As You Are [Monkey King]

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 3: Reassurances

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

"Hup!" her leg swung forward to the wooden dummy, tilting it a little before going back into place. She does this a few more times, showing her long earned skills on her martial arts.

Losing the dual blades wasn't going to make her weak this time. She planned to rebuild herself with her own strength, maybe even master a special technique if she's up for it. Her hits were getting heavier, and with an added frustration from her encounter with Wukong days ago, all that pent up emotion helps her keep up with this for the last few hours.

"A little too much, don't you think?"

Her eyes turned to the side where her shadow is, seeing Six-Earred Macaques shadow overlap with his own illuminating features. Her body circles around to aim for a kick on his head as soon as he surfaced, but the black-furred simian simply blocked it with an arm.

Xiu scoffs, standing up right so he could completely step out, "Sorry I had to use your lair. I thought I'd train a few hours early before work."

He hummed, eyeing the wooden dummy whose dents aren't as visible if not looked at up close, "I thought I said I'd train you later in the evening. You're overworking yourself. The sun isn't even up yet."

She averted her gaze to the floor, brushing her pants off of nonexistent dirt, "It's just a little warm up."

Macaque stared at her as his mind tried to comprehend her behavior, but after hearing things day after day on his own free time habit, he can already put two and two together to make an assumption, "Sun Wukong isn't being himself right now, isn't he?"

The mention of that name made her glance back up to meet him. Though it's true— sort of— that he isn't being himself, what good will it do to think of it right now? If he isn't going to seek anyone's help, then the Great Sage might as well handle it himself. "He's releasing some sort of negative energy. I don't know if that's true, though..." Xiu was just repeating what the simian said, but still finding it pretty hard to believe.

He scoffs, his brows furrowing as if he just heard a bad joke. "Was that what he said? Surely you don't believe that? He's probably just throwing a tantrum again."

"He's done this before?"

The black furred simian crosses his arms, "I wouldn't say it's the exact same thing... It's more like his pride wouldn't let him admit he was wrong. He refused to see himself in the bad light, pushing away anyone who would try to lift his spirits. I'm assuming he did the same to you?"

The woman frowns, her sore palm rubbing her other arm, "... Yes." If that's the case, "What reason would he have to do this? Everything went fine, didn't it? I'm still alive, even though he had to carry all the burden just to save me..."

"... No one knows what he'd been through," it's the only silver lining he could give her. "The best you could do is wait until he calms down enough to speak," but only if he'd be willing to do that.

This woman is Wukong's light, he couldn't possibly bear to keep her in the dark. Macaque has his speculations on the matter, but there's too many pieces missing to the picture. Other than successfully resurrecting Xiu, Wukong even managed to make her old memories stay... Actually, the latter doesn't make sense.

Macaque watched as her face scrunches up in her own thoughts. He watched these people interact up until her memories returned, and she was definitely asked how she ended up remembering everything, and the reason was the picture she found on the dragon girl's phone.

"You're probably right," she says, snapping him out of his daze. "I'll try not to think too much about it for now. Sorry for the disturbance."

"It's fine," he smiles, "I like diligent individuals like you." Xiu blushed at the praise, taking pride on her mentor's words— even if he was once a neutral type of enemy. Macaque notices this and smirks, poking a playful finger to her temple, "Don't let it get into your head. You still got a lot to learn before you can grin like that."

She pushes his hand away, turning her back on him from embarrassment, "I'm not even grinning..."

"Xiu, that's not— Gaah!" Pigsy ran over to the burning oven, his hair all over his body stood up in panic. While the woman was also groveling apologetically on the floor, he runs to fetch the fire extinguisher and fumbles it with shaking hands. Soon, the big fire was out, and the only remnants of what she was attempting to take care off were a charred set of hot buns.

"I'm sorry, boss! I'm so sorry! I was just trying to lower the fire, I didn't know how to operate the new oven, I didn't know it'd turn on the gas!" Xiu was already tearing up over it. "I almost burnt the whole restaurant down, I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry!"

Pigsy's knees gave out as soon as the last flicker of flames was gone. He looked at the woman, his smile a little strained and terrified as he places a careful hand on her head, "You... Y-You don't have to apologize."

"But... But..." she glances at the appliance, which is now stained from the fire.

"Cheer up," though the pig was still shaking, he had to have the strength to reassure his favorite employee, "To be honest, I could've made the same mistake. This thing just got here, even I haven't completely grasped how to use it."

Xiu knew better than to expect more of herself after years upon years of talentlessness in the kitchen. Having able to make wontons won't change that, and definitely not at the time when Pigsy had his whole attention on her as she made one of his most simple dishes.

"You've always been a great help, Xiu. Little mishaps like these shouldn't wear you down," he smiles at her.

She wipes her face clean and nods.

"Woah, sheesh, what a mess!" Tang saunters in with Sandy, the latter just as surprised and worried.

"What's going on in here?" says the blue guy.

"Ah, just a little incident with our hot buns," Pigsy waved it off like his most beloved kitchen wasn't just about to be blown out minutes ago. The way he said it made it seemed like she had a hand on the making, which sort of lifted her spirits a bit.

Xiu chuckles, scratching her arm nervously, "Y-Yeah..."

"I wouldn't say that it's merely an incident. It looks more like you incinerated it," Tang eyed the black as coal buns on the stove top of the oven that they've definitely never seen in this kitchen before.

"I think it's doable," MK says while chewing with a cringed face, popping out of nowhere after another successful delivery.

"Kid! Don't eat that!" Pigsy stood up and made him spit it out.

Seeing the sight in front of her, Xiu wondered what she was so doubtful about. All these people are here beside her. If there's any trouble, for sure she can count on any of them. If she's worried about something, one of them would notice and help her get through it. She have never went through those hardships alone either.

But then her mind wandered to the golden furred simian back in the cave... Was it really a good thing to leave him alone like that?

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