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Chapter Text

Valentine's Day.

This kind of celebration usually doesn't matter much to warriors dedicated only to fighting and revenge, there's no time to meet new people and to love if you're busy going after a hated acquaintance.

But that doesn't mean boredom can't knock on these people's doors.

A powerful monkey demon walks through a large city disguised as an ordinary human. The monotony of his hiding place had ended up irritating him, resulting in a stroll during "lovers day". The tedium was enormous to make someone so reclusive go out on a day like this. Streets are full of commemorative decorations, mainly pink heart-shaped ornaments, and serenades with sweet music can be heard everywhere, even the sky looked rosier than usual, however what occupies the surroundings more than the color pink are couples laughing. 

Couples that make you want to throw up for being so clingy, many of them look like exaggerated caricatures of what a happy pair would look like. The demon even rolled his eyes when he heard some phrases from the loose lovebirds, sometimes having a good hearing is a nightmare.

"I'm scared, honey, what if I don't like the people at the party?" - A short girl passes by the monkey.

"Calm down, if you get nervous, we'll just get out of there. Trust me, we're in this together." - The other girl takes one of her partner's shoulders and speaks in a sweet, calm voice.

He stops in place, for a brief moment.

... Yeah, even though the concept of clingy couples was a little annoying, there was a part of him that held a certain... Interest. 

The idea of having someone who cares about your emotional and physical state, the idea of being appreciated, someone to give you attention and affection, someone to trust, all of this was somehow pleasant to imagine.  A part of him really craved someone he could actually count on, someone that would actually choose to stay with him.

The warrior shook his head to get that unimportant feeling out of there. Is the holiday making him emotional? This is so pathetic. Like, come on, he had more fun things to do than that!

The biggest fun of being on the streets today is watching couples break up. Or to see people rejecting each other. Dramatic love situations filled with people with broken hearts, looking like over-the-top soap operas in real life. That was pure entertainment.

A rattling bell and the sound of hard material hitting the wall shows that someone has opened a door not far away with incredible brute force, the door in question being the door of a luxuriant restaurant.

"Wait! Come back! What did I do wrong, my little pudding?!" - A man cried while trying to reach a woman in a fancy dress.

"I've already made it clear to you that I hate it when you call me that. What were you thinking, showing up dressed like that in front of my entire family?" - She pointed with her index finger at the clown nose the man had on his face.

"I-I wanted to make your family have fun."

"You made everyone laugh at me! Laugh at us. You made me look like an idiot!"

Ooh, this was a good drama, an argument for a ridiculous reason. This gives a bunch of inspiration to an artist, stupid story scenarios becomes the perfect reference to dramatic fun scenes. The beauty and the clown, yeah, this could be the theme of a shadow play, a funny one. A few laughs escaped the demon's lips, so much suffering for such a stupid reason was a special comedy to watch.

Unfortunately for him, the pairing didn't take long to reconcile, returning to the restaurant's interior happily and holding hands. He rolled his eyes at the scene, boredom returned and, so did his quest for entertainment. Maybe looking for fun outside the hideout wasn't such a good idea at all.

He looked at the restaurant through the front window, taking off his hood of his head, so it wouldn't get in the way of the view, inside there were several couples eating fancy dishes that looked delicious...

Ah yes, the second reason to go out today, the food.

The dishes had too many heart decorations for the Six Eared Macaque's taste, however, that didn't change how tasty they looked. Main courses full of meats and spices, a big variety of drinks and sugary desserts filled the space in every busy table. If he sneaks into the shadows the right way, it won't be hard to get some good meals.

His belly growled.

"AaaAh! That was loud!" - He looked to the side and saw... You. - "Gosh, you scared me!"

Macaque jumped startled, he hadn't seen that a human had approached to look in the window too. A loud noise came from your belly almost as if it was competing with his stomach.

"Oh... You must be hungry. You also don't have a partner to eat a Valentine's Day food?" - Your hunger had reminded you of that scary noise that came from his tummy.

The monkey was starting to consider fleeing away from there, all he needs less now is boring small talk in the midst of invasion plans.

"Today there are various places offering special dishes for couples, but only for couples." - You keep talking even without hearing an answer from him. - "I'm alone too, so I understand the feeling of walking around without a partner, it makes us think about all the good food we're missing. I only left my house today to see everything decorated and pink, you know. I wanted to see the city transformed." 

/ Does this human get chatty when hungry, or are they just naturally annoying? /

After that thought, the belly of the two rumbled together, a synchronized noise, it sounded like a were a rehearsed trick.

"Argh! Those foods look so delicious! I would even pay someone to accompany me, pretending to be my partner."

/ Wait a minute, what did they just say? /

"Would you really pay someone to do something like that?" - An interest appeared behind the question.

"Of course, I really want the couples discounts and stuff." - You answered honestly without even thinking twice, it's a habit of yours that ends up putting you in complicated situations all the time.

A mischievous grin broke out on his face. 

He turned around and put a hand on your shoulder to have your attention just for him, you look into the eyes of the man who was holding you. - "Well, today is your lucky day! I am completely willing to cooperate with you in exchange for a good payment."

Now the human eyes stared at the man, the owner of those eyes carrying a certain nervousness within them. We all know that you shouldn't make deals with strangers, you know that very well yourself, but this is an opportunity to eat the exclusive foods that will only be available for today...

You took a good look at his figure to study his details, checking out the sparkle in his eyes, the charming smile, the beard that added the final touch to his attractive face. He wears clothes in nice colors that match each other, specifically dark red and black, his dark hair wasn't super tidy but wasn't tossed around either. The strands look very soft too, a strange urge to stroke the locks of hair haunted your head, but you held back. A man full of charisma stood before you.

You had to admit, he is hot. He is really hot, and he probably knows that (right?), so how expensive would that service be?

"... And how much would be a good payment in your opinion?"

He moved closer to your ear (a thing that made your whole body heat up and shiver) and using a seductive, soft voice, he whispered the value. Your brain melted hearing the voice while collapsed, listening to the number being said. God. The company of pretty men really was expensive.

He seemed to be delighted to see you shudder, to see you making such a shocked expression at the answer, a smug and satisfied smile graced his face. And honestly, this attitude only made you feel more silly feelings in your chest.

"My lord! This much just because you're handsome?!"

"Nice try, but flattering me isn't going to make me change the price I set."

"W-Wait! Let's talk a few things before accepting any price! Like, what places do you allow us to go? What couple things I can do with you? What are your personal boundaries? It wouldn't be fair to charge a specific amount without considering certain things."

The man stares at you intently for a few seconds like someone trying to see through dark glass, arms crossed defensively as he "scans" you up and down. He seemed to be searching for lies through the aura of your soul, or something like this.

"... Like a spoken contract? A kind of sacred agreement between us?" - You nodded with your head.

After thinking some more, Macaque started to say his limitations: No kisses. No hugs. No pet names. You're only allowed to walk holding hands (so you don't end up getting lost). 

On your turn to speak, you negotiate the places to visit: an elegant restaurant, a chocolate fondue stand and a cute café. These places had great deals for couples and unique Valentine's Day dishes.

/ Isn't that too much food for just one person? /

He had no idea how much food would fit in your stomach, but he could eat a lot himself, so he was getting a big prize. Caring for you was the least of his worries, so your final state at the end of the tour doesn't matter as long as he's well paid and well-fed. 

Being so demanding and limiting turned out to affect the final price of the deal, you would have to pay less to the fake boyfriend, but it was still a hefty price. With everything settled, it was time to pay.

You looked in your wallet with a sad expression. - "Goodbye sweet money, I will never forget you."

When you were about to hand over the payment, you remembered a basic socialization step.

"Wait a minute! I don't know your name." - You held your money close to your chest, hesitating.

The monkey blinked in disbelief, processing the moment, of all suspicious things was it the lack of name that made you hesitate?

A light chuckle escaped from him. - "You can call me Mac. What about you?"

After revealing your name, you glared at the man as you slowly handed over the money, taking your time to say goodbye to the lost fortune. When he took the money from your hands, you made a thin little noise of suffering. Honestly, you're so exaggerated.

We can say that you're dumb too! Knowing each other's names isn't going to stop one from running off with the payment. Lucky for you, Macaque was starting to be entertained by the human innocence. Or would it be better to say stupidity instead of innocence?

Well, it doesn't matter, a fake date has begun.

Chapter Text

A fake date has begun.

You gestured for Macaque to enter the restaurant that you both stared at drooling a while ago. He walks ahead, and you follow him with proud steps, the idea of being seen with a handsome lover was doing your ego good, even if it was a paid one.

The place was huge and luxurious to the point of having gold accents adorning the walls, the pale floor shimmered and reflected the surroundings, the round tables had candles and fancy flower pots decorating their surface. Cushioned and comfortable chairs, the cutlery appeared to be made of real silver, and the porcelain plates painted like an artwork. On a normal occasion, it would be impossible to eat here, but being in a pair that day gave you the chance to live this unique rich people experience.

