Jun 16
Petty Queen Macaque Au
Basically his whole plan:
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Petty Queen Macaque Au
Basically his whole plan:
Alternative
Petty Queen Macaque AU
(Part 10)
Shit shit shit! Okay calm down Macaque you've prepared for this ! Yes, he's here very suddenly, yes he's pissed, but he believes you. Also, the kingdom hasn't gone bonkers yet so it's safe to assume nobody has seen him yet.
Damnnnittt! THINK! How do we keep him away from the eyes of the people??? How do we keep him from getting bored and messing everything up?? We can't let this get out yet, the army isn't prepared for all of Wukong's old enemies, shure Wukong could probably defeat them, but heaven is already on our case again...He could keep Wukong in his old bedroom...if the shadow demon hadn't made it his own to keep up the "husband of the king" act...Wait Dammit! Would they have to share a bed already??? Oh no,Wukong is not going to like this at all.
How did he ever get out from under that mountain anyway??? And what's with that crown thing? We're fine ,we're fine, just breathe, Wukong has chosen to cooperate and if we just don't piss him off we should be fine...
Macaque will just have to schedule the paperwork for tomorrow...He'll need so much wine and a talk with Iron Fan when he gets the chance.
Wukong walks at Macaque's side as they pass through the halls of the palace. The guards here seem to have been dismissed...Macaque hadn't chosen to redecorate much after all the years...it makes Wukong feel that at least his memory was respected in some way...it seams they're going to his room. It probably would be nice to get some different clothes. Macaque was right that his current ones don't look very kinglike...Speaking of appearances...he's been unable to keep himself from sneaking glances at Macaque since they've started walking in a places with more windows...
It's nerve racking seeing him again after so long, seeing how well time seems to have molded his skills as a ruler. Now he knows he's been married to this man for however long... How would he possibly start trying to make this work? How does one even be a husband after living in isolation for so long... After all his pain... would there ever be a real kindness for him? Or would Macaque need to pretend for his sake? He looks at the dark furred man walking beside him...the sunset always did suit him....
Macaque clears his throat and Wukong brought out of his thoughts.
"Just to warn you the bedroom looks a bit different now."
"How so?"
Wukong's eyebrow raises slightly.
"It be easier to show you."
Macaque pushes the doors open.That sense of familiarity in Wukong falters as he finally sees the bedroom..
The entire feeling of the room is different now....no longer the projection of his old cluttered mindset....His old items are politely organized and hung up on the walls of the room, his books neatly packed on the shelves ..his armour displayed on a proper stand instead of scattered over the floor... As he looked further he saw he bed he used to have had been replaced by a larger one...with pillows and numerous blankets he didn't recognize...the writing desk had hundreds of papers scattered across it... small trinkets sit by his prized souvenirs. Jackets that aren't his hang on the coat rack...there's a second closet. This wasn't just his room anymore....and the part that really hit him? It all smelled just like Macaque...
"You've been living in here?..."
"Well yes. It's one of the easiest to defend places in the palace...being a single ruler after you left, it...well...it got challenging to say the least..."
Macaque wasn't going to tell Wukong the real reason he took over the room...
"Got challenging..?"
"Yes, you didn't exactly leave a lot of happy customers behind when I took over.."
Wukong narrowed his eyes slightly...Macaque is very capable...if he felt the need to move rooms ,Wukong assumes this need for safety was a very big concern...Had he really left that much danger for his husband...? Had his reputation lead to so much distress Macaque chose to clean up this mess of a room and sleep amongst the traces of him...?
If this worry was greater than Macaque's resentment .. Wukongs initial frustration fades rather quickly... Macaque didn't put his things away... he chose to keep them...He found safety here...did Wukong really have the right to be upset about that..?
Macaque stands there in the doorway for a bit...holding his breath trying to guess how his husband will respond, Wukong gives a simple huff.
"At least you took care of everything...."
Macaque breathes a small sigh of relief. Wukong is too busy looking around to notice.
As he goes inside Wukong sees little imperfections in the room...things that weren't there before...this place was lived in...taken care of...Macaque spent so much time here.... through highs and lows...his room was safe enough for his husband...Macaque trusts a place he left behind...and that makes him way more proud than anything else...
"Looks like the bed got an upgrade... the red is a nice colour choice"
Wukong felt a little awkward talking to Macaque now... not only does he have no idea how his old best friend had changed as a person. He still has no idea how to fix their relationship, let alone be a proper husband.
"Yes, the old sheets wore down over the years, these ones are made from celestial fabrics so they should last us longer.."
"These are pretty nice-...us?"
Macaque cursed himself internally. A quick blush covers his face at the slip of his tounge.
