#simian army

[blackmoreops]

Netflix's Chaos Monkey: Embracing Failure for Resilience

Chaos Monkey is an innovative tool developed by Netflix as part of their Simian Army suite of testing tools. It deliberately introduces failures into your cloud infrastructure to test system resilience and recovery capabilities. Chaos Monkey works by randomly terminating instances in your production environment. This might sound counterintuitive, but by forcing failures to occur, it helps…

[lotusloong]

If you're willing, can you write a fic about Netflix!Monkey King based on this drawing from a while ago? https://www.tumblr.com/monkeykingdomblog2/750199169881341952/that-moment-when-you-think-youre-kissing-your?source=share

An Accident

Relationship: Netlfix!Sun Wukong X Female Golden Princess of Cauldron County!Reader (also known as Goldie)

AN: Alright friendo, I'm gonna be completely honest, this was a toughy! I love Netflix Wukong but he is surprisingly hard to wright in a romantic sense in the time frame of the movie. I don't know why he's like this for me, he just is (post movie I have no problem writing and I think it's because he's changed so much by that point?). So I tried my best to kinda do a crush scenario, I really hope I did it justice? Idk, because of the difficulty I had I feel a little insecure about this one lol. Takes place during the fight with Red Girl.

Tags: Fluff, First Kiss, Canon Typical Violence

Read it on AO3!

“Uh, pardon me, Monkey King?” You ask, stepping closer to him with your hands clasped. The ruby colored monkey in question raises an eyebrow at you as he walks with his stick balanced over his shoulders, smiling.

“What’s up Princess? Need something?” You lower your hands but keep them clasped in front of you, keeping your posture straight as you walk in time with the monkey.

“Uhm, yes,” you start, “I was wondering when it was exactly that I would be brought home? I am, once again, grateful that you saved me but…we seem to be travelling further and further away from my kingdom.” You gesture towards the countryside around you, nothing but crops and fields for miles. The only mark of civilization is the small town up ahead.

“Don’t worry Goldie, Stick and I will get you back safe and sound! I just need to get that 100th demon and we’ll be good to go! Oh, bringing you back is definitely gonna help me get in with the Immortals, saving a princess is classic hero work!” He looks to the stick balanced over the back of his neck, which vibrates encouragingly in green. You give a nervous chuckle, looking between the two as you walk. Your gold embroidered robes feel heavy as you go, their bulk not really meant for long journeys through the countryside. 

Truly, you are grateful to the monkey for saving your life. The monster that had kidnapped you from your home had nearly destroyed your kingdom’s army, but in one fell swoop the ruby simian in front of you had knocked the demon out cold. He had struck a heroic pose just for you, claiming to be your savior and insisting to ‘hold your applause’. A little put off by his attitude but still grateful, you had thanked him profusely, reassuring him that your father would have a great reward for him for saving your life.

The monkey had jumped around in excitement at your words, raving to his weapon about how lucky they were you had been kidnapped. You didn’t really know how to respond to his words.

And somehow you ended up here, following this simian as he fought demon after monster all across China. 

For every one he defeated, you asked if you could finally make your way back home. His answer was always the same. Despite the anxiety slowly building in your gut the longer you were away from your country, you couldn’t say you…disliked being out. Just by following this strange monkey you had already seen more of the world in a couple days than you had your whole life.

It certainly didn’t hurt that your travelling companion was...cute. Perhaps it was because he saved your life, but you couldn’t deny that you liked him. Silky cherry red fur, bright green eyes, a mischievous smile that made your heart race, and that adorable little heart print on his nose…

You cough awkwardly into your fist, embarrassed by your thoughts. You stare at the dirt road in front of you as your group keeps walking. You’re so consumed by your thoughts you don’t notice the monkey watching you as you walk. The magic stick vibrating drags your attention back to them, the monkey playfully spinning the pole and holding it in front of him to speak.

“What was that?”

Green and blue flash over the pole, its vibrations loud and clear.

“Wh-What!? I don’t even-! That’s crazy, no way.” More vibrations. “I do not! And if I ever did, which I do not, it wouldn’t be on some human! No matter how pretty!” You raise an eyebrow at the monkey as he talks, curious as to what this one-sided conversation is about. When he notices your look, he turns away from you, his voice hushed and urgent as he talks to his stick.

“Okay, okay fine! Maybe a little one! Now pipe down before she hears you, okay?” You bite your bottom lip, unsure if you should laugh or be uncomfortable by this conversation that's clearly about you. His earlier words hit you with full force.

Did he think you were pretty-?

“We’ll talk about it later! Just don’t do anything-” The monkey points his finger at the stick in his hand, as if reprimanding it, only to be distracted and do a double take at the wooden gate entrance to the village you had been wandering towards. You pause, grateful for the distraction so you can calm your burning cheeks as the monkey rushes forward. You watch as he steps up to the gate, slinging his stick back over his shoulders and taking a deep breath in.

“Alright…show time. Ninety-nine demons down, one to go.” Stick gives a vibration of encouragement as they step into the village proper. You follow behind, taking in the sight of the village as Monkey calls for the locals. Empty storefronts, dry dirt streets, broken signs and abandoned carts everywhere. Suspicion and unease settle into your gut, and you leap forwards to all but plaster yourself to the red monkey’s back. He looks back at you, surprised but not upset.

“Relax Goldie, it’s okay. You know I can take on anything that wants to start trouble.” He reassures you. You bite your lip and nod, still sticking close to him as you walk.

You feel a pressure on your wrist and are about to scream when you look down. Monkey’s fluffy red tail loops around your forearm, squeezing comfortably. You glance up to see him smiling, before he turns and gently leads you towards a building. The pressure of his tail feels comforting as the eerie streets stretch out away from you. Monkey knocks on the door, fingers tapping away at Stick as the three of you stand and wait for someone to answer.

“Where is everyone?” He mutters. You look around and startle as you spot the face of a child ducking behind a corner. Monkey sees them as well, frowning and shrugging before kicking the door open.

“Anyone need a hero?” He steps inside with a flourish, his tail uncoiling from around your arm as he steps inside. You miss the warmth immediately, gripping at your wrist with your other hand as if to mimic the feeling. Voices call out from various hiding spots across the room, telling your rescuer to be quiet and leave them in peace.

You make your way to a seat, sighing in relief as your feet are finally given a rest after so much walking. You pile the folds of cloth that make up your robes onto your lap and the table, grateful for the support it gives your shoulders now that they don’t carry the weight by themselves. You roll your neck and shoulders to stretch them out, flexing your toes inside your shoes. When your eyes flutter open again, Monkey is staring at you with a contemplative look. He shakes his fur out, slamming the door behind him now that you’re inside.

“The name’s Monkey King!” He starts. You relax further into your seat, comfortable to watch as your companion makes a mess of the room, showing off his skills. You giggle into your hands as he smashes nearly everything, the villagers glaring doubtfully at the two of you. Without asking, Monkey grabs himself a bowl of rice and chopsticks, setting Stick down next to you to lean against the edge of the table. He hops on top of the table itself, making himself comfortable and eating with you right next to him.

“I’ve never heard of you.” A stern faced woman speaks, sucking on a stick of candy.

“Well, I’ve never heard of you either.” Monkey snarks, and Stick vibrates in yellow. You snort, covering your mouth with the sleeve of your hanfu. The villagers glare at you, and you clear your throat awkwardly, sitting up straighter.

“Look, I’m travelling with a princess. One I rescued. I’m the real deal guys, trust me.” The villagers give you searching looks, eyeing the gold embroidery and silk material of your robes. Your fingers clench and unclench the fabric beneath them, the desire to fidget under their scrutiny overwhelming. The lessons on etiquette you’ve taken since birth hold you back, the phantom pain of whacked knuckles keeping you in check.

“Why would a princess travel with a monkey after being rescued, instead of going home?” The stern faced lady asks, crossing her arms. Monkey glares back at her, taking a spiteful bite of rice.

“Why wouldn’t a princess want to travel with me? I saved her life! I’m taking her home, we’re just stopping to do some more hero work on the way.” 

“Uh huh, yeah, sure. Get rid of them.” The lady orders. Someone else, her husband you would presume, steps forward and tries ushering the three of you out. Monkey’s tail is suddenly curled tight around your shoulders as he pulls you all further into the building, not ready to give in yet. 

Things escalate when the kid bursts in. 

The young girl starts helping your monkey, praising him and hyping up his incredible skill. When she moves closer to you, Monkey pulls you away, keeping himself and Stick in-between you and the stranger. She seems harmless enough, but your heart still flutters at the protective glare Monkey is sending her way.

“You actually know who he is?” You ask her, smiling politely. 

“Of course! I'm his number one fan!” She boasts proudly. You notice her gaze shift away nervously before she steps towards the villagers, trying to coax them into a deal. You send a glance of your own to Monkey, suspicious of her behavior. With your high position in the Golden Cauldron Country it had been drilled into you to read people, to understand their true intentions despite the words they speak. This kid isn't lying, exactly, but you can tell she's hiding something.

Monkey shrugs at you, turning his attention back to villagers and negotiating. You settle back down, letting your aching feet rest a little more before you have to head out again.

“-ten free guitar lessons.”

“Uhg, deal, whatever.” The stern faced woman agrees. 