A waiter hurried over to meet whoever had just arrived, guiding the two of you to a table and handing you the special menu. You hold the paper happily and start flipping through the varieties of dishes.

"Look at this! A heart-shaped steak, isn't that a funny idea?"

"Sounds like a strange thing to me, but I have to admit that this caught my attention."

"We can order one of those then. Ah, and what about drinks? What do you want to drink?"

You stretch the menu, so he could check out the options. He points his sharp nail to a tropical fruit juice that came with a small umbrella in the glass, cute. Your choice was a peach soda.

Taking another look on the menu, searching for something else to accompany the meal, you saw pictures of delicacies made with rose petals, things seasoned with wine, dishes with sauces made with champagne. So many flamboyant things to discover! During this search, your vision fell on something peculiar, you squeeze your eyes and twist your brows while biting your lips, confused, trying to understand this strange coincidence that kept following you.

"Are you okay? You're making a weird face."

"It's just... Why monkeys? They are everywhere I look, I don't understand why everything has this theme around here."

Macaque just raises an eyebrow and looks at you with questioning eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean?" 

Bringing the paper to your companion's face while pointing to the specific photo you show what you wanted him to see: A chocolate monkey on top of a chocolate heart-shaped support, it was possible to identify a crown on the head and a small pocky stick in his tiny hands. A loving message was written in red chocolate on the candy heart that served as the dessert support. 

Mac's expression changed, full of disgust and disbelief, thinking how impressive and obsessive it was that even in a Valentine's Day desserts people would invent some way to put that character there. The king's figure was like a ghost, always chasing his shadow to haunt his thoughts.

Not knowing his reasons for that reaction, you went ahead with what you had to say.

"I don't know why, but people around here seem to love this little guy, I always see this monkey with a stick everywhere I go." - You pull out your cellphone to take a picture of the dessert on the menu. - "What do you think his name is? I mean, he must just be a sports team mascot or something, but he must have a name, right?"

When waiting for an answer, only a silence was perceptible at the table. Realizing that Mac seemed to be too deep in his own thoughts, you snapped your fingers in front of his eyes.

The Six Eared Macaque shook his head and blinked several times, it looked like he had woken up from a quick nightmare. He scratched the back of his neck and let out an awkward laugh.

"Sorry, what were you talking about?"

"About the sports team mascot that has a toothpick, but I think we'd better order our food first."

Once again, the demon blinked to process what he had just heard. As soon as the information download finished, a little grin appeared and started to grow gradually. With that, a wave of laughter rose in his throat. It was necessary to put a hand in front of his mouth to hold the relatively loud sound that was trying to escape. He picks up the glass of water that's been on the table since you two arrived and takes a long swig to catch his breath.

"Ah... D-Did I say something wrong? I mean, you laughed until tears came out of your eyes, did I say something embarrassing?"

"It's nothing, it's just that you've just demoted the Monkey King to a much lower position."

In reaction, you slapped your hands on the table, clearly surprised.

"Is the little monkey a king?! Damn, knowing that spoiled the name I picked for him..."

"Did you give him a name?" - His smile expanded, revealing fangs and growing satisfaction. - "And how did you decide to name him? I want to know."

Only redness filled your face, you opened your mouth and just let out some meaningless sounds, not having the courage to really let go of what you had thought. You try to ignore the question and call a waiter to finally place the order, and throughout the entire process of talking to the server you avoided looking in the direction of the man across the table. As the order got completed, you go back to looking at your contracted partner.

And he continues to look at you happily waiting for the answer.

It was your turn to drink your water, you drank it in an attempt to swallow the shame, something that didn't really work and with slightly trembling hands you returned the glass to the table.

"Be careful with this thing, I don't want you choking right before telling me the secret nickname."

"C-Come on, stop it, you're..." - A nervous pause, seeking the right word. - "You're exaggerating! You act like I'm about to crack the biggest joke of the century." 

"I'm not doing anything. You're the one creating a higher expectation as time flows. Just spit it out."

"I-I didn't think too much..." - Hesitant but feeling defeated, you take a deep breath and let the name slip. - "He looks like Stinky Boy to me..."

The man's face seems to light up with the purest joy in the world, one of his hands ran to cover his mouth, preventing more laughter from stealing the scene again. With a good effort, he managed to contain the explosion and only chuckled a few times.

"It's not even that funny." - You said in an angry tone, with red cheeks.

"Chill out, tomato face. If it's any comfort to you, I think this suits him well. It's better than the haughty titles he displays so proudly." 

In fact, you were mildly happy to hear such genuine laughter coming from him, regardless of the situation, it was kinda pleasant to hear. You weren't as angry as you made out, it was just a little embarrassing not knowing basic things about this place. It did damage to your personal pride, nothing you couldn't handle.

Thanks to the restaurant's quality service, the waiter arrives with the food quickly.

The two of you delight in the delicious food at the restaurant. In the eating time you missed the monkey's voice, you liked the way it sounded, and you knew you wouldn't hear it again after today. Even so, you chose to eat in silence so as not to disturb Macaque.

.....

A while later, a short journey towards the last two stops began

Your fingers intertwined with his to give the proper orientation, they are slightly cooled with the outside temperature changing as the sun sets. You look at the handsome guy's steady hands, the texture is a little rough, some calluses are noticeable. But he has beautiful nails, really enviable, they are long and strong, pointy and well painted, a discreet black nail polish that gave the impression that the nails were naturally dark. Your admiration would go far to say that those nails didn't look human, they looked like claws from a magical and beautiful creature.

Slightly embarrassed by all the interest in him you divert your thoughts from his hands to your goal.

"Ah! I told you it was around here!" - You announced gladly. - "The line isn't that big, we're in luck."

The little chocolate fondue stand that you had seen before passing in front of the restaurant was still there, you felt as if the candy was waiting for you to come back.

You let go of Macaque's hand and run to the line, and he, unlike you, walks in no hurry to catch up a while later.

"This will be real quick. A little snack before the final event! What flavor of fondue do you want?"

The monkey looked at a nearby sign, on it there were prices and flavors, various fruits, also marshmallows and biscuits for those who prefer to avoid anything healthy for today, and as previously reported: Lovers pay only half the price.

"I don't know, maybe mango? Or plum?"

"Plums? Does this flavor even appear as an option on the sign? Even tomatoes must go better with a fondue than plums."

He raises his eyebrows and crosses his arms, feeling attacked, that was like a personal insult to him.

"Any suggestions for me then, fondue expert?"

"You can go with the classics like strawberry and grape, but I'm thinking of trying kiwis. And marshmallows! I love how cute and soft they are." - You spoke each alternative while pointing to the small drawings scattered across the board.

Then, you begin explaining why plums are the worst option to go with melted chocolate, your listener just made a pouty face at this. Distracted chattering, you start taking steps down the line without looking ahead, and this end up with your body hitting the fondue booth. The attendant looks at you worriedly and in response you give a gawky grin.

Mac, acting like nothing happened, approaches and orders, a strawberry skewer, a marshmallow one and two kiwis. Your shame is such that instead of paying on your own, you give the money to your partner, who pays in your place.

He looked at your face with a big smug grin, it wasn't needed to open his mouth to make fun of you, sometimes leaving the person feeling shame is already enough fun.  The smile changes to a surprised expression. Kiwis and strawberries actually go very well with chocolate, in the end following your advice wasn't too bad.

"Oh! Hey, you were right, strawberries and kiwis are perfect in the..."

In a second, you had your mouth and cheeks covered in chocolate.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"Frankly, how do you manage to get dirty like that so quickly? It's surprising."

You do a little hop while making a funny thin sound. Taking a tiny mirror from your pocket, it is possible to see spots on your reflection, and this whole attitude elicits a light chuckle from the monkey.  

You take a napkin from your pocket and wipe your face, then you stick out your tongue offensively towards the demon, who in response just rolls his eyes with a smile on his lips.

After eating everything, you pointed in a direction - "Let's go in that way now." - You pulled one of your companion's hands and led the way again.

Macaque wondered if it was normal to celebrate this day among demons. Does DBK usually give his wife gifts on that day? I mean, this sugary occasion is a human thing, so demons shouldn't feel obligated to celebrate, right? He didn't have many friends like him to ask if it was a common thing to do... In fact, he didn't have any friends at all. At least not anymore.

He shook his head to get the intrusive thought out of there.

This action made the weight of a busy day finally take its toll on the warrior. He started to feel tired, his hands began to sweat and in an attempt to settle in better the man began to move his hands in the grip to adjust.

"As soon as we cross to the other side, we'll be there, ok?" - You spoke without looking away from the path, trying to be reassuring.

Careful to look both ways, the two of you cross to the other side of the street, running awkwardly without letting go of your hands.

"Victory! We arrived safely. Let's go in."

Wiping his sweaty hands on his clothes, the demon followed you into the café.

You wanted to order a cake, eat it quickly, and leave. It was noticeable from the silence on the way, the manner he held your hand and the stiff way he sat in the chair that Mac was uncomfortable with the current situation.