"Apologies, I haven't really figured out the sleeping arrangements yet, it's a bit late to move all of my things now and-"
"Wait no, I didn't mean for it to come out that way, you don't have to leave!"
Macaque blinked a bit....unshure if he heard Wukong right...he quickly composes himself.
"Well what do you suggest then..?"
"Welll uhhhh I could take a different room??"
Macaque was a little surprised at how willing Wukong was to give up his room to him.
"You...don't mind having me in here...?"
The monkey king does his best to avoid staring at the expression on his partners face.
"Well no, if you really needed it I don't blame you for taking it...plus you seem to take care of it well."
"..Still I don't think it be fair to make you sleep in the guest rooms on your first night back...also the guards tend to check them frequently when nobody is scheduled to be there....I don't want them to freak out..."
"....So why don't we just...share it then...? I mean if we're going to be married, even just in appearance... sharing a space might be something we need to learn rather quickly anyway..."
The shadowy ruler can't help the way his jaw drops slightly...never would he have expected this to be the solution Wukong came to without any convincing..
"Well I guess the bed is big enough for us to have our space..."
"And my stuffs already here so"
"You know what, that's fine, we can work out something different later if this doesn't work."
Wukong feels a pang of dissapointment when Macaque mentions it possibly not working, but it's snuffed out by his new set of nerves, he's sharing a space with Macaque again after so long....he's missed having someone who fills that silence...
(Part 1)...(Previous)...(Next)
Petty Queen Macaque Au
(Part 23)
Small rays of sunshine silp through the veil of darkness hiding them from the outside world...Macaque lets the shadow cloak thin further,allowing Wukong to feel the afternoon sun warm his fur.... The surrounding fruit trees and shadowy flowers remain still, undisturbed by the scene infront of them... To the queen's relief he remembered the garden had been made completely private long ago to protect the endangered flora... Nobody can see them here... So when the sight of the Monkey King's true form comes into view...it falls on Macaque's eyes only...
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Wukong feels the world spin around him. Every breath scrapes against hit throat,as if the air itself was made of sulfur. He grits his teeth after having bit the inside of his cheek from the pain.His mouth tasting of iron only serves to make his visions worse. He curses the minerals in his blood for reminding him he'll never be rid of the dreaded substance... The one they fed to him as if it were some gifted meal alongside a drink of molten copper! Curse them! Damn them all!
He sucks in a shallow breath of air, while his mind is forced through the ringer of his past.His red-burned eyes make him want to scream out in agony as the tears refuse to stop streaming out. He remembers it all...the shivering cold of the stone pressed against his skin, the hellish fires of the furnace...
And the silence...the loneliness...that pathetic feeling wishing someone would come aid you...only to find...nothing...
..Wait..
Nothing...?The thoughts started slipping back...
But this...this wasn't nothing...there was a feeling... there was...warmth...not fire...not pain...warmth... the sun...
His nose...he could smell...grass...and something else...Someone else.. Then he heard it again,the voice from earlier...
"Shh..-..listen...you-...safe-..I"
His eyes shot open one more as he viciously rubbed the tears away to see his surroundings clearly now... Macaque!
Macaque is here!
The king didn't have the energy to think about where he was, or why he was half in this man's lap, or why the other was staring at him in pure shock and unwavering concern. All that mattered was that Macaque was here and Wukong could see the sun again...
He drew deeper breaths, the pain from his eyes turning to a dull ache as he layed against the shadow monkey again. Leaning into his neck, checking if he could hear a pulse...Macaque really was here...the silence was filled with his heartbeat, the sharp reminders of the past dull slightly.
He could think again...gods help him...the realizations soon rolled in...Mainly, the shadow marred hands that have drifted to his back and the messy tufts of fur on his head.... Gods...when did he last have Macaque this close...? The feeling was intoxicating... What could've possessed him to give this up in the past-
A memory hits him again...he turns his head to look at his hands...
'Oh...'
'Oh no...'
---------------
Macaque looked him over...eyes scanning every inch revealed by the light of the sun...The soft fur he used to spend countless nights grooming, now matted thicker than the fibers of a rat's nest.... Those arms, once thick and powerful from the hours apon hours of training and large banquet meals, now look thinner, littered with the hastily healed gashes that run up them.... And his eyes...
'Gods no...'
His eyes... They were filled with a deep pain,as if perpetually stuck fighting a war that to everyone else had ended centuries ago...It looks as if he hadn't slept in weeks...The marks of his suffering show in the bloodlike hue left behind in them... The tears that spill out no longer run clear... now tainted by torment and forced into something closer to crimson paint.
Macaque feels his teeth clench as the fury threatens to overwhelm his body... His mind screaches.