“Hold up! And-” Monkey turns and gestures towards you, “some more comfortable traveling clothes for my princess. Something soft and comfortable she can travel in.” Your cheeks burn at the casual possessiveness of him calling you ‘his’, but you find you don't…quiet mind. You duck your head, feeling bashful but pleased. 

The stern faced woman looks you over, pulling her candy stick from her mouth and pointing it at you. 

“You keep this monkey under control, I'll get you something decent.” She says. You nod, hands clasped politely in front of you. Just in time too, as outside you hear the familiar roaring of a demon.

“Oh no! Please, don’t let it hurt my innocent child!” The older man begs Monkey, clasping his hands in front of him. Monkey brushes him aside, his tail coiling around your forearm once more and pulling you behind him as he walks.

“Don’t worry. Sooner I slay it, the faster we get to celebrating me and my accomplishments!” You follow willingly, hearing the girl huff behind you. Monkey doesn’t spare her a second glance, but he does give you one. Before you actually step outside the building he pulls you close and speaks in hushed tones.

“Alright Goldie, you know what you do?” 

“Stay close to you and within sight, don’t take any unnecessary risks. You can handle the demon, I stay out of the way.” You recite from memory the steps you’ve been following for every fight Monkey gets into. If you stray too far it means the demon he’s fighting can grab you - staying close means he can keep an eye on your safety and move you if needed.

“Good girl.” You duck your head at the praise, stepping into the afternoon sunlight once more. “Let's get demon one-hundred dead and done, then after I ascend we can take you home.” 

Today seems to be a day of lucky timing, as within moments Monkey finds the fire demon, right in the center of town in the middle of stealing a child. The second he sees the two figures in the street he rushes forward, knocking the small girl across the face with a harsh ‘thwack’ from Stick that sends her flying.

Well, that was fast.

You’re about to start clapping when the girl from earlier rushes towards Monkey, looking frantic.

“What are you doing!?” She cries. Monkey looks at her like she’s grown a second head.

“Uh, joining the Immortal Ones? What else?” He turns and looks straight at you, puffing his chest and posing with Stick. “Goldie! What did you think? Kinda boring that it took one hit but hey! Impressive anyways, right?” He chuckles, preening under your gaze. You give a polite clap, smiling at him, as the large child he just saved rushes past you and into the arms of his father.

“Very heroic, yes!” You praise, happy to indulge him.

There was still a lot about Monkey you didn’t know, but even in your short journey together you had picked up on things. Mainly, his desire for recognition. You could only guess why he felt the need to be seen and accepted by every living thing around him, but even without knowing you could still empathize with him. 

There had been…moments, on the road. He had been quiet and thoughtful as you walked, looking out at the distant horizon eastwards. He had seemed…lonely.

You didn’t like seeing him like that.

“You’re the worst daddy ever!” 

And he just kicked a child in the head.

Okay, you never said he was perfect or anything. As you pinched the bridge of your nose, the girl came to your side, looking lost and confused as she watched Monkey.

“That was for free.” He told the mayor, who was currently staring at his son in shock as he recovered from being kicked to the side like a sack of rice. Despite the disapproval simmering in your belly, you couldn’t stop the snort that left you at his words. The girl gave you a confused look before startling at a sound behind you both. You turned to see the first child Monkey had hit with Stick climbing back over the fence, which promptly collapsed under her weight.

With a flourish she transformed, her true form coming to light. Immediately you rushed backwards and to Monkey’s side, his arm shooting out to cover you and push you further behind him. 

“How dare you challenge Red Girl, Monkey! Quake in my presence and bow down to me!” The fire imp before you summoned a golden spear, spinning it round and round as her flaming hair danced in the breeze. Monkey stepped forward, his tail brushing against you one last time as he spoke.

“Why don’t you leave these poor, unattractive people alone, huh? The two hottest people here have business to get to, so the faster you go down, the happier I’ll be.” He snarked. The peasant girl that was following you shot you a look at his words, and you shrugged in response, bashful. She shook her head in dismay, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing from her so-called ‘hero’. Yeah, you really weren’t buying that story.

Within moments after speaking, Monkey King was launching himself towards Red Girl with the help of Stick, giving an excited cry as they took to the air together. You watched on, sliding yourself closer to the peasant girl.

“So…you say you’re his number one fan?” You begin, watching her intently. Above you both, you heard Monkey’s voice as he snarked and quipped at the demon.

“U-uh, yeah! He’s super cool, able to just…fly up and fight demons like that…” Her voice sounds unsure, and she uses one arm to grip her other by the elbow, the picture of awkward uncertainty. You try to make your own body language relaxed, to lure her into a sense of security, while not giving anything away about your true thoughts.

“He is pretty impressive. Stick too, of course.” You notice her eyes shift at the mention of Stick, glancing up and then back at you within the fraction of a second.

Hmm.

“What did you say your name was?” You ask, leaning closer to her.

“L-Lin. My name is Lin, I’m…not from around here.” You open your mouth to ask more questions, but the sound of a crash interrupts you. You look up, startled to see fireballs being launched straight down and towards the village, crashing without guidance as the fight rages on.

“That monkey’s gonna burn down the whole village! I told you to keep him under control!” The mayor’s wife glares at you, and you can only offer a shrug in response. Lin looks between you two and then around the street, immediately rushing towards a bucket of water.

“C’mon everyone, grab some water!” She cries. You pick up the layers of your robes and rush towards the water tower, grabbing a bucket on the way. A villager is already at the spigot, distributing water to everyone who comes up. Your own bucket is filled and you rush back the way you came, intending to put out a blaze on the front steps of a building. 

The second you do, a gust of wind sends you stumbling, the form of Red Girl rushing past with trailing lights of green and purple. Stick is in her hands-oh no, Stick is in her hands-

You look frantically around the space for Monkey, your thoughts racing with all the worst possible outcomes of what could have happened. He's been burned to a crisp, she managed to stab him through his armor, he fell and can't get back up-

Another gust next to you as Red Girl goes flying past again, and this time, you do stumble and fall. The ground rushes up to meet you, and you brace yourself for the rough dry dirt to scratch you up-

But it doesn't come. 

Warm arms are wrapped around your waist, holding your weight with no effort as they straighten you back up. You look behind you to see Monkey, his grin wide and smug.

“I leave you alone for a few minutes and already you're tripping over yourself when I come back. You aren't falling for me, are you Goldie?” He teases, giving you a pointed eyebrow wiggle. Heat rises to your cheeks immediately, and you giggle at the silly face he makes.

“Thank you~” You coo, back on your own two feet. His hands stay on your waist. “That would have been a rough landing.”

“Of course, princess-” He starts, but his gaze snaps up to the sky, your own following. Red Girl is still spinning through the air, counting to herself. 

“four…five-”

“Fifteen!” Monkey calls out. He gives you a gentle nudge, jerking his head in her direction to prompt you. Your mind goes blank for a moment before you catch on to his game. 

“Fifty six!” You call. Monkey grins, pulling you by your waist down the road, following the demon as she flies. 

“Twenty four! Two! Eight!”

“S-seven? No, six! Wait-!”

“Thirty two! Twelve!”

The two of you keep calling out numbers as Stick wears the girl down, her screams of frustration echoing around the village. Within moments Stick turns towards the ground, spinning with such speed and power, he and the demon go straight down into the dirt. Monkey lets go of your waist to peer down into the hole, his hand out to catch Stick when he comes flying back out. You peer in as well, only to see darkness as the hole stretches down, down, and down. 

“You let go!” Monkey shouts. “WHOOOO! Woohoohoo!!” He does a little jig, wiggling his hips side to side as Stick does a rainbow display of light. You give a cheer of your own, clapping at their victory. 

The next moments happen so fast you weren't even sure what exactly happened until much later, when you had the privacy of your own thoughts to sort things out. 

Monkey turns to his Stick, leaning forward to press a quick kiss of gratitude against the metal. Stick clearly had other ideas, and with a quick jerk of himself, was suddenly behind your back, Monkey's hand still holding on to him tight. You turned your head at the motion of the two of them, only to feel a sudden pressure on your own lips you weren't expecting. Stick vibrates behind you, but Monkey doesn't even seem to notice what's happened. 

His eyes are closed, and his free hand immediately grabs into your hip for balance. You sit there, shocked, for only a few milliseconds before your own eyelashes flutter shut, and you kiss back. His black lips are just as soft as they look, and you can feel the size and shape of his canines pressing against your lips through his. The thought of him gliding those sharp teeth against the juncture of your neck sends a thrill down your spine, and you squeak. 

That sound draws a responding groan from Monkey, who's hand on your hip splays out, wrapping around to the small of your back and tugging you closer to him. Your hands tentatively reach up to his shoulders, the metal of his armor cool and rough under your fingers. He smells nice…a little musky from the fight and your travels, but also like fruit and mountain stone. You stay like that, lips pressed together, exploring each other gently as your brain melts into mush. 

Your first kiss…given to your hero…

With a sharp gasp he pulls away from you, eyes wide and panicked. You’re in shock, staring at him as you try to remember what breathing feels like again. His hand flexes where it’s still cradling the small of your back, his green eyes dilated wide as he watches your face for any reaction.

You can’t give one, still reeling from the feeling of him on you. It felt so…nice…gentle and sweet. You think…you think you want to do it again.