Even though you paid this man to accompany you and knew nothing about him, you felt bad for having kept him with you for so long. Disregarding the context in which it had all happened, he had been a pleasant companion.

You took a deep breath and reached out to call someone to serve you, determined to free your partner of yourself. A waiter spots you and runs to your table, a simple action that should please you since you're in a hurry, but the familiar face made your blood run cold.

"I didn't think I'd see you around here, what brings your wonderful presence?~"

"Listen here, I don't want problems, ok? We just came to order a piece of cake and...-"

The waiter makes a twisted frown to see you had company.

"I... I thought you were lying when you said you had someone..." - The confident voice you heard before faded into an insecure, quieter sound.

"Well, as you can see, I do have someone. Now you can stop telling me I'm playing hard to get and bring me and my partner a chocolate cake." - Out of patience to deal with the nasty man, you spat those words, speaking the ending in a stronger tone of voice to emphasize the fact that you weren't alone.

The man seems to swallow something and for a moment turned to leave, but instead of doing that, he spun around on his skates and looked at you with a mischievous smile on his face.

"I can't believe it! You're so cute! My dear, you didn't have to do something like that, really. Why didn't you come talk to me and explain how you feel?"

"Uh? What? Stop saying nonsen-"

"Okay, I'll be direct and frank with you, I understand everything. I know he's not your real boyfriend. I'm sure you paid him to make me jealous."

You heard that, and your face contorted, teeth clenched, the hands were shaking holding your legs tightly. You could feel your nails scratching the surface of your clothes. It was very difficult to contain yourself to not use violence against him.

You two aren't close, you aren't interested in him, but he still thinks he has a chance with you.

"I don't know how to explain how insulted I feel right now, but I'm going to pretend I didn't hear this bullshit and...-"

"If you are a couple, why don't you kiss?"

The night got completely destroyed.

"I don't like being affectionate in public." - He claims this while letting sweat run down his forehead.

You got up from your chair with flames in your eyes, hands braced on the table in an impact that resulted in the noise of that collision echoing through the establishment. Your brutality against the table echoed loud enough to silence some customers and draw the attention of the restaurant's staff to your table.

You directed heavy steps to the other side of the table, frowning in his direction.

/ Seriously? Are you really going to try this? You can't be such an idiot! /

With a deep breath, you prepare for your next move.

"Hey, sorry for that. Do you want to leave?"

Despite the tense air surrounding you, your voice was soft and worried.

"I... What?"

You gave a light, comforting laugh. - "You don't seem to be comfortable here. Do you still want to stay?"

You waited patiently for his answer. And the waiter scowled as he put one of his hands on his waist right behind you.

The monkey released one of his trademark chuckles. - "Yeah, it looks like you know me. I want to leave."

He gets up ready to go. For the second time in the day, you make the polite gesture of giving your fake lover space to pass in front of you, in the same way that gentlemen let ladies walk through their coats in the mud in old cartoons.

"Hang on! Where you're going?" - The rude pose from before dissolved into a hurt and sad voice.

"It's none of your business. Now, excuse me."

A part of you wanted to stop there and beat that man, you were furious, but greater than that feeling was the desire to leave Mac in a nicer place. It doesn't matter if you would be leaving without a part of the contract fulfilled, the focus is on not forcing him to deal with your problems.

Other employees quickly approach you. While one of them takes the waiter who annoyed you away, the other apologizes and offers an even bigger discount in hopes that this will stop the two of you from leaving dissatisfied with the service.

Even though the offer was tempting (like, really tempting), it was more than clear that Macaque was feeling drained. Politely refusing, you two leave, finally freed from the burden of further interactions.

The door makes the sound of a bell swinging as it opens, this ends up waking you up to the reality that your fake date had come to an end.

"So... Who was that guy?"

"He's an idiot who ended up getting to know that I exist from my work. Since then, he hasn't stopped visiting me there. Which is why I had to quit and search for a job elsewhere... Come to think of it, it makes sense that he would be able to go to my old place of work all the time, it's really close to here."

He frowns, something you interpreted as a stressed expression.

{He must be tired, and I'm here being chatty and taking up more of his time.}

"Ah, I'm sorry for all the inconvenience with that annoying guy and for keeping you with me for so long."

"Yeah, that took longer than I thought... But, you know, I ended up having fun. Well, until the weirdo came along."

The cold night approached, freezing your nose and alerting you to the time, it was dangerous to walk in the dark alone, especially living where you live.

"Oh! I need to run, it's getting too late. Thank you so much for the company today. Byeee."

Before the Six Eared Macaque could say anything, you were gone. Your desperation in not to getting home too late made you run at high speed, a speed he didn't expect.

His final opinion? You are a chatty, energetic and silly human.

But ironically, he had fun. You made him forget about his problems for a while, and you made him laugh too.

In the end, leaving the hideout today wasn't so bad.

Chapter Text

Tiredness ached in your shoulders, like an anvil crushing you. You rubbed your temples as you kicked off your shoes and dropped them in front of your apartment's front door.

An impatient sigh escaped and made you melt down even further. You walked in your socks down the hall, giving you access to a good view of your home. Your eyes, in addition to weariness, carried concern, they scan every visible nook analyzing everything.   

It's a small apartment with all you need. Your home with your family back where you were born is much bigger than that, but you're still thankful for the chance to have your own space, even if it's far from everything you used to know. 

Yeah, your house is humble, you know that, but is still your home. This place may have its problems, but at least you can afford the rent. 

{ Things will get better if you keep trying. }

... Being a positive person was getting difficult in your situation.

Your now ex-boss's words hit you like bricks thrown hard against your body. Something about people like you naturally transmitting the image of disorder, calling you troublesome and saying that this "profile" was bad for the company. Honestly, your memory doesn't remember you acting like that, you just acted like an exemplary employee. Apparently asking for a raise when you realize that your salary was much lower than that of your colleagues in the same position as yours is considered disorder and disobedience.

"... People like me with my type of profile, huh?"

Everything hurt and the more you thought about it, the more you felt the pangs of pain. The pain in your head was the worst part, ruthless pricks everywhere. Even describing this feeling was difficult, you don't know the right combination of words to express yourself properly. And that hurts your pride even more.

You went to the living room and threw yourself on the couch, a reflection appeared on your small TV screen. An image of a broken person looked back at you. Thinking about the bad points in your current life was eating you up inside. 

You don't want to think about the bad things. You don't want to be an ungrateful person (after all, you at least have somewhere to sleep, a warm bed protected between the walls of your apartment). However, it's still inevitable to feel homesick at times. 

Your old house wasn't perfect either, you and your relatives didn't live in perfect harmony, disagreement was normal, constant fights, everyone stubborn and temperamental... Even so, you always had a lot of fun with them, the greatest quality of your family, of those who raised you, was that they knew how to smile in the most difficult times and would make you smile too. It may sound cliché or maybe stupid, but despite the flaws of each individual in your family circle, you had your share of admiration for how much pressure they could handle. 

To be strong like them, you have to keep trying and smiling.

You did a breathing exercise to calm down, and closed your tired eyelids, sinking into the couch.

After this, you heard a funny, high-pitched meow coming from the windowsill of your apartment.  

Quickly, your eyes burst open again, shocked.

The noise of other things falling and hitting each other startled you even more.

Wasting no time, you ran outside with a baseball bat in hand.

"I finally caught up with you! You damn fur-"

His sentence got cut by the sound of a strong blow, the crack of impact echoed in the environment. The scene appears to happen in slow motion, with the green-skinned demon's body falling to the ground.

The tiny creature watched the scene in disbelief, he gaped, and his eyes widened, a very cute facial expression to see on a cat. But as he was holding his attention to the fallen monster, you grabbed the colorful fabrics that wrapped his body and threw him inside the apartment, on top of the couch. Now he was safe inside your home.

"It's just a cat! Leave him alone!" - Fingers of both your hands gripped the baseball bat tightly, the body in attack position, ready for a second strike if necessary.

An unpleasant smell bothered you, he stank of smoke. Smoke and mint, but the mint didn't make the odor any better, it just made it worse, a terrible combination that burned the inside of your nose. 

Recovering from the blow, the man stood up dizzily, only to be met with another merciless strike.

"Get out! Get the hell out of my backyard! Or balcony, or maybe windowsill, whatever the word is! Get out of my house!"

"CALM DOWN! STOP IT! STOP HITTING ME!"

You stopped hitting to give the demon a chance to go or to apologize. Instead, he took the opportunity to run towards the open door that connected the outside with the interior of the lodging. The big guy crashed into a force field. He got up confused and started groping the invisible wall without understanding how he was unable to enter the same way the cat entered.

You cough to clear the phlegm from your throat and get the near-invader's attention.

"It's my last warning, get out of here, or I'll hurt you."

"YOU ALREADY HURT ME!"

"Well, get out before I hurt you more then." - The monster scowled at your cheeky reply.

He turns and walks towards you tardily, with heavy steps, as he stops in front of you, his giant size casts an icy shadow over you. He crosses his arms full of tattoos and scars, leans in slightly and places his face closer to yours. With his head almost glued to your forehead, he smells you, taking time to absorb your scent. As he lets the air out through his nostrils, the wind pushes your hair and shakes the clothes hanging on the clothesline right behind.