'What happened to him...? Who did this!? The celestial realm??! Oohoho, they better count their fucking days! I'll pluck their own eyes out and string them into costume jewelry! I will not stop until every single nerve ending is left in pure anguish! I'll -!'
When the shadow queen looks back into those eyes, but they don't look back in anger... they look back in distress... Those eyes aren't seeking revenge, they're seeking acceptance... And they look to him...unshure...just..waiting for him... Did he always look at him that way...?
Macaque rakes through his memories, every time those eyes met his in the past...searching every quick glance out of worry during their fight against heaven, every stolen look after watching the sun set... He curses his mind for not recalling everything. How dare he forget! How dare he be oblivious to those stares that stream emotion from Wukong's very soul! ...How long had he been blind to the Great Sage's emotional struggle..? Was...he blind back then too...was this looked plastered over his face the moment he left...?
How could he...? What kindoff maniac would walk away from someone who's hopes of freedom had been crushed under the litteral palm of Buddha..? All those centuries...suffering...alone... proven time and time again by the universe that the Monkey King wasn't worthy of love... That he was too monstrous to be worthy of mercy.. Gods... How could Wukong even stand to be around someone like him? A deserter...a coward...
-----------
Wukong looks back at the scars that litter his palms ...His glamors were missing... A feeling of dread sinks to the pit of his stomach...Macaque knows now... Millennia of concealing every imperfection...every frayed edge of his form is suddenly layed bare...
After shaking off the stunned gaze, he frantically tries to put distance between them, yet the loss of contact only seams to grate against his heart further. His shaking palms make reapplying his glamor unfeasible, the very fibers of his magic disintegrates before they can even try to conceal anything...
"W-we should probably get back to the market..."
His voice is hoarse... small sobs threaten to escape between his repeated deep breaths.
He ignores the inner cub screaming at him to return to the safety of Macaque's arms. Choosing to push away the growing internal misery and stand up.
"Hey, hey take it easy"
The queen immediately reaches his hands out to reassure tge startled monkey but it only serves to remind the king of how weak he currently looks.
"No,I'm fine, I-I'm fine...just- ignore it okay?"
He plants his feet in a firm stance, attempting to banish his frazzled appearance. This, however only stokes a more frantic response from Macaque.
"Wukong,no, you're obviously struggling right now. Just-"
The king cuts him off with a frustrated growl.
"Struggling?... Ha! This is the Great Sage equal to Heaven you're talking to! I've fought gods in my sleep, a sniffle means nothing to me..."
His teeth are bared in a desperate attempt to challenge this confrontation with his most visible insecurities...
Macaque's eye twitches, growing irritated out of habit. He reigns himself in enough, fearing any harsh reaction might make Wukong close off more..
"Oh don't give me that... Somethings clearly wrong...I want to help..."
"Oh so NOW you want to help?! You know when would've been a good time to help?"
"Wukong-" Macaque flinches as the great sage raises his voice.
"When I was STUCK under that curse of a mountain counting the months like it would somehow save me from insanity!"
Macaque's eyes go wide as the king paces forward and grabs his collar.
"Do you know what a place like that does to people...?"
"Do you know what it's like to have your only feelings be pain and despair?!"
Wukong's palm has already made a dent in the other ruler's chest plate...Macaque is tugged closer...the shadow's thoughts are filled with pure panic... After all, the Great Sage has leveled mountain ranges for less....
"H-hey, let's not be too hasty,huh? How about I just give you some space and-"
Wukong snaps. Macaque's back hits against the nearby tree as those bared teeth remain inches from his face.
"NO! I've had 500 years of space! I've had nothing but space! Nothing but an endless silence to think over every small mistake and feeling I've had in my entire existence. What I need is for you to stay and listen, asshole!"
In his rage, he fails to notice how fast the shadow demon is breathing. His movements are shaky, clearly stressed due to the fact that the stone monkey is only a small distance from being able to snap his neck.
"You don't get to walk away from my pain because it makes you uncomfortable!"
Wukong's tail lashes back and forth wildly as unsavory tears leak out of his eyes.
"I WISH I had that privilege! I am stuck with my problems every time I wake up! Every time I look in the mirror I'm reminded of how damaged I feel...You better learn to handle them for a few hours of the day..."
"...Wukong.." Macaque's brings his hand to Wukong's arm hesitantly...
"I don't need excuses! I don't need nice words! What I want is for you to make use of those six ears for once.. Just...just listen..."
The queen's ears flick at the mention...
"Do you know how long I spent waiting for you?..How many nights I would call out your name not even in the hopes you'd hear it but just to fill the fucking silence!?"
Wukong's tongue felt like lead.
"Do you know how many times I pleaded to whatever force would listen, that I could just hear your voice again once...?"