You swallow, gathering your courage. If you just…lean forward again you could-

“Stick!” Monkey pulls away from you, grabbing Stick with both hands and glaring at him. Stick vibrates in pink, a color you haven’t seen from him yet.

“Don’t you dare say that! It wouldn’t have happened had you not-! How could you do that! I-!” Monkey looks between Stick and you, a rising panic on his face. His breathing grows frantic, tail flicking in obvious agitation. 

“G-Goldie-! Princess! I-I am so-! That wasn’t supposed to happen-This jerk pulled me and-!” He gives Stick a shake, torn between glaring at the rod and looking apologetically at you. You take a deep breath to center yourself, trying to not take his words personally.

“I-it’s okay Monkey…I-...I didn’t really…mind?” You try to smile despite the overwhelming urge to hide coursing through your veins. He pauses, staring at you like he isn’t sure how to respond.

He doesn’t get a chance to try, Lin running up and stealing his attention away from you. You try to ignore the unhappy twinge in your gut at the girl interrupting you both.

“That was amazing! She fell right into your trap!” Monkey startles, shaking himself and putting his usual air of bravado on for the villagers.

“Wh-uh, right! One hundredth demon vanquished!” He spins Stick around on his shoulders, posing for the crowd gathering around you. Lin is still talking as Monkey walks away, his sights set on the mayor and his wife, both covered in soot.

“I offer myself as your humble assistant and weapon bearer.” The girl bows before Monkey, a pleading look on her face. Monkey looks genuinely shocked for a moment, his eyes flicking to you before narrowing on the girl.

“Wow, my own assistant? Hard pass.” He glares at her, gesturing to himself. “This monkey heroes alone.” 

“Wha-? But what about your girlfriend? She’s traveling with you!?” Lin cries, and you sputter in response. Monkey King looks just as taken aback, but you swear you see the red of his cheeks turn darker at her words.

“That-that's none of your business! You don’t know anything kid!” He snarls, tail curling behind him in displeasure. Lin looks desperately at you and you avoid her gaze, watching your feet as you walk over to Monkey. You aren’t sure how to process anything that just happened, and you just desperately want some space to figure things out and sort through your confusing feelings. You try to speak to Monkey, your voice sounding quiet even to your own ears.

“Uhm, Monkey? I-...I need to-...can we talk-?” You stutter, your train of thought moving at a million miles a second as you try to think of the right words you want to say. Monkey looks at you, an unreadable expression on his face.

“...Yeah. Yeah, later we can.” He turns away from you and back to the mayor. “In the meantime, you got my big victory speech ready, right?”

“Uh…well…” The mayor looks at the ruins that were his village, soot and burned down homes littering the streets.

“Well, grab a scroll and take notes! Cause it’s party time!” Monkey flicks a curler from the mayor’s wife's head, the burning material bouncing away and landing amongst the fireworks shop. The stern faced woman’s voice echoes all the way to the heavens as sparklers and fireworks shoot skyward with an explosion of color and noise.

“Crazy monkey!”

[thecreaturecodex]

Sabreclaw

Image © TSR Inc.

[The sabreclaw first appeared in Sabre River, a Basic D&D module, and then was reprinted in the Creature Catalogue. And then in the Mystara Monstrous Compendium for AD&D, which is where this art appears. The sabreclaw is clearly an attempt to fill the design need of making minions challenging to high level characters, which is where their cumulative defenses came in. Since AC is much more scalable in 3.x and Pathfinder than it is in earlier or later editions, I gave it cumulative offenses as well. I did tone down its nastiest ability; originally, all members of a wing fully share hit points, so none of them die unless all of them die. Combine that with an immunity to 1st-3rd level spells in the original, and every fight with these is gonna be a bit of a slog. The transfer health ability is intended to capture some of that flavor without being nearly so hostile to the players]

Sabreclaw CR 3 LE Aberration This humanoid creature has greasy black fur over its body and leathery wings growing from its back. Its face is distorted, rugose and vaguely simian. Its left hand is prehensile, but its right is taken up with a single oversized claw.

Sabreclaws are unnatural creatures, created through fleshwarping to be soldiers without goals or desires of their own. Sabreclaws are found in squads, called wings, almost exclusively; a lone sabreclaw is likely to be the survivor of a destroyed wing, and is usually desperate, insane or both. Sabreclaws do not have a functional individual identity—they think of themselves as agents of their creator, and view other members of their wing the same way typical creatures think of their arms and legs as parts of themselves.

Sabreclaw wings fight en masse, dive-bombing a target and tearing them to pieces with their namesake claws. Their tactics are usually uncreative, but effective: gang up on a single target until it stops moving, move onto the next one. The more sabrewings are clustered together, the more effective combatants they become, and a sabrewing can even relay hit points to a wounded comrade to keep them in the fight longer. Whether a sabreclaw wing retreats to choose its battles, or goes out in a blaze of glory, depends more on the desires of their master than it does any tactical sense or personal choice for the sabrewings.

Unlike many fleshwarped monster, sabreclaws are created from non-sapient creatures, namely baboons. They are always made in batches—if a single sabreclaw awakens without a wing to call its own, it lashes out violently and uncontrollably. Fledgling fleshwarpers may view using animals to create fleshwarps as a lesser evil than transforming humanoids, but few creators are resolute enough to remain at that level of mad science. Indeed, sabreclaws are often used to gather “raw materials” by their masters. Sabreclaws are carnivorous, but require much less food and water than natural creatures of their size.

Sabreclaw CR 3 XP 800 LE Medium aberration Init +5 (+9 with hive mind); Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +8 (+12 with hive mind), true seeing

Defense AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+1 Dex, +1 dodge, +3 natural) hp 27 (5d8+5) Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +6 Immune poison; SR 14 Defensive Abilities cumulative defenses, evasion

Offense Speed 30 ft., fly 90 ft. (poor) Melee claw +6 (1d12+4) Special Attacks cumulative offenses, powerful charge (claw, 2d12+4)

Statistics Str 17, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 2 Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 18 Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Outflank (B), Precise Strike (B) Skills Fly +4, Perception +8 (+12 with hive mind), Stealth +7 Languages Common (cannot speak), telepathy 120 ft. (other sabreclaws only) SQ hive mind, transfer health

Ecology Environment any land Organization solitary, wing (2-20) or army (21-200) Treasure incidental

Special Abilities Cumulative Defenses (Su) A sabreclaw gains a +1 insight bonus to Armor Class and saving throws for every 2 sabreclaws in range of its telepathy, to a maximum of +5 for 10 sabreclaws. Cumulative Offenses (Su) A sabreclaw gains a +1 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls for every 2 sabreclaws in range of its telepathy, to a maximum of +5 for 10 sabreclaws. Hive Mind (Ex) As long as a sabreclaw is within telepathic range of one allied sabreclaw, it gains a +4 racial bonus on Initiative checks and Perception checks. If at least one sabreclaw is aware of combatants, all other allied sabrewings within the range of its telepathy are also aware of them. Transfer Health (Su) As an immediate action, a sabreclaw can lose 5 hit points in order to heal another sabreclaw within range of its telepathy 5 hit points. True Seeing (Su) A sabreclaw can see as if under the effects of a true seeing spell as a supernatural ability.

[panpanghost]

_"Surrender! You lost!" Erlang demanded as he put his sword on the six eared Macaque's neck.

He must admit though, he was not an easy opponent, this simian defeated his entire army and gave a battle he'll remember for life, no wonder Sun Wukong left the mountain in his hands.

_"Heh, I already won." The black furred monkey smiled, catching his breath, holding his burned arm,

_"What?" It took Erlang a moment to understand, behind the sound of roaring flames, there was none, there are no creatures in sight, this man wasn't fighting to win, he was simply staling to let everyone else escape, knowing it'll cost him his life.

"It's true. You won." Erlang said these words and pulled his sword away,

_"If you're thinking I'll leave the mountain in your hands, you're greatly mistaken."

_"I know. I don't want the mountain, although I believe others will come for it." Erlang put his sword away,

_"Don't worry, I'll take care of that." The Macaque said with a smug,

_"I'll count on you then. It was an honour fighting you, Six-eared Macaque." Erlang extended his hand to shake the Macaque's,

_"It's a reward to hear those words from the Great Erlang Sheng." Macaque returned the curtesy, "But, why?"

_"You fought bravely."

_"No, I mean why are you leaving?"

_"Well, let's just say it feels good not to have innocents' blood on my hands." Erlang smiled,

_"Let's keep it that way, shall we?" The Macaque's expression softened,

_"You are the only right decision Sun Wukong has ever made." Erlang squeezed The Macaque's hand tighter before relaxing it again,

_"Yeeeeh."

The Macaque's answer managed to get a laugh out of the general before he let go of his hand,

_"Take care Six-eared Macaque."

_"Safe travels." Macaque said as he watched the troops retreat to their homes.

Once they left, he fell to the floor and closed his eyes to rest, in the distance, he could hear the babies asleep in their parents' hands and the those who could stand are trying to put out the fire. The closest enemy is hours away but they don't seem to be making any moves. He can sleep for a few hours.

(I don't know much about JTTW Erlang, but THIS, This is how I want him to be in my story.)