"I think you don't understand the situation you're putting yourself into since you're new here, my dear. Look, I'm going to be kind, just hand me your special guest." - The voice is ponderous, but the demon seemed a little hesitant and worried, unsure.

As an answer, human eyes filled with disdain gaze at the green-skinned demon, taking in the details of the body to find out who he was. It doesn't take much thought to remember that this man commands a small piece of territory in these neighborhoods. Your memory hadn't saved his name, tho.

"No. You are the one not understanding your situation, you have no power here. This territory belongs to Zolvoz."

The name makes the enemy shudder, he closes his eyes tightly and get silent for a minute. An uncomfortable, awkward silence.

He opens his eyelids slowly, clenched his fists and walked towards the porch fence.

"I... I hope you never step on my domain with him, for your own good." - When the threat mixed with advice ends, he jumps away.

After taking a look outside to verify if that demon had really gone away from your house, you collected your fallen clothes and walked inside, closing the glass door to your porch and turning to check on your newest friend.

There he was: A cat with golden eyes and dark fur with the insides of the ears in a striking dark red, the tips of the fur on the tail end are slightly reddish too. He has sharp claws and a single fang sticking out of his little whiskered mouth, so adorable. The clothes he'd been wrapped in earlier were strewn on the floor. 

"Good thing I heard you making a racket outside, and that I'm fast, if I had taken a little longer, I wouldn't have been able to help you." - You lean the baseball bat against the wall and place the clothes on top of a piece of furniture.

From the body language, you knew the kitty was tense. He was alert standing with his legs ready to run, his fur fuzzed, and his watchful eyes paid attention to your every move.

In an attempt to calm your visitor, you smiled warmly and approached carefully, sitting next to him on the sofa, but at a safe distance.

"Don't worry, you're safe now. I won't hurt you." - Your voice is sweet and calm, quite different from how it sounded when you were yelling outside.

You try to approach your hand slowly, so he could smell it to get to know you (a basic procedure of how to make a cat comfortable with your presence). But instead of cooperating, he slinks away, showing off to you the claws in his front paw as a threat.

"Ok, I got it. You don't want me in your space, you don't have to be mad."

It's ok, you've got plenty of tricks up your sleeve to get a feline's attention.

"I'll be right back, buddy."

Before leaving, you take the clothes from the floor and place them on the sofa headboard, you also turned on the TV on a cartoon to entertain your guest, it is a cartoon of battles between cute pets that are captured by humans using other cute pets. Your body heads towards the kitchen while humming a relaxed tune, leaving the cat alone in the living room. He watches until your figure disappears into the other place.

Now he was free to finally leave. When trying to get back to his original form, he felt he lacked energy for the action. He couldn't return to normal or turn into a shadow: Macaque was stuck as a cat. 

The Six Eared Macaque got down from the couch and began to walk in circles, wondering what his next move would be. His tail swung from side to side, following the tense steps of his little paws.

/  This place seems safe for now, and they seem to want to help, the best thing to do is rest and regain energy to get out of here without having other problems. /

It doesn't seem like a risky plan. High chances of working, and if you tried something funny, he would know what to do. Everything is under control. Now all he needs to do is relax and rest here, he'll find the perfect spot on the couch to take a nap.

Returning to the soft sofa made with a material in your favorite color, he looked for the softest point of the furniture. He lay curled up with his body next to one of the armbands and leaned his head on a pillow.

But the hard part is relaxing at someone else's house. Meditation didn't work, no thought seemed to have any effect on his worrying head, no matter how nice it was. Having the noise of the television doesn't help much either (in case you were wondering, Macaque is kinda rooting for a ghost creature with a huge smile).

The thought that disturbed him the most was how strange this sudden attack was, the green demon is an old enemy, but he was never as determined to defeat the monkey as he was today. He seemed to be holding a giant grudge that made him move the world to hunt him in that region, the hard thing was to understand why.

Okay, we know that Macaque is not a saint, but their fights happened so long ago, why go after arresting him with such dedication just now?

"Hey kitty, I brought you some tuna." - The eyes opened wide, and the ears perked in the direction of your voice.

A small blue plate had some lightly cooked tuna in it, it was warm, and you would blow the food to cool it if that wasn't the same as blowing bacteria into the cat's mouth.

Very sweet of you, but all your care in researching on the internet which fish are best for feline stomachs, or in slightly cooking the fish to remove bacteria, was something in vain. The cat-ape wouldn't get sick from something like eating a raw oily fish. Maybe if he ate five more cans of greasy, raw fish he'd get a stomach ache, but just one wouldn't do that kind of damage.

You sat next to him and placed his plate on the couch, so he could eat right there without bothering to get up from the furniture, ignoring the thought that he might spill tuna there. As you looked to the side you saw the most suspicious eyes you've ever seen were stamped on the face of the animal, it was possible to hear the classic noise of an angry cat ready to pounce.

"You're hissing me? Did you think this is poisoned or something?" - You take the fork you used to crush the tuna and take some content of the bowl to eat, taking care to not put the fork back in the container. - "See? It's just food."

Still with a grumpy face he approaches and accepts your offering, he eats quickly without wasting time. Other people would be afraid he would choke if they saw the scene of him eating in such a hurry. The plate empties and is thrown off the couch with force.

"Hey! No need to do that, I was going to take it out of here!" 

You pick up the plate cautiously as you pout, and the cat seems to smile when he sees you doing this. A strange feeling hit you, an urge to stick your tongue out childishly to offend the mischievous bowl dropper. You held yourself back, thinking you wouldn't do something like that to a cat, it would be ridiculous!

Anyway, you still grunted a "hunf" sound at him as you left to put the plate in the kitchen...

When you came back you noticed that other objects in the house seemed to have fallen to the floor, but your little angel was still in the same place you last saw him, relaxed with a naughty smile. You crossed your arms, ready to scold, until he let out a little meow and lay down with his belly up.

You grunted in defeat, that was too cute! It's really hard to be tough against something so adorable. 

"You know, you just arrived, and you're already making a mess around here, aren't you ashamed to act like that?"

The cat looks at you with half-open eyes, showing no interest in what you pointed out. He turns his back on you and starts to appreciate the beauty of his own claws, then he has the audacity to sharpen one of his nails on your new sofa. The tear in the fabric was done slowly and made a loud noise as it tore, perfect marks of the claws were stamped there, so you never forget your dear visitor. He smiled proudly at the result. Despite the bad behavior, the bold attitude coming from something fluffy and small was still precious to witness, so an involuntary giggle fled from you. 

You sat down in the couch again. Gosh, you were tired. With the remote in hand, you switched channels, until you found one where there were musicians playing jazz. It was perfect for making you feel better after an agitated day. The two of you were quiet and enjoyed the ambient soundtrack together.

The trumpet, the double bass, the drums, and the piano are the main characters of the show, they create a harmonious instrumental that covers your ears and enters your head. Those sound waves made you feel calm, and you didn't seem to be the only one affected by the power of good music.

The volume of things seemed to stabilize and harmonize around him because of the soothing music playing now, that was the biggest relief the monkey could ask for. The full belly began to relax him even more, the eyes began to get heavy. The sofa was soft, the pillow comfortable...

In a long nap, the night passed. 

The first rays of morning light pass between the curtains, full of warm energy, for those who like to be up early that was the best way to wake up. Not that this is the case for the sleepy heads in here.

Macaque opened one eye with difficulty, a feeling of powerful laziness taking over his body. With a yawn, he slowly began to come to his senses. He felt on the skin of his head the comfortable warmth of the sun passing through his hair and caressing his face, while his body was covered with something soft that made him feel welcomed. He smelled a faint musty smell on the walls and a scent of lavender on the floor, his ears were comfortable with pleasant sounds reaching them. As he stretched, he saw the scene he was in, and it actually woke him up to reality.

His body was covered with a simple thin sweater, the relaxing songs were still playing on TV, and next to him your sleeping body was resting, your arms were around him like a cradle, but without actually touching him, it was a funny position. Your body stretched out across the couch, and your arms stretched out around him, your head had nowhere to rest, drool everywhere.

It was surprising to say the least that he had really fallen into such a deep sleep there, especially considering he was a light sleeper with sensitive ears and serious paranoia issues that kept him awake even when tiredness had already reached his bones.

It didn't take long for you to wake up either, as the kitten meowed loudly, a high-pitched cat scream sounding almost the same as the one you heard yesterday. The unusual sound knocked you off your couch. Startled, you raise your body quickly and raise your fists protectively, you turn your head from side to side and when the vision focuses, it sees a small feline with ruffled fur and displeased eyes, hissing towards you with claws exposed.

"Oh, come on, Moonpie. Did you really need to do all this drama?" - You scratch the back of your neck and yawn.

The furry one got quiet after hearing your reaction.

"What? Have you decided to be silent now? What did you want before? You wanted to wake me up? Couldn't you do that by patting me on the face like other cats do?"