He grabs hold of the shadow demon's wrist, in fear of him shadow portaling away...
"You ment everything to me ,Macaque! Of all the people in this world, I trusted you with everything I had to give, my home, my heart, my dreams.... I know I am a deeply terrible person..I'm a killer...a violent beast, but you leaving your husband to rot under a pile of rocks doesn't make you leave you without blame..."
His grip weakens...seeing the panic in Macaque's eyes cuts like a knife to his chest...
"I know I upset you... and I'm sorry I hurt you so badly you felt you needed to turn away from me and never look back...but that doesn't change the fact that when my life collapsed around me...you couldn't even sit with me in the reckage..."
Wukong let's his forehead rest gently against Macaque's...
"So... the least you can do is sit with me now..."
Macaque is able to move again, but all he does is wrap his arms around the shorter monkey again..
The realization hits him like an arrow to the head... Wukong values him...Wukong has ALWAYS cared about him... After centuries of making himself feel worthless and unlovable... Wukong had the gull to say Macaque was his everything.... And Macaque?
He had abandoned the other like the loose thred of an old blanket...
The dam breaks, the guilt is too much... Unsightly streams flow down his cheeks as his heart tries to rip itself to shreds from the shame... The air rushed in and out of his lungs with haste, making it hard to speak. His entire world feels like it's collapsing around him... He did this... He made this once cheerful and worry free man sit in torment... He couldn't be a solace for him, wasn't even stubborn enough to try. How could he?...
"I'm sorry...so...so sorry... I- I didn't-...realize I-..I thought-"
He tried pulling away, unshure wether or not he was even allowed to touch the king at all after having everything layed out infront of him.
"I-I....Y-you- you didn't...deserve that...sorry...so..sor-"
Macaque's emotional anguish is interrupted by a careful nuzzle to his cheek... He looks to Wukong in confusion and sheer disbelief...
Those scarred, destructive hands place themselves delicately against Macaque's sorrow drenched face. Wiping away the small rivers running across it.
"Shhhhh...Take a breath... For my sake..."
"What...?"
"Don't be a smartass about it, just...come here."
Macaque nods. It's not like he could muster up any words regardless...
They stay like that for a little while longer, until Macaque can find the strength to speak one last line...
"I'll stay...and listen..."
"That is all I ask..."
(Part 1)...(Previous)...(Next)..
Petty Queen Macaque Au
(Part 27)
(We are so back! Hope you enjoy)
Wukong is freaking out.
A mixture of anxiety and anticipation fuels the flickering glances he gives Macaque while the other quietly shifts to sit behind him.
The feeling of having someone in his blind spot. About to touch where he himself couldn't reach. This was supposed to be second nature to them both. One of the simplest actions between monkeys of the same troop.. They had done this thousands of times in their youth...
Yet Wukong was gritting his teeth, as if any second the other's simple presence would lead to a dagger shoved between the king's ribs....
He wanted desperately to trust Macaque again,to show to the other that what they once had could not only be mended, but also be made better...
So why was he so...worried..? Why was the air around them both still so tense? They used to groom eachother even after flinging one another off mountains! Now the idea of grooming couldn't even calm him enough to sit still after a small outburst....
Had-...had the mountain imprisonment truely left him so...damaged...? Had the wrath of heaven really broken one of his most primal instincts...?
Macaque moves carefully, placing a hand Wukong's back. Those already tense muscles jolt at the sudden contact.
The Great Sage's breath stutters...
The queen's voice turns to a whisper..
"Hey, it's alright...just try and relax.."
Macaque bites his lip slightly. Maybe it was foolish of him to have offered this so early on... This wasn't the same Wukong he had always known,maybe he needed more time. Or maybe a different approach? The shadow demon was grasping at straws here. Grooming was supposed to diffuse tension, not worsen it..
"You know...if you want to change your mind..."
The king flushes out of embarrassment, this was his husband for crying out loud...What kindoff immortal being would be distraught over something so simple...?
"No no...continue. Just...be warned...my fur may look rather....neglected...Shameful as it may be..."
Macaque turns Wukong's head to look at him.
"Wukong.."
The Great Sage's thoughts suddenly go quiet in favour of focusing on the way his queen's fingertips gently stroke the fur under his chin... He gains a nervous grin while the other forces eye contact. Macaque's voice is determined...but not unkind.
"I have dashed open the skulls of our enemies and stood unflinching as their brainmatter gushed out. There is no state of simple fur and skin that could appal me. What is important to me, is wether or not I cause you discomfort."
Wukong bites his lip and looks away... Being the king usually ment he was first priority whenever grooming time rolled around... It was a show of his status... A show of how well the troop cared for him...and now...he'd let all their years of upkeep turn into a horrid mess...