[quixotical-lymbo]

Pairing: Wukong & afab!monkey!Reader Rating: SFW Summary: Trying to sneak out of having a bath is impossible when your grandpa can sniff out your funk. Warnings/Tags: Fluff, wholesome stuff, gremlin behavior, grooming/preening. Word Count: 800+ words

On the flower fruit mountain, there were a plethora of monkeys across the mountain/island. A particular monkey, who looked no bigger than the usual monkey that hung around the mountain, crawled on the forest floor with their tail swishing in the air. Their eyes shifted left to right, their hands feeling carefully around the moist dirt and used their tiny feet to propel themselves forward.

The mud, pebbles, and leaves began caking their furry body as they continued army crawling to reach the break in the treeline. Just a few more seconds and you would be in the clear and ready to sneak off to the beach, all a part of your plan to spend the rest of your day making the largest sand castle there ever was. Too bad you couldn't rope MK into helping you, but he was the last thing on your mind at the moment. 

 

Right, you needed to focus on escaping your-

 

"And where do you think you're going, young lady?" 

 

Aw shucks. 

You attempted to flee but a tail snaked around your ankle and yanked you up into the air. You hung upside down, scratching and clawing at the air as you slowly rotated in the older monkey's clutch. 

"Pa, lemme-lemme down!" You shrieked. 

"Not until you explain why you were sneaking' around and avoiding your much needed bath," Wukong, who happens to be your very annoying grandpa, pulled a face as he leaned forward to sniff you and gagged. 

"I took one yesterday!" 

"Your yesterday could be another person's week," Wukong raised an unimpressed brow as you began to chew on his tail to break free. "Let's go, kiddo, you're taking a bath one way or another."

"Ughhh, noooo!" You wailed as your grandpa summoned his cloud. Just as he was about to lower you on to it, you batted the dirt you managed to grab earlier and aimed for his eyes. 

"Wha-? HEY!" Wukong spat and sputtered the dirt that managed to enter his mouth. His hands failed to snatch your rolling form from escaping. "Get back here!"

"Oh, you're gonna be in so much trouble when I find you!" Was the last thing you heard as you scampered off. 

Despite your smaller body, your inherited strength and energy made it easier to put a lot of distance between yourself and your grandpa. You laughed triumphantly as you leapt from a tree and reached for a vine to swing to another branch. 

You flung yourself in the air before landing on a high branch, sticks and other pieces of the forest tangled in your wild mane as you glanced over your shoulder to carefully examine any sign that the older simian was on your tail. You snorted smugly as you raised your tail high before reaching for the branch above your head only to grab something leather-y. You looked up and found your grinning grandfather knelt on the very branch you were going to grab. 

 

"Boo." 

  

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

It's safe to say that you ended up back in the cave with your grandpa dunking your stinky self into the nearest bed of water while he gathered the rest of the stuff he'll need to tame your messy appearance. As his fingers worked through the knots and twists in your hair, you hissed and attempted to move your head away from his hands only to be guided back by his tail. 

"Sit still," Wukong sternly demanded as he moved your hands away from reaching up to your head. You only pouted in response, but overtime the gentle combing and scratches made your head droop to the side as you nearly dozed off a couple of times. Yet, you would always fight it off and remain glowering at the reflection of your grandpa in the soapy water. 

"Don't look so gloomy, peaches," Your grandpa snickered as you blew a bubble away from your face. Wukong plucked a stick from your hair and flicked it away, "Look, we're almost done and I'll give you something sweet after, 'kay?" 

You grumbled something before lifting your arms so your grandfather could take you out. You dropped your head on his shoulder as you were wrapped in a towel and placed in Wukong's lap. Wukong noticed your stillness as he rubbed the towel against your mane, squeezing gently and massaging the rest of the water off your body.

Hearing the soft snores coming from you brought a smile to his face. The monkey king gently cradled you against his chest, wishing you the best of dreams you could ever have.

🍜 - I do not give permission for anyone to translate, copy, republish, or plagiarize any of my written works. I provide no permission for any of my literary works to be used in artificial intelligence. sparkle banner(s) by @adornedwithlight !!

[googleitlol]

Reluctant Compliance Sneek Peak!

It doesn’t take much more time before the home of the thief comes into sight, a cave tucked into the mountain that is guarded by members of who you assume to be a demon army. Before you can get any closer, Wukong puts his arm in front of you. “What now?” You raise an annoyed brow to the demon who crosses his arms once you’ve stopped.

“If we want this to go smoothly, you should get rid of your weapons.” He points out, nodding to the bow on your back. Your brows furrow at the thought of listening to his stupidity. What, does he take you for an imbecile?

The alarmed look that crosses your face at the suggestion is enough to get your silent answer across to the simian, who chuckles a bit under his breath. “What? It’s not like that old geezer from the monastery would send a messenger with all of your little stabby-sticks. Besides, you’re a good enough actor. We both know that.”

At the mention, he taps on the circlet around his head, and you look away. “If we want to get Master’s clothes back, you will have to be convincing. That means no pointy objects of any kind. Besides, it isn’t as though you can shoot anything at the moment.” He lifts up your injured wrist before you have the chance to snap it out of his grasp.

“I am not walking into the lair of a demon defenceless.” You glare daggers into his head, and the sage scoffs a little dramatically.

“You forget, you will be walking in with Ol’ Monkey in your hands. I’m the greatest weapon you will ever encounter!” He grins, gesturing to himself with a hand over his chest.

You look the demon up and down, unamused by his showboating. “…Right.”

[semisolidmind]

“he won't say it aloud, but...had it been him who'd been found and tended to by reader, azure couldn't be sure he wouldn't have made the same choice as his brothers.”

…Semi, could I persuade you to make a little something (art, fic, headcanons, whatever you wish) for this concept? Please?

If you’d rather not, totally fine. Please feel free to delete this. No worries!

(this got longer than expected:))

he'd try to persuade her, at first.

after she found him in her backyard, in a crater of his own making having fallen from battle, battered and bleeding, after she brought him into her home and cared for him...

...he'd gotten attached.

the two became close, and as azure got stronger he began to realize that he'd have to go home eventually. he and his brotherhood had a job to do, and he couldn't abandon it to play house. but— but he'd become so used to waking up with reader by his side. he'd learned so much about mortal life while living with her, and his sympathies towards humans had grown.

noone had ever treated him as gently as reader had. even knowing what he is, the potential threat he posed to her, she still saved him. he's eternally grateful for her help. azure doesn't want to leave her behind.

the night he decides to leave, he asks her to leave with him, to go with him to his home in camel ridge.

she declines.

she's fine here, she says. it's a very kind offer, but she doesn't mind her work or her employers, and– and what would a handsome demon lord like him want with a human like her, anyway? he should go and be with his brothers, she says (reader internally panics, she'd hoped this wouldn't happen, she'd hoped those stories about demons kidnapping women were fake, she really really hoped she wasn't about to be stolen and potentially eaten—).

azure pauses, standing silent before her. what he wants with her? he can't give a proper answer to that (at least not in polite company), but he wants to show his gratitude. he wants to at least reward reader for her kindness. please, just go with him, he'll give her a good life, he promises.

but reader declines again, stepping back from him. her eyes betray her growing fear.

azure is silent. the gentle, pleading expression has dissapeared from his face, replaced by a cold dissatisfaction.

he didn't want to do it this way.

but he is a demon. and demons are inherently selfish creatures, no matter what noble lies they choose to live by.

azure steps forward. reader steps back.

please don't, she begs, voice wavering. he doesn't respond.

reader doesn't have time to even scream before azure seizes her by the waist, putting her over one broad shoulder. she beats her fists on his back, kicks wildly against the paw holding down her thighs, begs him please, please don't do this. azure solemnly opens a portal gate with his regained powers, stepping through it, carrying reader back to his home.

–––

some time passes.

once reader has better settled into her role as azure lion's..."companion" ("captive" is more fitting, she thinks. or perhaps "pet"), the demon decides to bring her along to a council meeting at the home of the demon army's leader, the monkey king. azure is unsure what his simian comrade will think of reader, but if his closest brothers could come to accept her place at his side, then perhaps wukong could be convinced as well.

the first meeting goes smoothly. perhaps too smoothly, azure thinks with slight bitterness.

he saw the way wukong looked at his human companion throughout the council. he didn't say much beyond asking her name and purpose, but his interest was clear. azure wrote it off as a simple fascination with a mortal companion; it is fairly uncommon for high-ranking demons to keep humans for much beyond servants or food.

azure continued to bring reader along to their council meetings (unable to leave her at home unsupervised), and the monkey king began to speak with her more and more (occasionally running off with her when he wanted to show her some orchard or village on the mountain, to meet his people... the two would be gone for a while). azure didn't think much of it at first beyond a light sense of caution. however, every time reader laughed at wukongs antics, or followed him away from the group...there was a sting in the lion's chest he would hesitate to identify.

he wasn't sure if the king's friendliness was a ploy to harm reader in some way. wukong was known to dislike humans, having dealt with hunters attempting to capture and kill his ilk more than once. so to see him take an avid interest in reader, to seek out her company after the meetings were over and the brotherhood took time for leisure ... azure wasn't sure what to make of it. the infamous monkey king, known for his cruelty, determination, and bloodlust— befriending a human woman.

it sounded ridiculous, even as azure watched it happen before him.

however, when wukong himself approached the lion demon to none-too-subtley ask that he give reader up, the absolute madness of it all struck him.

wukong, in his winding roundabout way, suggests that azure allow reader to stay on flower fruit mountain. see, she and wukong have been talking; she obviously loves it here, she's here all the time during meetings anyways, and she's clearly gotten attached to the monkey citizens... sooooo why not just let her stay? not like there's much for her on camel ridge, he says flippantly.

oh, and not to mention the fact that reader doesn't seem to be all that attached to azure anyway. oh she's his friend, maybe, but that's it. just following him around, speaking when spoken to. she's clearly dissatisfied with her placement. at least wukong plans on wooing her properly; he'll make her his queen, not just a glorified pet.

azure has to restrain the thunderous growl that wants to escape his grit fangs at this absolutely ludicrous suggestion. the jealousy that's been bubbling in his chest begins to seep through to his words. wukong can't just, just—demand reader from him! he hates that he has to word it this way, but he took reader fair and square. finders keepers, by demonic rule. the answer is a resounding no, and a "polite" request that the monkey never bring it up again.

a moment of silence, the two demons staring each other down—before wukong seemingly shrugs it off. oh well, he sighs. so be it.

wukong walks away, calm as can be, not even an aggravated twitch of his tail to indicate his true feelings.

but azure's hackles are raised. he knows wukong well enough to know that he hasn't actually dropped this.

the monkey king is simply biding his time.