He kept quiet, just blinking and looking at you. Maybe breathing too. I mean, he was so still that he didn't seem to breathe, he was almost like a statue.

With a grunt, you leave him alone in the living room, heading to another area to get ready for your day.

A bath has finished taking the feeling of being drunk with sleep out of you. Yesterday you'd fallen asleep in the clothes you'd come home from, so wiping the sweat off your body and changing your clothes brought you a feeling of cleanliness and good health. And the good smell of soap too. With this you're ready to eat.

As you walk to the kitchen for breakfast, your friend finally moved, walking right behind you. 

A small bowl full of fresh water was placed on the floor and a bowl of cereal and milk was placed on the table. 

The Six Eared Macaque wrinkled his nose and gave you a judgmental look, was that all he would have to start the day? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that's all you were going to offer?

You felt the gaze and felt its impact. Your face heated, and you played with your hair, trying to ignore the moment.

You didn't have many options for things to eat around the house. Especially things he could eat. Or things you knew he could eat.

{ I'll need to do some shopping... }

You tipped the bowl of cereal and gulped it all down as if it were soup, the fastest way to finish this type of meal. You checked the time on your phone, thinking about when it would be good to leave to start your tasks.

You go back to the bathroom to brush your teeth and when you look at the door you find the cat marking the wood of the doorway. He tore up what looked like an image of a big M there.

{ A big M from Moonpie's initial! }

Well, scratching the door frame was a failed attempt to piss you off. Moonpie was bored and even though he wasn't looking at you directly, he was walking around you like he was demanding entertainment. His tail swayed from side to side and sometimes curled around your leg with the closeness he chose to have with you. Feeling the soft cat's tail on your skin melted you, the attention seeker wins your attention. It's time to do something to distract the bored furball.

"Want to take a walk with me, Moonpie?" - You spin the house keys by the key ring dangling from your finger. 

Macaque jumped from a long distance and landed on your shoulder, ready for a ride.

Chapter Text

"The Abandoned Neighborhoods".

That's how citizens call the area you live in.

This space is dangerous according to the many rumors that the Six Eared Macaque heard, they say that evil demons and bandits live here. The awful reputation made even the authorities avoid entering there.

In his opinion it's not that unsafe, he had seen worst, but it's not the most peaceful and quiet place, it's not exactly a pretty spot either, the buildings have faded paint, the walls have poorly done graffiti, some places are clearly falling apart (all of this surely doesn't make a good impression), nonetheless, still inhabited. There is a big contrast between the big city and this forgotten corner, an invisible line separating the modern look of the urban center from the sloppy look of this area.

Ignoring those issues, it's fascinating to get to know these parts, which in itself was like a small town within a big city. Tiny shops, public leisure spaces, dance clubs, even small schools, all humble, in a more affordable price, and at nightfall, a clandestine market opens up in scattered corners with items from all over the world being sold.

The fact that there is a clandestine market piqued Macaque's interests. In fact, this was the reason he was there in the first place.

With the attack the day before, all of his plans to scout the region to check out the market had been thwarted, but now he was taking a walk to get to know the area with a good guide. This is being so helpful, everything was going conveniently really well.

"Looks like someone is enjoying the ride." - You spoke happily, pleased to see the adorable cat turning its ears in all directions.

As a resident of this region, you see everything with different eyes. 

Even though it has its dangers (like literal gang leaders breaking into your apartment's balcony) this area is full of friendly faces. You were proud of the communities living together around here. In this place you weren't the only different person, you weren't the only one who "didn't fit in", and the thing that made you feel better, you weren't the only foreigner.

People from all over the world were gathered in that corner, the reasons for each being there were different, however, everyone was going through the same things, all in the same boat.

These neighborhoods were built by their residents in times of need, which means the budget is low for maintenance, but over time a beauty of its own was born here. 

Being a part of it was good for your pride, you feel like you're part of something great.

"... And in that place, an old lady lives with her daughter and three grandchildren. Together they tend a garden that grows vigorously. It was just a family hobby, but it's all so beautiful that other residents started asking to buy their flowers, and that's how their flower shop was born."

Every time you turned a corner while walking in the neighborhood you live in, you told your companion what place that was. Always pointing at every point and saying with joy what you knew, with all the little details that enrich the information.

But even if your conversation (or monologue) was pleasant, you still needed to focus on some destination instead of walking around in circles to show everything around, so as much as it didn't seem like it, you had a route planned. Your current objective was to make the way to the nearest fruit stand, and from there you would go to other stores to buy other things (the other things being more food, and cat things, you were dying to pamper the feline with toys and treats).

Kind of obvious when we think that you needed things to your house, but Macaque didn't think you looked like going somewhere specific, you looked and sounded like a child showing your favorite toys to another kid. It was a funny feeling to have someone treat him like a great friend and share everyday things, even though at that moment he wasn't able to give any answers (so much potential to say something to laugh at you being wasted...), was a pleasant and kinda sweet moment.

"I wasn't aware that we had a cat tour guide here in the community."

You and your cat looked in the direction the voice was coming from, a man with a dark red skin, black hair and small black horns smiles at you leaning against a fruit stand, this booth is being attended by a woman wearing a bun on her head and a green apron with drawings of apples stamped.

"Hello Miss Yu! Hey, Jiǎozi! Good to see you guys."

The demon who carried a full shopping bag strapped to his shoulders crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, the woman let out a giggle that she smothered with one of her hands.

"Does it hurt to use my actual name? I only dropped those dumplings ONE time! And now I never heard you calling me by name ever again!"

"Miguel, you shouldn't be so annoyed by the nickname, I think it's adorable, it suits you." - The woman finished packing some fruit and handed it to the irritated guy, who in turn placed the package in his shopping bag.

You ignored the sentence addressed to you (something that made your friend scowl even bigger) and went straight to the lady, handing a list into her hands. This list, different from what was expected, didn't come with anything written, it had drawings for each fruit and a number next to the illustrated icon.

Each symbol had been carefully colored with crayons, the handwriting of the numbers was neat, a care in preparing that visual list was remarkable to anyone who took the sheet in hand. The saleswoman carefully handled the paper, thinking about the effort you had to make everything understandable to make her job easier.

"Ah, I can see you want a bunch of peaches as usual. Lucky for you, they always grow in this region, no matter the season."

"Well, there's a demon buying fruits from you, so I won't doubt about the existence of your magic peaches."

The lady opened her mouth as if to explain something, held it open for a brief minute, and seemed to give up on what she was going to say. Whatever she was going to tell you about magic peaches was sure to be a long story that would end with you asking a million questions to the point of driving her crazy, like the time she told you about the goddess who lives with bunnies on the moon. 

Instead of taking that risk, she changed the subject, so she could chat without wasting the whole afternoon on it, just the short time needed to get everything you wanted.

"I didn't know you had a kitten, sweetie." - Miss Yu packed half of your order in a plastic bag and gave it to you slowly while placing one hand just under the bag as a precaution, so it wouldn't fall out if it slipped out of her hands.

"Kitten? This guy is huge, he's clearly an adult cat. How is he even capable of being in a shoulder without falling with his size?"

Jiǎozi spoke, examining the scene with curious and disbelieving eyes, one hand under his chin and the other one holding his elbow, all this while he received the vision of the cat's eyebrow raising with annoyance.  

"He's not exactly my cat... He showed up on the balcony of my apartment and I let him in to eat, now I'm walking around with him."

"So, he's a visitor, I see. Does the little traveler have a name?" 

The expressive monkey demon made a disgusted face to be treated like a little child by that woman, who only found herself more pleased by the sight of something so cute showing that amount of personality to her.

"Oh! You will like it. I mean, you're going to love it..." - You took a dramatic break for a second of mystery. - "It's Moonpie!" 

"Moonpie? Sounds cute." 

She gave a little gentle smile to you, but her reaction didn't live up to your expectations. She clearly wasn't recalling what you wanted her to recollect. If she recalled things right, she'd be happily saying how much she loved the name.

"Yeah, Moonpie... Like the candy you showed to me, do you remember?"

"I showed what?"

"The moon candy, remember? The one that rabbits do on the moon!"

The saleswoman frowned for a while, thinking to herself, until the last phrase made something click in her brain, her features started to relax and her eyes gleamed with the completed thought.

She released a loud laugh, full of aliveness, anyone who saw the scene from afar would think she was insane or that she won the lottery. You were confused, asking what was going on, and each time you asked again the woman laughed more hysterically. Your cat gave you a look, almost as if to say, "Hey, is she okay?", and you shrugged without understanding.

Miguel started to worry and took a bottle of water from his bag to offer to the laughing woman, he was genuinely believing that she was choking on her saliva in front of him, but instead of accepting what had been offered she shook one of the hands to dispense it. After recovering from the fit of laughter, she managed to take a breath to explain everything to you.

"Mooncake! You got the name mixed up, the name is Mooncake!" - She inevitably went back to chortle.

Macaque flashed a huge smug smile.

