like a newborn cub, or for things he did long ago, he didn't care. "And thanks."

+

I did some doodles for another au of mine, the bimawen au, and I was : why not do some for this story too??

So here is a doodle of feral Wukong and Macaque,

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