---

after azure's vehement refusal, wukong rolls his shoulders and sighs. he tried asking nicely, but if azure won't play fair, then neither will the monkey king.

besides, he's more of a "ask for forgiveness, not permission" kinda guy anyways (and he doesn't expect forgiveness). later on that evening, he signals to macaque (who has also grown quite fond of reader, though more secretively) that it's time to roll out plan b.

because y'know, wukong's been thinkin.' maybe his and azure's interests haven't exactly been lining up lately, and not just in the reader department. the monkey king has noticed that azure and his allies have been changing their minds about this whole conquesting on earth business. they want to pool their forces and take on heaven.

now, wukong knows a thing or two about that, and he knows that even with all the might of the demon armies at their disposal, azure and the gang stand about three quarters of a chance. it doesn't help that the original brotherhood members (namely peng and yellowtusk) have been getting kinda uppity lately.

so, why not hit two birds with one stone? or in this case...one bird, one elephant, and one lion.

wukong has macaque take a lil' trip down to the underworld to steal the scroll of memory, an artifact that allows one to trap anyone in a hell of their own making. the darker-furred demon makes quick work of the assignment.

the monkey king and the six-eared macaque then pay the lords of camel ridge a little visit to announce their...severance from the demon alliance.

---

reader wakes up in an unfamiliar bed.

or rather, an unfamiliar...pile of pillows and blankets? in a pit? in the floor? it's surprisingly comfortable all things considered.

however, a drowsy look around the room tells her this is most definitely not the den of her feline captor, and she certainly isn't in her chambers at the palace in camel ridge; the presence of greenery inside the room clued her in there. her nerves began to rise. where is she?

her question is partially answered by wukong pushing his way inside the room, macaque in tow (both are dressed far more casually than normal, wearing simple pants and robes that she's never seen them in). reader startles, scooting back as they move closer. the boys step into the pit and sit across from her. the two simian demons wish reader good morning and ask how she slept.

reader is too stunned to answer.

macaque laughs at the expression on her face, a fond look overcoming his own as he takes in her sleep-disheveled appearance. you're in the royal chambers in the stone palace, to answer your question, he says. he's sure she wants answers about how she came to be here, and he's about to speak when wukong excitedly talks over him.

something has happened to azure and his brothers, he says. it must have, because the king and the general found reader knocked out in a peach grove not far from the entrance to water curtain cave. they brought her inside, of course, but were unable to wake her. perhaps a sleep spell, macaque suggests.

when the monkeys went to investigate camel ridge, they could find no sign of the brotherhood. the warlords admit they have no idea what could have become of their allies, but insist that reader must stay with them until this mystery is solved. she doesn't mind, right? she'll be well taken care of here, and she's more than welcome to stay in the royal chambers (she'll want the two monkey demons to keep her warm, after all the stone palace can get so cold at night—). the monkey citizens will be excited to see her, they'll be glad to hear she's staying. it'll be great! wukong happily assures.

reader admittedly isn't... unhappy about this arrangement. she doesn't want to be rude, but flower fruit mountain is much more hospitable than the lifeless sandstone of camel ridge. quite frankly she's come to prefer the company of wukong and macaque over her once captor, and the friendly mountain residents over two impassive demon lords.

if reader had to choose into whose hands her chain and collar would be placed—she could think of many worse than these two.

[mjrtaurus]

Despite minks being free to leave Zou and settle across the world, there are no records of minks joining the marines. A glance at the bounties of Chopper, Bepo, and the young bat mink who's on the Kid Pirates crew provides the answer. The World Government views minks as little more than beasts, similar to how fishmen were classified as fish up until 200 years ago.

Lindbergh struggled with this immensely growing up. He filed his teeth down until they were flat. He started eating meat from animals with fur. He stopped using Electro and suppressed his instincts for Garchu. He threw himself into science and inventing, and when he learned about Devil Fruits he started keeping an eye out for the Hito Hito no mi. Anything for him to become human, to be accepted.

But then when he started helping civilian underground organizations with freeing slaves, the marine who chased him down most often was Dalmatian. How was it that this man who seemingly never reverted to his human form was regarded as a hero but Lindbergh was just seen as a talking cat? That was when it dawned on the mink that everything he did to make himself presentable was for nothing. He and his people would always be nothing but an animal in the eyes of the world. There was nothing that could possibly change that.

And it was right about that time that he met one Monkey D Dragon.

He was being chased out of town by a few petty officers. Apparently the sight of him had scared a couple of kids and their parents kicked up enough of a fuss to get the Marines involved. He didn’t want a fight… he had just wanted to look at a wind dial shell he saw in an oddity shop window, dammit! If he could just get his hands on one, he could get his latest project off the ground. Literally!

He had tried to lose them in an alleyway, but they knew the city better than he did, unfortunately. He’d ran into a dead end they closed in on him fast.

But then the wind shifted, and they were unconscious on the shoddy pavement. A man in a green cloak stood between him and them.

At first, Lindbergh genuinely thought him to be a fellow Mink. He only saw his back, the wild mane of black hair as he pulled back his hood, and the scent of electricity on him, the way he moved like he grew up climbing trees… no claws, fur, or paw pads on his hands, so a simian mink of some sort? Mandrill, maybe?

Then he turned around and oh… No, not a mandrill Mink. His face wasn’t colorful enough for it, though the tattoo and eyeliner did lend to the illusion. And yet… Lindbergh still smelled electricity on him. Half-Mink, maybe?

Wait… that tattoo… that face!

What the Hell was the leader of the Revolutionary Army doing here?

And then the man took something out from beneath his cloak and held it out to him. The wind dial from the shop!

“You’re Lindbergh, correct?”

All the Mink could do was give a stiff nod.

“Would you like to come raise some hell with us?”

The shell of the ancient mollusk fits perfectly in the tinkerer’s paws. A gift. An invitation.

Since when has he ever turned down chance to spread some good old fashioned chaos?

[lint-beetle4]

Can you do a little pretty night dance fluff with for SixNine?

I'm meaning a waltz like dance, or idk something else that's dancing- I could see the two theater boys doing that

Moonlit Performance (SixNine Fluff)

The stars twinkled in the moonlight, their bright sparks and happy glows dancing on the river that ran through the mountain. Trees gracefully swayed and danced as the ocean blew wind towards them, in harmony they pulled and pushed against each other with the moon and the tides.

Macaque sighed, hearing the heart of the mountain beat in time with rhythm of the island.

It was rare that nights were peaceful nowadays--threats of the celestial armies looming overhead, their bright light casting fires and arrows from below, hitting anything in sight.

But, now?

Now, it was peaceful and the natural unity of the island was able to flourish, even the tree the monkey sat in was practically dancing in its old joy.

The sun had set, resting its diligent and powerful rays as the moon rose with its gentle glow. The moon and the stars gleamed above, their lights giving the sky a performance as animals lurked around the woods.

The brightest star flickered in the sky tonight--a lone star in the root mansion of the Azure Dragon. Its light may not have been as bright as other stars, but the star still glowed with the others, forming the Azure Dragon constellation with a passionate shimmer.

Macaque listened to the steady footsteps behind him--neither malicious nor quietly. Macaque's ears twitched as the footsteps stops, a heart beat slowly, calmly--Macaque grinned, turning behind to see his companion and partner.

"Aw, I thought I would be able to sneak up on you this time." Xiangliu grinned playfully, "Why are you out here alone, Mihou? Is there something wrong?"

Macaque's heart stuttered at his partner's gentle tone, worried yet still so happy to see him. Shaking his head, Macaque merely turned back to look at the sky, seeing the lone star still shining brightly.

"It's quiet tonight." Macaque sighed. "Hasn't been like this in a while."

Xiangliu leaned against the tree while looking up at his lover, watching as the simian's face slowly shifted in a grin that glowed with the moon.

"And what you doing out here, by the way?" Macaque asked. "It's pretty late to be out, y'know."

The Nine-Headed demon chuckled softly, his eyes still softly gazing at Macaque's vibrant gold eyes. "The moon looks too pretty not to admire, don't you agree?"

"You think so? I was watching the stars more than anything."