He turned towards you to witness a wonderful scene, the appearance filling with an unusual redness, once again he could see you become "The Tomato Face".

He missed that phenomenon witnessed only for one day, but that made him have fun for several others every time he remembered, after all, your figure only transformed like this when you found yourself in a situation where you had made a fool of yourself.

The warrior wanted to laugh at your face again, as he had that day, he wanted to express joy in front of you to turn that wheezy joy in fuel for your face to burn more with heat. A simple, strong desire thwarted by the role he had to play now.

As your face began to steam with embarrassment, your furry partner who for a moment looked like the magic cat from Alice in Wonderland with that smile heard a new laugh join the saleswoman's. The red-skinned demon took some time to process the information received, and with that, he only started to have fun with the idea long after the woman who ran the fruit stand had started to crack up again.  

It was very loud, to the point of hurting people's eardrums, it should be a crime to be allowed a single individual to make so much noise, a great annoyance to society and especially a great annoyance to the monkey. It almost spoiled the joy of seeing you like that, lucky for him that you have a special talent for being... You. The red guy simply wasn't worth his stress.

You ignored the laughter as a dumb fear took over, eyebrows intoned the concern.

"What do I do now? Is there still time to correct the name?" - You turned the face of the furry one who was sitting on your shoulder using one hand, so you could face it, searching deep into the honey-colored eyes for a positive answer for yourself. 

It was something so sudden that his fur stood on end with the quick touch and intense look. You kept holding his chin until you realized it wasn't necessary, attention had been turned to you and your fingerprints left the surface. For a moment he forgot what was happening and enjoyed the eyes that were locked on his, all this while he missed the fingers that caressed him for seconds, but long enough to warm his cheeks.

Silence filled the atmosphere...

... Because Jiǎozi and Miss Yu stopped laughing to breathe. 

With that pause the demon in red approached you and the Six Eared Macaque. Your small partner snapped out of his trance and faced the man with the dumpling nickname, this man brought his face uncomfortably close to his head, smiling.

"I have an idea. I'll call him by name, if he reacts it's because there's no turning back. He will have already accepted himself under the wrong name..."

That simple information was everything that the dark-haired monkey needed to hear, he knew exactly what to do. He would finally get the chance to mess with you again.

Soon your friend let out a "Moonpie~" in the wind, sounding almost melodic to the nearby ears and with that the furry one started to purr, he left your shoulders and walked forward with harmonious steps until he reached the tent, with a jump he climbed up on the counter to get closer to the voice that was calling him.

Miss Yu, finding the scene adorable, cut some apple slices to offer to the cat. With no bowl to give, she delicately placed the slices on the counter and began making the classic "pspspsps" sound to attract attention.

He stopped in front of the slices and sniffed, just sniffed, he looked into her eyes and waited. She was confused until once again the gears of her brain activated and made her have an idea, the woman smiled and called him by the wrong name which became the right name, showing that he could enjoy the snack, only then Macaque allowed to eat the pieces of fruit.

The sad mortal eyes watched it all with a broken heart, your dramatic side was taking it all a lot more seriously than it should have. You tried calling him "Mooncake" a few times in an attempt to fix the mess, and Maccat kept looking at other things without acknowledging you.

"I can't believe I taught him the wrong name..."

"Don't worry, dear. His name isn't bad, it's as cute as it would be if it was mooncake." - She handed you another package with the rest of your order.

You paid while making a whiny pout, and as you handed over the money you realized something important: Your wallet was getting empty.

Chapter Text

Money is important to you, like is important to anyone else, yet each coin symbolized how much independence and freedom had been gained. It symbolized an improvement in the lifestyle, a little victory in your life, and seeing it all disappear made a feeling of personal loss arise.

Losing that job wasn't the end of the world, still, it was hard not to be emotionally affected by the consequences that not having one can have.

You had said to the loved ones left in your native country that everything would be fine in your new home, that a happy and full of success future was guaranteed. And there you were, handing over what little money you have left in your pockets.

Guilty started to rise, you blamed yourself for quitting your previous job as a baker, the place you worked before paid you fairly, had a friendly boss, but the strange man who always showed up there left you creeped out.

{If I had just put up with this situation a little longer, maybe he would give up and stop looking for me. Probably, I would be still employed at a much better place than the company I worked for.}

"Hey, Miss Yu. Did you happen to know of a place needing a new worker?"

Hearing you, Miss Yu Meili stopped her movements, only her fingers trembled slightly and her eyes became clearly worried. Your friend also was silent, until he took the courage to ask the obvious but delicate topic.

"Did something happen at work?"

"Oh... No big deal, I just didn't fit the company's profile very well." - You lied.

You lied, and they knew you were lying, getting a job outside the community was difficult for any resident of that region. Especially demons and foreigners (the case is even worse for foreign demons).

They always get the worst jobs. Demons at least are feared, so usually no one has the guts to insult them or try to bully them face to face, but that's not the case if you're a foreign human. You sure had to hear bad things and swallow everything with your head down. Unpleasant things to hear disguised with fancy, delicate words to appear polite.

Still, it was impossible not to admit, a job outside the neighborhood guarantees a good and stable income.

It is normal for commerces within the community to not be able to pay employees, most of these small businesses operate with the contribution of family members. Like the local flower shop you already told Macaque about, or like Miss Yu who is responsible for selling while her father is responsible for planting the fruits.

The financial conditions of those who live outside that place in the shadows of the big city are much better, and if you wanted to grow, it was important to have money to invest in you.

"It's serious guys, I'm fine, nothing happened, now stop with that face of someone who saw a dog abandoned in the middle of the street, please."

Your two acquaintances have given up trying to take some information, sometimes it's better not to touch fresh wounds. The two even felt a little guilt hit, maybe they were overreacting and just putting you in an embarrassing, maybe even humiliating situation, calling you a poor thing inside their brains and acting like you were weak.

Unfortunately, both the saleswoman and the customer didn't know where a place in need of someone, until a lightbulb went off in the man's head.

"Maybe someone at the night market knows how to help, you know what those guys are like, they've got information on everything. Anyway, it doesn't hurt to try."

Your companion's ears twitched, if all went well he would have exactly what he wanted from the start accomplished: Take a walk through the mysterious night market, the hidden-in-the-dark event of which he himself heard so little.

Macaque wanted to see what the secret night market looked like, if it was really all it promised to be.

Amazingly, the all-hearing ears haven't heard much about what goes on in these nighttime shops, whenever he focuses his powers on trying to pay attention to what people say around there at that specific time, all the sounds become mixed up, indistinguishable. It is impossible for him to identify any words. Everything that is said during the day is that this event of the darkness has everything for sale, they don't say what they sell, who sells it and other things.

It was a mystery interesting enough to make him come out of his lair... And maybe something there can help him defeat a certain someone...

"... I will have this in mind. It isn't like I have many options..."

Giving a new direction to find a job hadn't been enough to make you feel better, however, your friend wouldn't let you go home with such a sad face. A gloomy you just didn't seem right.

He leaned on the shoulder that had once belonged to Maccat. - "Don't be upset, Moonca-"

"Now he's called Moonpie." - A sharp reply cuts him off to correct the mistake.

"The cat is Moonpie, you are Mooncake~"

He expected you to get pissed, just as he got bothered by the nickname he had received before. It was very common to see you at first annoyed by jokes and then laughing at them. To his surprise, the glow of energy returns to your soul, and now enlightened, you declare your newest joy to the heavens.

"That's... That's so nice. My kitty is Moonpie and I am Mooncake! A perfect match! A perfect pair! I loved the nickname!"

"R-Really? You don't mind that...-"

"I would never be bothered by the idea of matching Moonpie. We are both sweets made with Moon!" - A pause to dramatically wipe away a tear of emotion and look affectionately at the simian-feline who stared back at you with funny shook eyes. - "Thank you, Jiǎozi. I feel much better now."

Now you had the determination to continue your job search.

"... Besides, we have enough intimacy to have nicknames with each other, right?"

Miguel relaxed and curled his lips into a smile, if you would be Mooncake at his suggestion then he could be Jiǎozi at your "suggestion". All for the contentment of a dear person. The nickname used to annoy had become affectionate for him from now on.

"Yeah, we are intimate enough for that."

Silently staring at you, Macaque felt something... Strange tug inside his chest. He felt uncomfortable at the shameless man who leaned on your shoulders, distasteful of how close this man seemed to be, and also felt a strange delight at your joyfulness in matching him. He didn't know how to react to all that. In the end, he felt stupid for having so much internal disorder over something so trivial.

Stopping to think about these last few minutes here in front of the tent, he felt even more stupid. That moment when he had his chin held, he got so vulnerable, for so little.

"Let's keep moving, Moonpie!" - You called, gesturing for him to come back to your shoulder that was now unoccupied.

And like the natural force of magnetism, Macaque obeyed and clung to your shoulder again. He did it without questioning himself, with no hesitation, as if it were a programmed instinct he was born with.

Weirdly, after leaving your friend's stand, you got... Quiet. The warrior saw you silently walking, looking down. It was unsettling, to say the minimum. 

