ellipsanet | UN: MonkieMan || Video

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UN: MonkieMan || Video

[MK starts the video. He is wearing a new necklace today. It has braided red and gold threads, with a single silver thread woven into it, with a moonstone hanging from it. He touches it before he says anything. He looks around at the apartment behind him. He then looks at the camera and speaks finally.]

Hi. I'm MK and I am looking for someone. I just wanna know if anyone has seen Cole? He's about this tall, wears a hoodie, with dark hair, and kinda distant? He's quiet but helpful. If you've seen him, please let me know.

I can't find him. And he isn't answering so I'm worried.

Thanks.

[He looks around again before he turns off the camera.]

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[Mk gasps and tries to breathe. In and out. In. And out. Count, Mk. Count. He imagines Cole holding his hand. That helps. His form returns to normal.]

Alright. Okay. But why? Why does that happen?

[ So one reason is "they're gone for good" and nothing can help that. But there is another explanation. ]

Sometimes people go home for a while and come back. They remember being here before and all that [ sometimes they remember, but again we're not being alarmist here ], they just come back with some new memories from home.

We just need to find his flower and keep checking back. [ And if there's no scent to the flower then it'll be way better to break the news to MK when they're outside and not in the city. ]

Come here, we'll go right now. [ He holds out his hand. ]

[MK nods. He doesn't know the bad and permanent clues. He nods. Okay. Cole will come back. If he went home...MK hopes he meets Tobias again. Hopes things are better for Cole. He takes Macaque's hand without hesitating.]

Yeah. Let's go look.

[ Normally he'd at least pause at the hand taking thing, but this is a possibly bad situation, so in this case Macaque steps closer and puts his other arm around MK, then opens a portal for them to step through (rather than fall). ]

[ He leads MK through the portal to the Winter flower yard. ]

[MK leans into the part hug and they fall into the flower yard. MK starts to look around. A red and yellow rose stands out. It is a bud still but it draws MK's attention. He walks over toward it.]

This one, I think. It feels familiar.

[ Macaque lets out a breath, almost a sigh. So there he is. As they get closer he can smell the flower, so that's definitely good. ]

At least we know how this process works now. Watch it bloom over three days, and then he'll pop out.

...This means he went home, right? Like...Cole wouldn't have...

Right?

[Seeing the flower brings back bad memories and feelings. Why is it the same for both? Why? That feels so...wrong. So mean.]

[ This is the second time he's stood over the flower garden, and the second time he hasn't felt able to focus himself on the loss, however temporary, of someone he cared about. But he's used to that, isn't he? At least with MK he doesn't resent it, the way he used to with Wukong. So he squeezes around MK's shoulders. ]

No, I doubt it. He wouldn't have went off alone without you to look after him, not as cautious as he is.

He got sent home for a while, that's all.

[Mk nods. He looks at Macaque. MK isn't shattering this time, at least. He looks at the dark monkey.]

How are you holding up? I know you and Cole care a lot about each other. I'm here for you too.

[ Macaque blinks, clearly surprised to be asked. Maybe surprised to be acknowledged. ]

I already suffered the worst loss I'll ever face. Makes moments like this a little easier... a little.

Mostly I'm worried about what he's going through on his home world. That place was the opposite of kind to him.

Me too. And his friends, a lot of them, aren't good at taking care of him either. Hopefully he'll be okay. And we'll be here for him when he gets back. We will help him, no matter what happened.

[ That sure is a lot of uses of "we" that Macaque notably doesn't argue with. ]

Did he end up giving you that gift? [ The one with the thread. ]

No. I found it when I went to check on him today. For Christmas he gave me coloring books. He said he was holding this back because he was afraid Red Son would be jealous.

Right, I know. Who do you think told him to talk to you about it? I knew you'd never accept him holding any part of himself back because of Red Son. Cole isn't some secondary piece of your life that he has to kowtow to Red Son's possessiveness.

[ There's an undertow of forcefulness behind his voice as he says all this. And then he cuff up his sleeve to show MK a bracelet version of the same gift done up in purple and gold, the air humming with that same feeling of value and importance. ]

He'll be glad you had it while he was waiting to come back.