However, the conviction in Macaque's words were said with a conviction he could not deny. If the shadow demon truely believes he can handle such a foul sight...so be it.
"...Just...get it over with...don't be cruel..."
Macaque's brows furrowed but he kept his lips sealed. Wukong hadn't overlooked the way the queen's fur glistened in the light of the setting sun... That was how a real ruler's fur must be kept, neat and clearly cherished... Stunning,even more so now than how it was in his days as a beloved warrior...
Wukong takes off his shirt... letting Macaque lay his eyes apon the layers and layers of centuries old mats...
The shame threatened to sizzle like acid against his heart... It was too thick to see the poor skin it was tugging from, too filled with dust to make out the original colors... His bath from yesterday had at least alleviated the smell, but it still clung to him faintly, a brutal reminder of the filth he was kept in...
He almost raised all his glamors again. No longer wanting to burden the shadow weilder with such a daunting task.
However, before he could even utter the words of an apology he felt firm hands start to rub against the aching muscles of his shoulder blades.
Wukong has no words...only a small chirp of surprise was allowed to escape, followed by a overwhelmingly nostalgic silence.
He feels the gentle tugs of Macaque's claws observing the structures of the mats. A gentle warmth starts to spread through his chest...
Curse Macaque and his unreasonable talent.
Wukong had forgotten what it was like under those knowing hands.... Those palms that spent centuries memorizing the shape of each curl, testing each sensitive spot... Even now those diligent hands recognize every curve of his spine and how to leave the Great Sage shivering...
The moment the queen starts to gently pick appart the knots of that endless fluff. Wukong is utterly done for... It's as if Macaque were carefully separating the painful binds of his very soul... As if every sin was being picked off with the little specs of dirt and dead skin the other had managed to set free...
After so many years in solitude, it almost brought Monkey King to tears... Like a streetsweeper being offered a tray of gold, he questioned wether or not he truely deserved this level of attention and care... Every scar was handled as carefully as an open wound, a harsh contrast to the blades and fires that created them...
Then, as if all of that weren't enough he carefully lent in to whisper.
"Is this okay?"
Gods, is this how he tricked Wukong into marrying him?? That unfairly considerate bastard!
The king wanted to respond...he really did...but when he tried, all that came out was a low trill... Shit, had he always been able to make that sound...?
He was going to consider how embarrassing that must've been...but Macaque had other plans...Letting out a similarly low coo, before gently scratching the bit of skin under the fur he had just freed up.
Wukong felt as if his brain chemistry had been irreparably altered in that moment...
What the hell was that and why was the king's heart beating faster than the wings of a humming bird?!
There was something so right about it, the way it pulled on those past memories. Memories of quiet moments sleeping in shifts under the moonlight, the loud cheers shared after a shared victory. It had always been there...something so unshakable set within his primal reality... The anxiety of uncertainty had been chased out, only leaving the feel of Macaque's hands and the sound of his voice behind.
Gods...that...that's not something he'll ever be able to forget will he?
Hearing Wukong's heart race, Macaque gently starts to sort out the fur at the back his king's head, carefully picking around the circlet he still hasn't found the opportunity to ask about.
Wukong takes great comfort in his queen's presence... Though his mind is still trying to make sense of the feelings he is having... Macaque isn't just a friend anymore.. not legally anyway.... For all Macaque's talk of them being married, Wukong had never stopped to think about what that would mean for moments like these...
He feels his eyes grow heavy at the mind-numbing care the shadow demon was putting into his coat.
"..I missed this more than I realized...."
"I figured...I really should've been there to prevent this..."
"It's not your fault...My coat isn't your responsibility.."
"If I had been there, I could have helped you as soon as you were set free. Also, I have always taken it as my responsibility."
"Why..?"
Macaque pauses...then takes a breath.
"Because I had made a commitment to you, even before the marriage. I was your warrior and I took that role to heart... Even so...I took it too far..."
"Too far?"
"Unfortunately so...I had given up my identity in the process... Though I have grown past that. I will not compromise on it again."
Wukong keeps his gaze locked on the grass infront of him, the garden really was lovely. He only wishes the other would tell him what he ment by "giving up his identity"..
"Hey...Macaque...?"
The queen hums in acknowledgement as continues to rake out the knots in the fur of Wukong's back.
"Could you...tell me...what you could remember from the day we em...got married...?"
Macaque pauses for a moment....right...he needs to keep his story straight... He knew Wukong would ask eventually...
"My recollection is a bit fuzzy on the details....,but it was a bit before we joined the brotherhood..."
The king's eyes widened.
"Really...? That long back?.."