You continued on your way, stopping from place to place, shop after shop, asking each of the workers if there was any knowledge of an opportunity. One "no" after another was heard, and with each "no" it was seen that your spirit withered a little more.

With the sky turning orange with the evening advancing, the Sun slowly going down, you saw your bag filling up with essential products, and with that your wallet emptied more.

Macaque was still on your shoulder, accompanying you in silence, not sure of what he was supposed to do to make things better, still, it was hard to not be affected by your state. The set of eyes you carried were sparkling, a middle ground between beautiful and sad, probably a fight to not expose tears to the outside world were happening in there.

A soft tail brushed against your forehead, it picks your attention for a second. Not wanting to lose the progress, he rubs his cheek full of whiskers against yours, delivering a gentle caress to the skin. 

One forced smile graced your lips, it was fact that having a furry buddy helped to lift your spirits, but it took strength to smile. Like it was in fact, a heavy weight that were being lifted in order to grin. 

"Sorry, I'm looking very crestfallen, right? I guess I should look for something to make me laugh more. You deserve a happier friend to deal with, an upside down smile is ugly to see after all."

The walk stopped, the body turned towards a store, a toy store. 

"I think you'll need company when I get to be... On bad days. Let's find a friend for you, how about that?

The ringing bell at the door announces your entrance.

A striking interior, full of colors, bows and shapes, was available. The floor was tiled in pastel colors, and between the shelves of toys there was a separate corner, so the adults could let the kids play while they shopped, an area with a rug on the floor and all.

The cashier's counter strategically had some sweets, in full view of the possible children who would ask for a snack when passing by with their parents to pay for the toys.

"No pets at the store, please!" - A man appeared rushing at the entrance. - "Oh, it's just ya. I didn't know you had a puss, kid."

"It's funny to be an adult being called a kid, you know." - Your hands freely took the cat off the shoulder and placed it on top of the counter.

"Near me, you are just a baby, kid. Changing subjects here, what do ya need? U lookin blue, which is strange when considering how fiery your soul can be."

"Nothing big, just lost a job. Now, did you have a nice friend to my friend here?"

The old bag standing near you froze for a second, he barely had a second to process the information, and when he tried to question anything you just interrupted his phrase to emphasize your goal there.

A deep sigh left him, accompanied by a whisper as well, a whisper that Macaque could hear, but not understand, as the man spoke a foreign language that he didn't seem to even recognize.   

The attendant, a man of great stature, full of white hairs adorning his head, a skin that carried cold undertones, using a tiny round thick lens glasses, stopped for a moment, he took a good look at the cat's figure...

Chapter Text

The two men stared at each other for seconds that felt like agonizing hours. The fake kitty meows a few times to try to break the awkward mood, yet he continues to be watched intently. 

"Say, where did ya find this thing?"

"It entered my house."

"Uh, I see..." - A little bit of sweat slides across his face.

Unlike the human who owned the fruit stand or the demon with food name, this old man seemed wary of the visitor, he scratched his beard and opened his mouth for a second, but closed it right away. He pondered some more, and in the end ended up just muttering something in an unfamiliar foreign language again.

"Did you say something?" - Your voice echoes through the shelves.

"... It's nothing. At least, i think so."

The cat monkey tried to look somewhere else than the eyes of the man, his focus drifted to his uniform, in the chest exists an identification badge written "Vítor". 

When turning his eyes back to who was supposedly "Vítor", it is noticeable that he did not stop being stared at for a second. The starying keeps going on until the shop owner snaps out of his trance and turns his attention back to you.

"... Okay, what does your cat need?"

"Uhhh... Something cute, for sure." - The dark-furred companion raises an eyebrow at your choice of words.

Your curious eyes scan each shelf, and your hands quickly begin running their digits over a few available samples.

"Well, this shop isn't specialized in pets, ya' know? They are children's toys."

"I'm pretty sure that cats can enjoy children's toys too."

The man snickers with your snarky reply.

"I need to close the shop, you dingus." - He states it, but sighs in defeat no much time after.- "I guess it's time for some recommendations..."

Several options were offered, and each one was shown to the person who would be presented. The little troublemaker purposely denied all toys - "Just take one, you little...-" - It had gotten to the point that the seller was insisting on that journey out of pride, he wanted to make the cat choose something at any cost, offering even expensive items for free just so he could "win".

Macaque was having a fair amount of fun, but you caught something in hands that was in fact cute for him, cute enough to make him stop with his antics and actually choose a toy.

A little rubber ducky, one of the few animals that were way too adorable for him, just like bunnies are Wukong's weakness.

"Did you see that? He likes the duckie!" - You begin to pet your beloved kitten, while offering the duckling, which has been carefully held in the mouth by its new owner. - "Moonpie is so charming ah~"

The toy salesman stared open-mouthed at the winning item. The duckling was nothing special; it was a yellow rubber duck with orange beak and paws, that made a squeaking noise when squeezed.

"Tsk tsk. I can't believe that among so many colorful and cool options, this puss chose the simplest toy in the store." - The shop owner spoke with his hands on his hips, he rolled his eyes, and gestured with his hand for you to go to wait at the cashier to pay while he prepared to finally close the place.

Moonpie, holding his toy in his mouth, jumps up on the counter to wait for you to pay. You see this as him saving a place in the checkout line for you. Now the cat has completed the task of waiting at the cashier. 

With that out of the way, you decide to help your friend get the store ready to close.

Initially, he protested against your help, saying that you shouldn't work for free and that he has no money to pay you. But you kept ignoring the request to stop, which made him surrender in defeat with a deep sight and a roll of his eyes. 

First of all, you begin by putting the products that were taken from the shelves back in their respective places, then you start carrying some boxes around according to the orientation that the man was giving. 

Macaque observed you a bit in awe. The boxes seemed heavy; they were big, and they were piled one above the other. When the other man in the scene tried to do the same, it was possible to hear a "crack" sound coming from his back, and you two stopped doing the chores immediately. You took his boxes from him while he decided to sit a little bit to rest up.

But it was really just a bit of a time-out, as just a few minutes later he got up to continue with his work. You weren't the only stubborn one around.

While you were putting things back in their place, Vítor was sweeping the floor and cleaning the shelves so that no dust would accumulate. 

You both helped each other with the task of putting away the toys in the children's waiting area. The building blocks were placed in a small box, and the dolls had their painted faces cleaned with soap and water from a separate bucket.

Among the larger dolls, you saw an adorable red bow. Taking it in your hands, you went to the counter, and when you got there, you called for Vítor so he would take a look in your direction.

He walks up to you, and when finally the two of you are in front of each other, you spin your body in the direction of your furry friend "waiting in the line" and puts the red bow above his head.

"Tadã! He's a gift from heaven now!" - You stretch out both arms so that you frame the surprised kitten with his duckling in his mouth. 

"AH! AHAH! THE LOOK ON HIS FACE!" - Loud chuckles start to spread from his lips, and you frown your brow at him.

"Stop making fun of him! He looks cute!" - Your dear "little pie" wrinkles his nose in irritation at what he is hearing from you.

As the organization was ending soon, Vítor picks up a toy left on his counter and headed to the trash can with it.

"Hey wait! Vítor, what are you going to do with it?"

"Ah? This is a defective plush that ended up in my stock, the supplier refuses to come to exchange a single doll, so I'm getting rid of it. No one wants a weird deal like that."

It was him again, the little monkey with the crown that usually holds a bat, the same one that when mentioned made your fake partner on Valentine's Day laugh like crazy.

But the tiny ape was different from how you saw him represented, he usually had golden eyes, kind of reddish as if on fire, but this one had icy eyes, blue like fresh ocean ice. He was also wearing armor with a crown of phoenix feathers while also wearing a golden and curled crown, normally one or the other crown is worn, never both at the same time.

And on top of all these unusual features, he had crooked feet, inverted to point backwards instead of their toes being pointed forward.

Macaque smiled childishly, thinking of the real King of the Monkeys being thrown into a bin instead of the toy, refused by all the children in China.

"Can ya see how weird he is? The clothes are wrong, the colors, and even parts of his body were sewn the wrong way. It's ugly, so no kid wants that." - The doll is spun in the seller's firm hands with a certain disdain.

"... I will be taking him too."

"Huh?" - He turns sideways and is surprised to see your eye's water as you stretch the money across his face.

The rubber duck fell out of Macaque's mouth. His body was wide-eyed, and his mouth dropped.

He and Vítor looked at each other without understanding.

"W-Wait, kid. Are ya alright?" - By putting a hand in front of your being, you make sure that he does not approach too much at that moment.

You force yourself to look up, which helps to reduce the tears; one of your hands goes up to the top of your head, and in this way your index finger and thumb work together to rub each of your eyes, drying out the excess that was lodged in them.

"It's nothing; I just... Just gimme the monkey plush... Please."

He desperately hands you the plush while emphasizing that it would be free, you just had to please stop crying. Your hands shake as you grab the doll - "... Thanks... I'm sorry for scaring you...". 