[Mk blinks. The forcefulness in Macaque's voice is touching. The noodle boy nods and he looks at the bracelet. It's nice they have similar things to keep with them. Parts of Cole he wanted them to have.]

You were right. One hundred percent. And I told him the same thing. If Red Son gets jealous, I'll talk to Red Son about it. I don't want Cole to have to think about Red Son whenever he wants to do or say or give me things. Like I'm not thinking about Saya when it comes to Red Son. At least, not as much anymore.

[ Macaque covers his bracelet back over with his sleeve. ] I hated the thought of Cole believing was lower in some imaginary hierarchy. Red Son and I are whatever we are [ "friends" is the word that's missing there ] but that was an easy call.

And good, don't think about her. The less we all think about her, the better. [ Totally different level of forcefulness, that. ]

[MK is quiet for a moment. That shot at Saya doesn't to over MK's head. Maybe he should try to fix this a little.]

So...speaking of Saya. I did kinda lie when I was being all Lady Bone Demon. She isn't a replacement. Stuff with her and Monkey King is super complicated. I way simplified it.

I know. I talked to Wukong about some of it. None of it comforted me a bit. [ The thing about her accepting him without him changing, that still happened. How fierce Wukong was about defending her. Seeing them together and how she hangs on him. Et cetera. ] It wasn't anything I only got from you.

Besides, I have other problems with her. [ Red Son related stuff. ] So don't worry about it, it's nothing you caused.

Okay. [There is a lot there, clearly. And MK knows it isn't his place to try and fix it. Still, at least he wasn't like the big cause.]

I get that. She and I have some issues too. Anyway. I couldn't find Smokey so I don't think we need to worry about taking care of her. Not sure what to do now. Except can we hang out? For a little bit? If you don't have plans.

--What'd she do to you? [ Hackles 5000% raised, until now he was just unhappy with the woman's general existence and proximity, but hurting MK? Fuck no, he'll kill her. ]

Nah, I'm not going anywhere. What'd you have in mind?

We hurt each other. When I was the Lady Bone Demon. I said things to her that really hurt. And she lashed back out. We're working on it right now. But we aren't as close as we were before.

...Oh. [ Dammit he can't even get mad about that, not when he is still clearly spiraling over what MK said to him that night. ]

Well... look, I can't believe I'm saying this, but what you said that night when you weren't you... it's like the Lady Bone Demon always is, she says things that's like a parasite laid eggs inside your head and then they eat their way out. It'd be a damn shame if she was able to ruin your friendship with someone who you liked well enough before she got her hooks in everyone.

Not that my life wouldn't be much less annoying if you could talk Red Son into sending her back where she came from, but he has this vision of all of you having a big family together. [ So clearly Macaque was touched by that and now look where it led him. Damn it all. ]

At least in that vision he and Wukong made peace with each other, small favors.

I know. She did that to me back home. And I know it wasn't my fault. But I did put on the costume. Even though I didn't know that would happen. It isn't ruined but we both need time. We're both similar, her and I. But she also reminds me sometimes of the Lady Bone Demon. Saya is super old, powerful, and is a Queen. She gets that...regal feeling like the Lady Bone Demon had.

That bigger than you kinda feeling.

And I did say that to her. And it hurt her a lot.

You know I saw the Lady Bone Demon, after we destroyed her. In like the void or maybe in my head. She told me something that's been stuck in my head ever since. That when you fight for what you feel is right, it will only lead to one thing. To pain.

I hate to admit it but I think she was kinda right.

[ Being compared to the Lady Bone Demon, he can see why that would hurt. And make someone lash out. But MK still didn't deserve that, so that little witch better have apologized. ]

[ Anyway, on to much more important things. ]

It wasn't a particularly insightful or rare observation. Fighting for what you believe in can be lonely, and it can be hard. Of course all that is painful.

But you'll always have Wukong, and me, and Red Son, Mei, Pigsy and Sandy and Tang... we'll be in your corner no matter what. And when you have people who love you, even the worst pain is less painful.

[Mk smiles. That means so much. He reaches out to gently hold Macaque's hand. He gives it a soft squeeze.]

And I love all of you too. And you all will always have me in your corner too.

UN: MonkieMan || Video

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