"Mhmm, do you remember when you brought us both celestial wine for the first time? You insisted we have such a large celebration.... I was such a lightweight on that stuff....You'd been endulging since noon...by the evening we were stumbling through the kingdom hung from eachothers shoulders..."
"I do remember....vaguely.."
"Well, eventually you wanted to do something wild and unpredictable....."
"A frequent occurrence."
Macaque chuckles.
"You tossed me over your shoulder and took me all across the mountain...the forests...our spot on the beach... till late in the night..."
"Then when we stumbled back into the main village...you decided right then and there...you were going to get the town 'officiant to marry us. Heh, you shure gave him a fright awakening him from his slumber. You were relentless, practically threatening the man to draw up the document for us to sign..."
The kings eyebrows raised.
"Wait wait-.. so...i didn't ...court you or anything...? No gifts? No proposal..?"
"I'm shure there was some sort of proposal, I did sign off willingly as far as I remember."
"But...we only did a legal marriage...no celebration...? No courtship. No further claiming...?
The shadow demon prayed that Wukong wouldn't turn around to see the anxiety building in his expression...Calm down Macaque, you've practiced this..
The king on the other hand, was absolutely baffled. Of all the ways he could've impulsively married someone, his drunken foolishness had decided to do the most unromantic part of the whole ordeel! Shure Macaque did say he took him across the mountain, but there was no reality where that was even comparable to a regular demon courting!
"Not that I recall....damn that booze filled haze...I'm not surprised you forgot a couple steps though, you were as out of it as could be"
Wukong grumbles..
"It's a shame... someone like you deserves better than a half assed document..."
Macaque paused at that...someone like him? What did he mean by that..?
"What happened after that?"
The shadow demon steadies his voice.
"Well, do you remember when we woke up with splintering headaches near the hotsprings?"
"Yeah?"
The king turned to look back at him.
"That's around where my memory picks up again"
"And you didn't talk with me about it after?"
Shit...calm down...It's only a small question...you can be somewhat truthful...right?...
"Things got complicated.."
"You started messing with the celestial realm more..."
" Then the brotherhood came along... A part of me just assumed you liked having someone who could fill your shoes when you weren't around. That maybe you just wanted a marriage out of some spontaneous idea for convenience. There wasn't really much reason for me to oppose the document, it was mostly just a piece of paper at the time..."
" I considered it a bit of an honer being the person you chose to be legally binded to...and even if I did have a problem with it, divorce was an incredibly rare and often looked down apon thing. It seamed inconvenient at the time..."
"And now, as the queen I could spare the people from so much heartship...all because of our little alcohol fueled adventure"
"You still should've told me....I would've treated you more like a husband deserves..."
Macaque pauses at that...he wonders if that was even something the monkey king could offer...,but if there was a chance...
"Well, you know now..."
"...."
Wukong's cheeks became dusted with red... Macaque is right... He does know now, but being a husband was such a foreign thing to him... So he does what he always does...Avoids the issue...
"Well uh, that's enough for today, we should probably get you something to eat, you've been out here for hours!"
"Wukong, if you're still upset we can-"
"Hub bub bub, you don't deserve to go hungry. Now let's go"
Macaque chuckles at Wukong's hasty attempts to stand, silently grateful that the questions have come to an end.
(Part 1)..(Previous)..
Petty Queen Macaque Au
(Part 20)
(Finallyyyy I've broken the curse! Thank you all for being patient with me)
(On with the fic)
Wukong keeps his shoulders square and his head held high. From this point on he would be in the public eye once more. Walking next to Macaque, under the disguise of a general he bearly knows, is not an easy task. One slip-up and people could start to ask questions. One slip-up and he would be thrust back onto a throne that he wasn't ready for.
It feels strange being here again,but that is soon overshadowed by the sheer awe that rises in his chest as they enter into the marketplace. Getting a view from above is one thing, but seeing it from the ground level, it's a completely different beast.
Buildings tower over the stone cobbled streets...the smells of various herbs and spices intrigue him. He sees the way purposely cluttered stalls press up against eachother on the sidewalks, ready for the business day ahead. The sounds of countless voices muddle together into the large crowd of people going about their daily lives. Wukong's breath hitches at the sight of so many people...
His people... he can see them clearly now...
He sees the merchants showing off their wears. He notices the mothers strolling between the stalls with their infants resting against their backs,bundled up in colourful fabrics. He sees younglings clambering up the various trees in preserved grassy patches and takes a deep breath.
He's never seen so many monkey demons in one place, not after centuries of assuming they would've been wiped out without his presence.
He sees them scale the tall buildings with practiced ease, to the point nobody even bats an eye, as if it were just another path to take on your way to work...
When he turns to Macaque, he doesn't see a shared awe. He sees a small satisfaction in the ruler's gaze.