What you said still wasn't enough to shake that weird mood that you installed there  - "Don't worry, I'm just a little emotional.... Thanks again" - And that is still not enough...

You were crying? Well, yes, but it wasn't desperate crying.

It was a lot of tears yes, but they were quiet and gentle.

Still, the fake cat and the old man were scrambled, not knowing what to do.

And you didn't know what to do to fix this as well

"... Moonpie, let's go." - He catches his duck and goes in your direction, as you were close to the counter, he easily gets to your shoulder.

You step out of the store and walk quickly away, leaving no room for further conversation with the toy salesman. Vítor poked his head out the door to try to call you, and that made you walk even faster as you ignored his shout to come back and talk.

The quiet walk officially turns into running. A cold wind runs through you and your companion in your shoulder. 

It lasts until you run out of air.

You crouch on the sidewalk, stuffed animal in hand. Quiet, face wet, reddened at the extremities from cold and crying.

... Unsettling.

Macaque climbs down from your shoulder. Stares at you.

"... Sorry Moonpie. I'm really tired today. I guess I should have gone home after seeing Miss Yu and Jiǎozi..."

The fake cat squeaks his duck with his mouth. Not sure if it would help.

"... Well, at least, we got you a friend."

The sun had already finished setting, soon the night market would open, and you could look for a job among the thousands of stalls that would shine around there.

A little voice at the back of your mind is cruel to you; it told you that you weren't supposed to rest until you tried everything you could to get a new job. As an unemployed person, you should talk to the people in the market, to all of them. The quickest you do that, the quickest you will be working again.

But you felt your esophagus burn. Acid flows in your throat; it's uncomfortable, tastes like hell, and you feel your nose in affliction as well. It all makes you want to throw up. You swallow the vinegary feeling with difficulty while drying the tears in your face.

Then, you remember of the most recent event of this day. The memory of your tears exposed to the world just now makes you understand that it's time to stop. 

"I think I'm overwhelming myself here. It's better to go home for now, I don't want to be a bother to another friend."

Macaque felt... Relieved. 

Even if, with this decision, his plans to see the market were destroyed, he felt that it was the best at that time. Much had already been supported for a single day; the human before him was emotionally and physically drained.

... Yeah, another day would surely be a better time to go and take a look at the market. A well-rested, well-disposed, and mentally fit person is a much more efficient guide than a person in a deplorable state.

The monkey watches as your sparkly eyes, shining with how watery they were not so long ago, slowly stops looking at him to give a look at the sky. 

You focus on the clouds that adorned the horizon.

"... What would she think of me?" - You seemed to be really deep in thoughts, frowning while looking up. - "... What would my grandmother think of this all?" - Worries were present in the voice. 

Your gaze shifted back to Moonpie, then to the plush in your hands. 

Taking a deep breath, you hold your eyes closed for a moment. In the darkness, the turmoil that has battered your mind settles into a distant quiet. 

A moment of peace fills your mind, though for only a brief instant.

"Well, let's go home, I guess." - Rising to your feet, you prepare to continue you path. All with eyes still sealed.

The six eared being prepares himself to go back with you to your home, he shakes himself, imitating a dog, to straighten up his fur, and also licks his right paw and rubs it behind one of his ears. 

Feeling ready to go, he coughs to himself to warm his throat to meow at you, so it would make yourself go down and take the feline in your arms.

But the wind shifted. 

You felt a chill in your spine.

A foreign voice is heard, and it wasn't any voice to you. It was his voice... Calling for you.

Despair sinks into your stomach when you recognize the person behind you, using just the sound coming from his throat to identify him. That acid burning up the interior of your neck is coming back.

Chest hurts, it's hard to get air. The heart seemed to be trying to escape through your mouth; you feel yourself being suffocated by it. It was him, again.

By the gods, you were at your limit already.

You open your eyes and turn your body around slowy.

"How... When?" - You said it back in the same language being spoken by the man from overseas.

Macaque notices the shift in your energy and your frightful manner. He looks at the guy as well, and gets confused. That person didn't seem to represent any danger, with his innocent and kind energy very much resembling that of the Golden Cicada. Yet you remained frightened despite the calm and gentle disposition. What was causing such a reaction?

The monkey was well aware that the man wasn't the reincarnation of the Cicada, but the body, voice and eyes of that being indicated a soft and gentle type. It wasn't possible to indicate anything in that presence that represented danger, something hard for someone like Macaque to admit, everyone is untrustworthy to him. It sounds crazy for him to admit that, but said person seemed to even emanate a protective divine golden aura from him.

Your eyes, slightly shiny from the moisture they carried, slid down to your feet, examining everything that was down there. Your shoes, the floor... Until your vision landed on the adorable furry being that had recently stolen your heart. 

The body was still shaking, but your frightened eyes quickly filled with bravery. Without hesitation, you bent your knees to the cat's height and picked it up in your arms, a firm but gentle grip so as not to hurt him.

It was impossible to tell what was happening between the two of you, but from your body language and tone of voice, you weren't liking his presence. It was clear that you were arguing with the young man, and Macaque couldn't figure out why.

This human with a faint golden aura tries to get closer to you, and you try to avoid him by taking steps back at the same frequency as he takes steps forward.

His arms stretch out as if inviting the other person for a hug. And you, as if you had a baby in your arms to protect, begin to shrink with the cat in your arms and turn your body slightly to put it out of the man's reach. You dropped sentences in a defensive tone, it sounded sharp too.

The person with the kind countenance begins to change his facial expression, looking hurt. He begins to speak more in this language that was incomprehensible to Macaque, a certain pain can be heard in his voice. If the warrior had to guess what it looked like, he would say that it looked like someone begging for something.

Your head starts shaking to gesture a "no", and from this movement, several other "no's" emerge.

"Enough! I refuse! I will no longer speak your language, do your tasks, or follow the path you say is destined for me. I don't care if you say it's my destiny! I will build my future! I refuse this destiny of yours!"

This word, being said in a loop, reminded the false feline of someone he would rather forget. Upon hearing the last "destiny", this one being spoken in a stronger, more disgusted tone, it ends up with the shadow-powered being doing an impulsive action.

In a quick and precise movement, one of the clawed paws rises and tears the skin from the face of the man who had come closer than he should have to the space that belonged to you. 

Three small lines are opened on that surface, and from them emerges the crimson liquid, which slides down the cheek until it leaves the face and drips onto the floor.

It smells... Delicious...?

"Oh... Fuck." - You look at the drop in the soil, it seems to spread a little along the asphalt.

The ground starts to shake. At first, it wasn't anything strong, but quickly, the movement of the terrain becomes worthy of worrying.

"Take him to somewhere safe!" - The cat is quickly placed in the arms of the injured man, who apparently already had the cut sealed. Only the mark of the claws on his face, no blood, only three soft scars (something bizarre to Macaque, by the way). - "Run!"

The one who received the kitten seems to try to protest, turning to you to argue something, but when the ground starts to crack a little with the apparent earthquake, you turn and push him away. With the propulsion of your smack, the man seems to instinctively start running in the other direction for safety.

The Six Eared Macaque sees your figure becoming distant, until the young man turns a corner, and you completely disappear from his field of vision. He hears some human screams, and a roaring sound, in chorus. He also heard footsteps; footsteps of several people running everywhere.

The cat-monkey starts to struggle in the grip of the man. And said man didn't waver.

With a big chomp, Macaque bites the hand holding him. 

Both, he and the foreigner fall down on the street. The one running tripped, when the pain made him distract from the run itself. It was the perfect opportunity to escape.

"Oh no! Wait!" - The golden lad finally speaks in the local language. - "The builder isn't going to like this! They will be mad if I let you go..." 

The shadow warrior stops for a second. He gets surprised that the other spoke to him in his language.

Turning around, he saw the man standing on the ground with a hand stretched out to reach for him, but he seemed to have been interrupted by a thought, his eyes had a slight golden glow and he slowly lowered his own hand.

"I see... So that's how this is supposed to be... I have to let you go." 

/ ... Is he really talking to me? /

He uses both hands to support himself up, and then when he is again in his two legs, he continues in the opposite direction from where you were last seen, but this time he leaves Macaque alone, by himself.

Is it strange? Yes, a lot. 

Will he go after the other? No.

When the unknown figure turns a corner, the furry being feels a snap in his mind: You were left alone there. 

It wasn't his problem; he said it over and over in his head, and even thinking that way, like an incessant chain of thoughts repeating itself, his legs walked of their own accord. You weren't his problem, but he wanted to at least check if you were okay.

However, when he got there, there was no trace, neither that anything had happened there, nor that you had been there. He was away for so little time, but in just a few seconds, everything was fine in that region; the people on the street were no longer shouting, and despite walking cautiously, they no longer seemed to be in danger.

Should he... Go after you?

Still in shock, he focused on the surroundings, hearing a bunch of noises and voices, searching if somewhere he could hear... In the middle of the buildings, in the direction of your home, he heard your voice. 

In that short time, you had already dealt with whatever the problem was, and returned home.

"... How?"