"The stars, you say?" Xiangliu squinted at the sky slightly, "They hardly shine as bright as moon's glow. The moon is a delicate yet mighty source, controlling the winds and tides at her feet, and you look at the stars that twinkle pathetically compared to her gaze?"

"The moon glows nicely, but the stars have a certain charm to them. Giving the dark ink around the moon light, circling around her cold gaze with warmth and excitement. Without the stars, the moon would be lonely. Without the moon, the stars would have nothing to look at themselves." Macaque chuckled lowly, shaking his head.

"I think they're both precious, joining the sun briefly as it lays to rest and dancing together in the moon's spotlight." Macaque turned to Xiangliu with a knowing grin. "It truly is a wonderful sight, isn't it?"

The serpent demon smiled back, looking at the sky fondly, seeing the moon shimmer at him. "I can't argue there. It's special mix of harmony and chaos, stars littered everywhere, yet the moon stays there in her various forms."

Macaque jumped down from the tree, eyes admiring his lover briefly before he extended a hand with a grin. "The spotlight is not just for the stars, y'know? How about we treat the night sky to a little performance ourselves?"

"Oh, you go yourself, dear." Xiangliu blushed slightly with a slight shake of his head. "I'd love to see you in your full glory."

Macaque rolled his eyes, gently holding the snake demon's hands as he pulled him into the soft light of the full moon. "It's just us and the sky, you silly serpent--How could I possibly dance when my partner isn't here to support me?"

Xiangliu scoffed as Macaque pulled him closer, hands splayed as they entered a starting position. "I've seen you dance with nothing more than the air around you. Each time, you look graceful, like the curtains wish to wrap you in a tight embrace."

They bowed lowly, the island humming a gentle melody for them.

"And, yet, the curtains can't exactly hug me like you could." Macaque laughed, twisting the snake demon around as they stepped in sync, the tips of their feet bouncing slightly in beat.

The two revolved around each other, reveling in the white noise that surrounded them.

The sky sang with the mountains and the sea danced slowly with the gushing lava protecting the island. As the duo continued their dance, Macaque leaned into Xiangliu's shoulder, a soft purr rumbling through the both of them.

"You know--you were right." Macaque hummed, "The moon is pretty lonely without the stars to greet it."

"And the stars always yearn for the moon to light the way." The Nine-Headed demon grinned, squeezing the darker simian as they swayed with the ocean.

Through the night, they eventually left, seeing that the sun would soon rise, and the gentle night would fade into the energetic day, bouncing around with cheers as the moon and the star watched with a tender exchange of glances.

[ape-apocalypse]

Road To The Kingdom - Fall of Man Comics

The Fall of Man comic arc is the most recent comic series focused on the reboot trilogy. It is unique in that it doesn't feature Caesar and his troop of escaped apes at all. Some might find that a bit dull but I like to see the world building away from Caesar. It is set 4-5 years after the Simian Flu outbreak and follows a human soldier named Julia who is tasked with protecting and moving apes to Washington DC in the hopes of finding a cure. Along the way, Julia reflects on how the world has descended into chaos while fighting against a human militia, the Army of Man, who are killing apes and "monkey loving" humans alike.

The comic is a typical apocalyptic tale, though I feel like the large cast of apes and humans don't get much personality. Julia falls in love with a fellow soldier/scientist she's traveling with and I don't even remember his name, despite reading this a few days ago. Buster and the other apes get some good fight scenes but only Buster gets a name and I have a hard time figuring out what they want. When we first see the apes, Buster seems to ignore Julia's reassurance that she'll protect them and he signs to the others "ape protect ape". I thought it was setting up that the apes would leave the humans the first chance they got to take care of their own. But then they're willingly fighting alongside the human soldiers in DC, even when the apes could easily run off. I don't expect there to be a bond between Buster and Julia like Caesar and Will had in Rise, but I never understood how Buster felt about his human counterpart. Even in the very last panel, I can't tell if Buster is happy or having doubts about how the journey ends. If the story was meant to show humans and apes working together and forming a united front, I don't think the comic succeeded. It doesn’t feel like the apes care about Julia or the mission and I would have preferred Buster and his crew to just leave the humans behind.

Also featured is a French gorilla named Pug who is raising an ape army against the Army of Man, and killing anyone who gets in their way. This story is secondary to the main tale, with neither of them intertwining at all. I wish Pug's story had been the primary focus; though seeing the last bits of governments and civilization is interesting, I much preferred Pug. We get little of his background but see that he spares and feeds human children who were held captive by the militia. It seems he can even rally human adults to his cause. His tale is brief compared to Julia and her team but I really enjoyed Pug more. Plus it's great to see what's happening in another country that isn't the USA, where Caesar and his apes live. I think both stories suffered from feeling rushed by having to share the comic, rather than each getting their own arc but Pug's story was much more intriguing than Julia's in the long run.

The world building of humanity crumbling is always a good read to fans of apocalyptic stories and it makes sense to look at how the governments and health organizations fell apart. But my favorite parts were the small bits of hope seen amongst the chaos. I loved the glimpse of orangutans in Malaysia willingly working with human survivors. Pug was instantly fascinating when he took care of the human children his group freed. While a civilian army growing around the world to kill apes makes sense, it was nice to see pockets of people and apes getting along. All in all, not my favorite of the POTA comics but still a fun apocalyptic story for the apes series.

Intro / Previous / Next

[kharmii]

Some More (Bad) AWESOME MLA Takes

This will be R-18, so if you are a minor, don't hit that cut link.

First off, someone did a post about Fascism in My Hero Academia based on some bad MLA takes they saw here and on Twitter. I'm not sure if my takes are part of that, but basically when I throw out the 'fascist leaning NAZI anarchist cult' accusations, I don't mean them any deeper than saying, "The MLA are very bad people. After all, Curious tried to murder a child because it would make a good martyr story to boost their favorability ratings in public opinion (x many other MLA atrocities)."

No, I don't think they are Nazis. No, I don't think they are fascists. Now it could be argued they are anarchists, and my writings lean into the cult head canon heavily, especially in Geten's POV. Mostly I mean it in the same way a leftist will call anybody who disagrees with them a 'Nazi', the difference being that I'm throwing it out facetiously, whereas the leftist who calls me a Nazi would throw a brick at my head and murder me if they could. On that note, I saw this on Twitter today:

Can these gender studies fanatics ever see past themselves? ReD and Trumpet are grown-ass middle aged men who live in a fictional Japanese city, even if they are Caucasian passing. No middle aged, white or Japanese businessman on the entire planet earth would give a greasy goat's balls of God damn about misgendering someone. That is almost exclusively 100% a female thing, especially amongst blue haired dog or cat momma leftists.

Side note: It would be more fun if Trumpet reported to ReD's office saying, "Maid service! Time to run the vacuum under your desk!" *eyebrow wiggle*

I could see a scenario where Geten somehow gets talked into doing the 'they/them' bullshit browsing too much Tumblr. ReD would report himself to Trumpet as a joke. Since Trumpet is sort of like that cool uncle to Geten, he'd have a little talk with him to let him know what's what. He'd explain to Geten that he shouldn't get pulled into the gender bullshit because it has f-all to do with becoming the perfect murder machine. After all, his powerful Ice Ply ability makes him the pinnacle of humanity, whereas the people into the gender bs are generally the most gullible of stupid idiots who will believe any cockamamie bullshit philosophy anybody throws at them, even if there is no scientific evidence to back it up.

"Now if you happen to meet such people," Trumpet would say, "Make sure you give them a copy of Meta Liberation War and have them attend meetings. We're always looking for impressionable suckers to become disposable shock troops for the Liberation Army. After all, to give one's life for the cause of Liberation is most noble."

Geten would reply, "Thanks for imparting all your adult wisdom to me, Uncle Cunty. You have such a way with words!"

Later, Geten would get a second opinion from Skeptic who is and always was a super genius going all the way back to when he was a mensa level child prodigy GATE kid. He'd ask him what he thought of trans people, and Skeptic would show him this meme:

You aren't trans......

That opinion would be based on their healer Recovery Girl who I'd written about in one of my fics. I had written: Once called Recovery Bro, he was a huge hulking 6'6" brute who resembled the most simian of Skeptic's puppets. One day, he had up and left his wife and four kids to transition into a trans female toddler complete with blonde pigtails and teddy bear clutched in his arm. He was the most talented healer Detnerat fortune could acquire, and so they put up with his eccentricities. Skeptic had chalked the lifestyle change up to trans brainwashing via an online porn addiction.

Staying on the topic of Geten, one of the bad takes that really pisses me off is how MLA fans will act like his bigotry toward Dabi made him an outlier, whereas all the others weren't bigoted at all. They say it's because he's the Apocrypha who goes his own way. The others are compassionate tolerant freedom fighters who murder children, amputate fingers and use psychological torture against their enemies. I happen to think Geten is the way he is because all the others had a hand in his raising and taught him everything he knows. It wasn't just ReD who was a surrogate father.

After ReD gave Geten a pep talk before the Dabi battle.......

.......good old Uncle Trumpet also put loving hands on Geten's shoulders and gave him some advice. He told him to make sure he tries to sound nice and doesn't act like too much of a dick about it when he tells Dabi he is a sad pathetic loser with a weak meta ability.