The people don't make that big of a fuss about seeing their Queen. The crowd doesn't gawk or scream, or even go silent. All Wukong can see is the way people smile at them, the respectful nods, the comforting waves. It's as if Macaque is simply...one of them....Not a spectical, not something that even disrupts the flow of their daily shopping...
Wukong stands near the shadow user, watching him speak to other monkeys in uniform.... Organizing... Planning... He doesn't know why, but seeing Macaque get so close to the people he's ment to be ordering around disturbs him... He needs to keep himself in check...He wants to snap at how small the distance between his husband and everyone else is... What if something goes wrong?... What if these people aren't to be trusted...?
Monkey King calms down a bit as they move to a less populated area of the market, but his eyes still scan the nearby area thoroughly.
Every corner of this place feels unique to these people... Every other wall is covered murals, some of mythical beasts born from childhood stories, some portraits of beloved people who likely passed long ago,and others of places with unsung beauty that were sacred to the artists.
Wukong couldn't figure out much else... He has never heard of these beasts before,never got the chance to meet these beloved people and had yet to visit these breathtaking places...He's never known this version of Flower Fruit Mountain, these people were raised by it, molded by the many events that took place in his absence. He feels like a tourist in his own home.
One of these murals catch his eye.... it's of Macaque... arms streached out to the people below him ...a caring look in his eyes, one that makes even Wukong himself feel a certain type of way,... and against his back stands another figure... a monkey with shining fur...and eyes obscured by the paintings lighting...
Is that...him?
Is...is that how the people saw him...? Unknown...? Distant...?
These people have only known Macaque their whole lives... This entire kingdom...Wukong knows nothing about it... not of it's triumphs...nor it's heartships.... Nor does he have any idea about the blood, sweat and tears the shadow demon put into making this a place where his citizens could live without fear...
His people may not be gone....,but this home is foreign to him..... How could he possibly rule again?...He wouldn't know what these people want... let alone what they actually need...
...
The feint sounds of music in the distance catch his attention, dragging him out of his pit of doubt. He spots a group of young men practicing for some sort of dance. Their movements sharp and precise. Then he looks over to see Macaque chatting with a woman nearby.
The darker furred monkey seems to be holding a scroll. He looks down at the various colourful images, studying them carefully as the monkey woman speaks.
"-So yes, here is the 3 main designs for the festival flyers. The team has already found around 200 people willing to help decorate the the city center."
The queen nods and rolls up the scroll, returning his gaze to the woman.
"Thank you, I trust that you all have this sorted for the coming weeks."
She nods with a bright smile.
"We do. We thank you for entrusting us with this."
She then spots someone waving to her in the distance, a look of realization dawning on her face.
"Please excuse me your Highness. I must take my leave now"
Macaque nods, putting the scroll away.
"Farewell, Chuàngyi"
"Farewell, my Queen"
The woman then jogs off, disappearing back into the crowded part of the marketplace.
Wukong speaks to his husband once more.
"A lot less fanfare than I was expecting..."
Macaque's attention turns to him, responding in a lightly teasing tone.
"What? Did you think you'd have to fight off swarms people ever so eager to shake my hand?"
The Great Sage huffs. He hasn't had a good fight in ages.
"Hmm, I'm not saying I would've minded a little action."
The shadow ruler chuckles.
"Old habbits die hard, huh? Are you at least enjoying yourself, even a little bit?"
Wukong averts his gaze.
"....Somewhat..."
Macaque shakes his head before gesturing for Wukong to continue walking with him.
"I can work with that..."
(Part 1)...(Previous)... (Next)
Petty Queen Macaque Au
I like to think this is how the Demon King of Confusion would talk about his death while in Diyu
Petty Queen Macaque Au:
Macaque: *Incredibly stressed that everything he built is going to fall apart,because he lied about being married to Wukong*
Wukong: *Thanking every deity possible for such a fine husband*
Petty Queen Macaque Au
(Part 21)
Through the crowd Wukong can hear the faint pitter patter of little feet drawing near. Three monkey boys scamper around causing mischief between the unsuspecting shoppers. The disguised king's eyes track their light tan fur, noticing the way they draw closer.
He hears a faint chirp, and before he can even find it in his instinct to register the meaning of such a simple noise, all three of them come rushing to their queen.
They trip over themselves in an attempt to catch Macaque's attention.
"Queen!"
"Queen! You're here!"
"Come play!"
"Please!!!"
"When are you gunna make more shadows?"
"The pretty ones!!"
Wukong watches in amusement as they start to clamber all over the darker furred monkey. The shortest one dragging down the weight of his tail while the other two successfully scale his back.