"Make it sound like you are doing him a kindness ending his life," Trumpet would tell him, "After all, he'd probably end up dying alone, like, a week from now as a result of some mishap pertaining to his weed and internet porn addiction."

Geten would give him a hug and tell him he'd be there with him in spirit during the Dabi confrontation.

One more thing, if it's true ReD is enamored with Shigaraki as the new leader of the PLF, it might be because he thinks it's actually stupid. He hopes Shig will completely demolish the organization and allow him to have whatever he has left of his life back.

Maybe when quirks were brand new, and most people were still quirkless, Destro's vision might have made some sense and came across noble. In modern times, it would be a farce. Society would have to regulate meta abilities, and in the same sense, it would be impossible to because there's too much variety and too much of the unknown. There might be a lot of crimes and murders where detectives are shaking their heads not even knowing what they are looking at. Viewers have to give the MHA world a lot of poetic license because looking too deep into it makes it all fall apart.

If ReD wanted to see the MLA taken down, he'd be at a dilemma not knowing how to break it to the three remaining lieutenants who are completely loyal to him, even if their personal motivations are quite different. Only Geten might be deluded to believe in the actual cause, whereas Trumpet would be in it for the status and monetary gain, and Skep is in it for fun and because he has really weird hobbies. :-D

[myemuisemo]

Parts 6-8 of Letters from Watson's handling of The Sign of the Four hit at a time when I was swamped with work, so circumstances have made a fool of my assumption about that tiny footprint before I had a chance to thoroughly embarrass myself in public.

My first thought for the footprint was "monkey" -- I apparently really, really want a monkey, and there are certain macaques whose faces would be absolutely terrifying if seen pressed against a dark window. The problem is, the footprints of monkeys, apes, gorillas, and other such don't look like human footprints. They're all much more like hands. Gorillas come closest to having a human-like foot, but there's still a big thumb-like finger. And, of course, gorillas are too big anyway.

My venture into simian podiatry at least explains why Dr. Watson doesn't think "monkey." Victorians would have been better informed on this topic than I am, as monkeys were a common household pet in England. Little Jacko was, unsurprisingly, usually clever but mischievous. The blog from which I got monkey-lore also gets into monkey-fighting, which is even more appalling than how monkeys were treated as pets.

In part 8, we discover that the footprint does not, after all, belong to a monkey, ape, or other animal. Oh no, Doyle has in mind a situation much worse, and he's even foreshadowed it with two Indian servants. The colonial occupiers of India absolutely brought home people for their convenience.

The mysterious Jonathan Small brought home an indigenous Andaman Islander, who would be totally justified in wanting to kill anyone associated with the British Army. About 30-40 years before the time of the story, British settlement on the island had brought diseases that nearly wiped out the indigenous peoples. Efforts to help them existed -- one such would have been in the news in 1888 -- but it's still entirely a shameful episode.

(If you recall the 2018 story of the missionary who was determined to land on an island of indigenous peoples who were known for not allowing visitors... these were Andamanese, specifically Sentinelese. He was killed by the locals.)

Now, then, listen to this. ‘They are naturally hideous, having large, misshapen heads, small, fierce eyes, and distorted features. Their feet and hands, however, are remarkably small. So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British official have failed to win them over in any degree. They have always been a terror to shipwrecked crews, braining the survivors with their stone-headed clubs, or shooting them with their poisoned arrows. These massacres are invariably concluded by a cannibal feast.’

There's still a lot of "exotification of the savage" here -- the images of today's Andaman Islanders just look like people, very dark-skinned, with textured hair. Cannibalism felt like one of those charges levied against any group one doesn't like, and sure enough! Every source I can find today says the people of the Andaman Islands never practiced cannibalism. History Today also says "no poisoned darts," but the article's partly paywalled.

The Andaman Islander has kind of harshed my buzz vis-a-vis fun elements like the many ways Holmes demonstrates he's a man of class flexibility, the "never tired when working" line (he has got to be neurospicy), the omnipresence of creosote (used as a wood preservative, toxic af to the workers and anyone who recklessly burned all creosote-treated wood), and the humor of the newspaper report fronting for more localized police stations, along with the running joke of Athelney Jones arresting everyone indiscriminately.

At least there was a badger (at the house where Toby was obtained).

[talesfromtheshatterhome]

On the third planet from the black hole they have been preparing for their invasion of earth. The timeline had shifted on the Earth and rather than the Simians making landfall in the 70's they found themselves with a second chance. Rather than sending a single Mecha Godzilla to invade they would prepare an army.

The black hole was all consuming, and time was now drawing near that their world would be inescapably drawn to the gravitational pull that consumed all. Nothing could escape the eye of doom... Until one day something emerged.

Godzilla cells drawn into space by Biollante's spores, or on Mothra as she left earth were pulled into a white hole and merged with a crystalline organism, and emerging from the black hole. Mutating under the cosmic radiation Space Godzilla descended on the first inhabited world it came upon. The Simians launched their fleet but deployed what Mecha they could spare to cover their escape. Seemingly unstoppable. Space Godzilla laid waste to what was left of their world.

Didn't come out how I wanted it to, but I'm at work now and don't have time to reshoot. Been the week from hell here. But didn't want to miss a submission. So here it is.

Space Godzilla on the Third Planet from the Black Hole.

[applestereo]

it’s been a minute but has anyone else pondered what ever became of Mojo’s monkey army after the movie? Did they go to prison? Did they get brought back to normal and put back in Townsville zoo? Did they go to another special facility made to take in creatures who have been unconsensually altered/mutated or are they out and about living their normal lives? Are they unofficially the rowdyruff boys’ many simian uncles? But more importantly: did Mopey Popo have succes selling his original recipe for banana jerky? 🤔

[googleitlol]

What's this? 👀

Jumping ahead a bit, post-Pigsy introduction, but I've had this in the docs for a bit!

Dove Masterlist:

Blinded

“We should’ve stayed and fought!” Today has truly been a disaster. 

You thought after finding Tripitaka’s third disciple, the journey would become easier, but now?! The Tang monk is being held captive in a demon-infested cave! With Wukong and Tripitaka’s new disciple, Pigsy, you found the cave and fought the demon horde awaiting you. It didn’t take long to take care of the tiger demon that had stolen the monk away in the first place, but he was quickly replaced by an army of demons. That was when their king appeared. It wasn’t long before you and Pigsy became overwhelmed while Sun Wukong ran off to face the demon’s leader alone. With only the two of you left to face the army, the newest disciple decided to grab you and run instead of staying to fight.

“Are you mad?” Pigsy huffs, looking down at you with a bewildered stare. “We were losing! Be grateful I even thought to drag you out of there.”

“Without Tripitaka! The very reason any of us are here!” You argue, turning away as you slow down your breaths, a fruitless effort to calm yourself.

The pig demon scoffs as you do. “We almost died! What use am I if I’m no longer breathing?!”

Before you can even think to answer, you catch sight of a figure slowly approaching, the silhouette instantly recognizable. “Wukong! Did you retrieve Tripitaka? Where is…” You run to approach the demon, only slowing as you see the look in his eyes.

They’re watering an egregious amount, glazed over with a constant flow of tears running down his face. The demon is blinking rapidly, rubbing his unfocused eyes as he groans in frustration, only stopping as your voice trail off. He looks up, his head swivelling and voice laced with caution. “Dove? Are you still there?”

“What the… what happened to you?!” You frown, somewhat out of worry but mostly out of fear. Who could have done something like this to Sun Wukong? Whether he continues to be a thorn in your side or not, he’s still the strongest out of your travelling companions!

Once close enough, you take the simian by his arms and lead him to sit with his fellow disciples. His movement is rigid, even as you guide him. “I can’t see, I can’t see anything.”

“That’s obvious, I meant how.” You roll your eyes at his statement, and even with his impairment, you’re sure he knows it, too.

The sage continues to rub his eyes as he explains. “That stupid king! I almost had him, my clones and I were about to kill him when he– I don’t know! This wind came out of nowhere, it hit me in the face and I can’t see anything now!”

“Wind?” When the tiger demon initially attacked, Pigsy and Wukong had chased him down the path. You stayed back to calm Tripitaka, who was in shock after the demon had ripped his own skin off in front of your group. Just as he was beginning to relax, a fierce wind sent you flying back and took the monk away. Perhaps it was an ability of the demons that resided here.

Before you can ponder the thought any further, the ragged breathing of the demon in front of you draws you back to the present. “How am I supposed to save Master when I can’t even see him?! How am I supposed to fight?!”

“Elder brother is right.” Pigsy chimes in. “How are we meant to take on a demon army when even he was defeated? It might be in our best interest to accept that we have lost–” 

“No.” You cut him off before he can finish being a coward. “This isn’t over. I didn’t spend all that time waiting patiently in the heavens for the monk to be eaten. Not before he’s met all his disciples!” In all honesty, you aren’t sure what to do yet, but you’ll have to figure it out. “An outright frontal assault didn’t work, so we’ll have to be clever about this.”

The pig demon snorts at that. “Didn’t you hear me? It doesn’t matter what we do, how are the two of us meant to do anything when Pilgrim Sun is blind?!” His words, however pessimistic they are, hold truth you don’t want to acknowledge. Fortunately enough, you may have the answer to his worries. However, you already know the downsides will only cause headache for you later.