The one nestles near Macaque's cheek while the other starts to tug lightly onto the older demon's fur in a rather pitiful grooming attempt. Macaque playfully swats at them but can't stop the grin forming on his face.
"Hey, get off me little rascals! Do your mother's know you're here?"
"Nooooo-, ack hey move your tail" The one cub snaps at his companion.
The two cubs perched on their queen start to bicker, while the short cub on Macaque's tail tries to pull himself up.
"Me next! Me next!" He chirps loudly.
The shadow monkey chuckles and carefully brings the cub into his arms.
He's further bombarded with the questions and the grabby hands of the younglings while Wukong can only stare...
The king's heart starts to fill with an odd warmth at the sight. It's been forever since he's seen someone so small and fragile... Yet these cubs seem so energetic, cheerful...unaware of the burdens the adults right beside them carry... Their tiny hands clinging to whoever they can find, yet smiling as if the world will always care for them....
What really pulls on his heart is the way they interact with Macaque. Macaque with influence over the entire nation, and the powers to likely whipe it out if he so chooses...
He let these small, fragile things clamber over him with only empty complaints ,while he gently adjusts himself so they don't fall off. His large palms poking them gently while questioning them like a concerned parent...
Some unattended part of the Great Sage's brain tells him to draw closer. It tells him to get a better look and to offer help. His tail flicks from side to side as the potential dangers of their surroundings grow more noticeable... Any being with a bone to pick could be lurking here. His eyes never leave the sight of his husband...just in case.
One thing soon become very clear to Wukong... Macaque isn't worried, neither are the many people walking past. Despite the years of battle their queen has likely lived through, the kingdom didn't fear Macaque... These cubs... don't fear Macaque...
"But they'd fear you..." his mind supplied..
These cubs have been born into this kingdom that Wukong has only now started to comprehend... They've grown up with this version of Macaque...the prosperous...kind queen...
Wukong was a stranger...He couldn't even wish to return to how his childhood was, because after all this time he could barely remember it...the memories were all so fuzzy...
He'd spent centuries away from home... working himself to the bone in order to become unbeatable... To escape death and become a permanent protector to his people.
So why did all of this only make him feel more like a monster...?
Why did these cubs get to live and rest in his home, when he never got the chance? Why did they get to come back to loving parents when his birth only caused the heaven's to stew with fear?... Why did they get to lean on Macaque without working a single day to earn their spot beside him?
What cruel creator had decided he would be damned to forever long for that gentle care these cubs get for free..?
And Macaque....The man that stood right by him, contributing to all of his crimes...
Why did Macaque get to just... leave him..?
Why did he get to walk free, while Wukong sat abandoned under the crushing weight of a litteral mountain.... Why does he get the privilege of being gentle...? Why did Macaque get the privilege of building this entire kingdom, while all Wukong could do was sit with the weight of his past destruction... Why did Macaque get to be known, while Wukong's image was dulled by the blinding light of his legendary scandals..?
Why couldn't Macaque have spared him the gentleness he gives so freely to these cubs... Why couldn't his husband have held him like that...?
The small cub hidden behind layers of his own battered heart calls out from his chest... "Me next... please...me next..."
"..."
"Mr. Ba?"
The sound of a youthful voice draws his attention. He looks around to see one of the cubs had clambered off of the shadow monkey and was now tugging on his pant leg.
Wukong remembers. Right, he's supposed to be pretending to be the general. The monkey king clears his throat and hopes he sounds convincing.
"That's General Ba, or Sir to you, little man.Didn't you're father teach you to adress people properly?"
The small monkey tilts his head innocently.
"My dads in a box under the ground"
Wukong freezes for a few seconds. Shit. Right, mortality.
"Oh- I uh didn't realize uh- I'm so sorry for your loss"
Macaque picks up the cub again while Wukong is still sputtering. He tries to minimize the damage done in this interaction.
"Allright! That's enough messing around for one day. Let's get you all home before your folks start looking for you guys."
In only a few seconds the nearby shadows wisp away from their original places on the ground. The dark threads weave together seamlessly to form a shadow clone, identical to the two at the palace gate.
The darker furred monkey hands the younglings over to the armoured shadow. They stare up at the newly arrived figure in awe as the queen gives orders.
"Make shure you get them there safely."
The shadowclone nods, allowing the cubs to pick at the edges of his semi-solid fur with curiosity.
However, before they walk away, the clone look back at the Monkey King with a scowl. Then they dissappear into the crowd.
Wukong huffs.
"So all of them just kindoff hate me?"
Macaque rolls his eyes. He doesn't have time to fight about the reason for his clone's behavior.
"Quit being paranoid, we've only got 2 more stops for today. Then you won't have to see them."
(Part 1)...(Previous)...(Next)...