You look back at the Monkey King, annoyance bubbling in your chest at the inconvenience of his injury. With a drawn out sigh, you quickly snap your fingers in front of the sage to get his attention. “I’m going to put my hands on your face.”

“What? Why…” His question lingers on his tongue for a moment as you crouch down in front of him and reach out to cup his face in your hands. As you do, the sage stiffens, but only for a moment. You chuckle to yourself a bit as his face reddens. Whether it’s from the two rivers flowing from his eyes or embarrassment, it’s a priceless sight nonetheless.

Your amusement doesn’t go unnoticed as his voice sharpens. “What?”

“You’re shaking, and it’s funny.” You admit. Seeing the self-proclaimed Great Sage without his constant coating of confidence is a look that you know you won’t see often. So if it won’t last long, you can at least enjoy this while you can.

A growl rumbles from his throat. “Listen here, you–”

“Shush, I need to focus.” You interrupt before taking a deep breath. This isn’t something you did often, and it takes a lot out of you without the distracting voice of that annoying ape. “Also, I’m aware of how this will look so don’t get your hopes up if I look dead. I’m not.”

“…What?”

“I said shush.”

With that, you continue your breathing, slow and paced. It takes time, but you begin to work. However, unlike previous times where you focused on a person’s state of mind, their emotion, your focus is now centred on physical ailment. Your brows furrow in concentration, envisioning your energy encompassing his own, and going further.

In a moment, you feel your strength slipping through your fingers, your thumb brushing past the corner of his eye. Healing physical injuries requires more energy than what you were used to letting trickle out, but Pigsy is right, your group will need Sun Wukong to get Tripitaka back.

You continue, eyes shut as you feel your energy slip away . You continue until your arms can no longer hold themselves up and fall to your sides. Your slow breathing feels laboured and when you open your eyes again, you see the streams of water coming from the sage’s eyes narrow, before stopping completely. With a few blinks, Wukong’s eyes open wide. They were still glassy, but considerably less than before. In just a second, his golden eyes look to you, finally focused. The distraught he had worn is now gone, replaced with one of seeming disbelief.

He speaks, his words rapid and carrying his usual-energetic tone, though you can’t bother to focus on them. Your head feels like it’s spinning and you find yourself unable to concentrate on whatever is being said as you face the repercussions of your actions. Exhaustion weighs down on you, your body feeling heavy as your own vision begins to blur the world together.

Your eyes slowly close as an arm snakes around your back, and the gravity tugging on your body swiftly becomes levity. A sense of weightlessness that’s almost comforting as your mind begins to cloud over your mind. It was oddly… peaceful.

~~~~

Sun Wukong thought the woman didn’t have any surprises left in her. But he found himself proven wrong when his vision began to clear. It only took mere moments, and his eyes– which despite their watering had felt dry to the point that it was painful– could see clearly again!

At first, all that he was able to gather was the blurry figure in front of him, only recognizable by that aura she carried with her. Without his sight, all he had to focus on was her steady breathing. Then, like a miracle, he could slowly make out the details in his vision. The look on her face, focused as her brows crease in concentration and eyes begin to open.

Only when she lets go of his face does he manage to pull himself from his shock. “I– I can see! Haha, yes! I can see again. Huh, I guess you really can be useful every now and then, Dove. How did you–”

He cuts himself off when the woman starts to fall to the side. Wukong is quick to catch her, frowning at her unconscious state. So this is what she meant. She certainly doesn't look as lively as she usually is.

Or maybe… depleted is a better description, she looks spent. Despite the toll, her ability has left the sage speechless, a rare sight to see. Though, this woman seems to leave him in that condition quite often. Then again, he had no idea her gift had more to it than what she’d already shown.

"I can’t believe it." Pigsy mutters under his breath, reminding his fellow disciple of his presence. "She's not dead, is she?"

At the question, Wukong rises to his feet, the woman limp in his arms. "No, just unconscious." His gaze lifts back up to the mountain they had just fled from. His eyes narrow, annoyance beginning to prod at him with the thought of that demon believing he may have actually bested the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

His eyes quickly glance back to the Dove in his arms. "We'll find someplace to let her rest, then we kill that monster who took Master."

~~~~

Walking alongside the Dragon-Horse Prince, you try your best to withhold the need to groan from the feeling of eyes bearing into the back of your skull. Tripitaka had been safely returned to the group, with the help of some divine intervention. With the added help, you were able to sneak past the battling demons and retrieve the monk– whose tears rivalled the blinded Sun Wukong– yourself. It was a great victory, though perhaps you would be able to feel better if not for a persistent headache accompanied by the laser-focused stare of a certain simian. It was possible to skin a stone monkey, right? "There isn't anything on my back, is there? Have I grown a second head?"

"So you can calm minds and heal?" Sun Wukong was quick to ignore your questions.

Though he wasn't able to see your face, you could not help but roll your eyes. "What do you think? Are you still blinded by your own tears?" Your hiss of a retort only makes him laugh.

"I was able to see you fall into my arms." You glare back to the monkey demon at his words. "You simple mortals, too weak to handle any sort of real power, I suppose." If your stare could be as sharp as your arrows, the demon would be dead, even with his layers upon layers of immortality.

But unable to kill him, you settle for a scoff. "You truly have such arrogance, after allowing your enemy to blind you in the first place."

"So I underestimated him the first time, but you and the pig couldn’t even handle his thugs. Or am I mistaken?"

"I should have never returned your sight, you bastard ape!"

"And yet, you have! Perhaps consider who you heal before laying your hands on them."

"It will be something I consider in the future, that is certain!"

As the bickering continues, you fail to notice Pigsy leaning towards his master. "Have they always conversed with each other so... intensely?" The question leaves Tripitaka to look back at the two that trail behind them.

The monk sighs at the question. "You learn to block it out." 

"How?" The disciple quirks his head, only for his master to shrug.

"If you figure it out before me, I would love to know."

[semisolidmind]

i dunno if this has been asked before, but i kinda wanted to splurge a little bit.

how and where does azure lion and the other animal celestials play a part in the BEW au? or even TAB AU. my personal idea on it could be that azure uses reader kind of as leverage against wukong, while as in TAB maybe reader is used to cause a rift between the brothers so that azure has an easier time murking wukong.

alright, so. the big bad brotherhood. they mostly just play the part of extra soldiers and sovereigns in wukongs conquests, his own little war council. im gonna go with the idea that the betrayal hasn't happened, since wukong doesn't get recruited by heaven in the base versions of these aus

(ive said before that, at least in bad end, the brotherhood wouldn't bother with reader too much. buuuut i don't think i specified what they're like in TAB and their reaction to their comrades marrying reader.)

peng (the bitch) doesn't much care for reader. they wonder why the all-powerful wukong is bothering with a human. they likely make a snide comment or two when wukong first introduces her to them at a meeting, which wukong (and macaque) immediately shut down with threats of violence. mac especially doesn't tolerate peng being an ass to his wife; his hatred for the winged menace is potent. luckily the bird demon is catty, not stupid; and surprisingly, they learn to keep their beak shut about their leader's wife. this leads to them largely ignoring her. reader doesn't like them much either, but tries to be polite.

yellowtusk feels pity for reader. he knows she didn't exactly become queen of flower fruit mountain willingly, and believes that she would be happier with other humans. but he's not called "wise" for nothing; he won't be lifting a finger to help her. even as strong as he is, he knows he stands no chance against the two simian warlords. regardless, he's polite to reader and will speak with her about the various topics that she's read about. he's a surprisingly good conversationalist.

demon bull king is ambivalent towards reader. he knows what it's like to want someone outside your station, so he doesn't say anything negative to wukong about it. he'll speak to reader if she speaks to him, and is overall polite (seeing as she is technically a queen and he has a lot of respect for wukong), if not very gruff when doing so.

azure lion is the only one who would be actively kind to reader, the only one who would speak with her like a true equal. despite his status as a once-celestial soldier, demonic sovereign, and a general of the infamous monkey kings' demon army...he still has a soft spot for mortal civilians. if a platoon of the monkey king's army is passing through, one would hope that he's leading it. less innocent blood is spilt when the lion general is at the helm.

its because of this that he was concerned when wukong introduced reader to him. what was a human doing on flower fruit mountain? she's married to the monkey king? she seemed...very uncomfortable in the presence of her husband. the lion demon knows that she was likely frightened by the two monkey warlords' use of "demonic courting tactics" and introduced himself gently. the fact that she responded to him (considering his size and appearance) without too much hesitancy, was able to bow politely and look him in the eyes despite all she'd likely been through at the hands of his brothers–he couldn't help but admire her bravery.

azure is aware that his sworn simian brothers are unconventional in many aspects of their life, so the fact that the two of them would marry a human (the same human, no less) isn't too surprising. the two are of one mind, and azure has made a tentative peace with the ruthless way his brothers conduct their business.

...but he can't help but feel sympathy for reader. she didn't choose this life for herself, though he can see the lingering affection she has for wukong and macaque. and once he gets to know her (an occasional talk outside the council room while the warlords are busy discussing strategy, a close seating at a banquet, or during a party on the mountain), azure begins to understand why they chose this woman. a fondness grows in his heart for the quiet human who is kind to him despite knowing what he's done.

he won't say it aloud, but...had it been him who'd been found and tended to by reader, azure couldn't be sure he wouldn't have made the same choice as his brothers.