Not So Easy

Headcanon where after the events of Skybound, Jay became a MENACE on the battlefield.

Jay’s fighting style changed to downright dirty from Scrap-N-Tap (think Spinjitzu —> street fighting), and the other ninjas didn’t really notice until he throat punched Kai instinctually during a sparring match.

Grief sucks but it can suck less with a friend

No Pulled Punches

Chapter Three: Reunion

Chapter One: Here

Chapter Two: Here

A slightly alternate take on the Lantern fight in episode 8, where Tang endures some more realistic injuries after Macaque kicks him into the wall, but still finds the strength to summon his powers and take the Ring.

Did anyone order some Tang angst, with a little hurt/comfort to follow and a dash of FreeNoodles? No? Here it is anyway!

Final Chapter!

Always a deep sleeper, Tang took his time waking up, only dimly aware of some far off discomfort he initially attributed to sleeping in an odd position. As he slowly grew more aware, additional little clues came to him to indicate something was off. The sheets below him were not familiar, there was a hint of something chemical to the air, and the discomfort in his side was intensifying and expanding. A grimace twisted his features when the unpleasant sensation registered as pain.

At that exact point, a number of concerning facts became readily obvious; he was somewhere he did not recognize, and he wasn't exactly in the best of shape. His heart began to pound as a million fears raced through his waking mind. Thoughts of being kidnapped by demons yet again were foremost, but considering the fragmented memories rapidly putting themselves together, he potentially had far more to worry about.

A gentle hand on his shoulder helped him to calm down straight away. The touch was impossibly familiar but hard to place, not that he was in much of a hurry as it started lulling him back to sleep. He was halfway back to unconsciousness when a far off voice broke the silence.

"Tang, can you hear me?"

Not bothering to open his eyes, he mumbled out a reply that he himself barely heard, answering more out of habit. "Five more minutes…"

"Five more what?" an exasperated voice echoed back, energetic tone surprising him enough that he opened his eyes on the spot. 

Suddenly very much awake, he gasped reflexively as the light met his eyes, a move that racked his aching chest hard enough to make him flinch. His hand flew to the hurt and found a hospital gown over thick bandages instead of his usual attire, a discovery that made everything start to fall into place. When the brightness faded after a few quick blinks, he found himself in the interior of a small but cozy hospital room. Two familiar looking blurs hurtling his way left little time to get a good look around.

There was no time to brace before he was hugged on both sides, Pigsy and MK each calling out his name in relief as they wrapped him up in a warm embrace. Forgetting everything, even the pain, he raised his arms on reflex to hug them back as tightly as his injuries allowed. Everything that had happened before he'd lost consciousness was now clear in his mind, and he wanted to savor every moment back in the presence of his friends. He'd come closer than he cared to think to losing them all…

"You're okay, you're okay!" MK repeated enthusiastically, a few happy tears dotting his cheeks as he gushed with contagious delight. Tang couldn't help but chuckle a little at the endless stream of gratitude, holding the boy close to assure him he was indeed okay. Well, more or less okay.

After a solid minute of not being let go, he finally spoke up. "What happened? Why am I…?" fading off in thought, he realized all at once that the one thing he'd risked life and limb for wasn't at hand. In a fresh panic, he spoke up without waiting for the hug to end. "The Rings! Are they-"

MK pulled back to grab something off a nearby table, becoming a blur from more than just speed as he stepped out of the range of Tang's vision. Realizing he didn't have his glasses with a bit of unease, he at least felt a sense of relief upon beholding the three Golden blobs in his young friend's hands. An equally hazy smile was apparent on MK's face even with his lackluster vision. "They're safe, I got them all, see?"

"Not… really?" he confirmed with the tiniest hint of good natured sass, mostly wanting to lighten the mood a bit as he gestured to his bare face. 

Pigsy wordlessly handed him the frames, which he took with a touch of relief upon seeing them intact and cared for, feeling much more comfortable once they were settled on his nose and the world fell back into focus. Noting that the lenses had been cleaned, he settled his head back on an admittedly comfortable pillow with a soft sigh when a wave of weariness crashed over him. His escapades had taken enough out of him that just hugging was exhausting. Knowing there was much to catch up on made it easy for him to stay awake for the time being, even if he was far less animated than usual.

"What-"

"Wait!" MK interrupted in a flurry of movement, grabbing his phone from his pocket and dialing at the speed of light. "I've gotta go let the guys know you woke up!" 

Already starting the first phone call, he ran out of the room before they could react, Mei's frantic voice just apparent on the other line as he rushed out of the door with a quick promise over his shoulder.

"Be right back!" 

Rapid footsteps faded down the hall in the time it took for him and Pigsy to look back at one another. In that moment he finally had the time to notice just how exhausted his partner looked, probably even more than he was. Sympathy and guilt twisted in his heart in equal measure. It had occurred to him even in the heat of the moment how worried Pigsy would be, but to see it now…

He tried his best to think of the shortest yet most expository summation of his evening; his desire to help, his climb into the Lantern, his confrontation with Macaque… Even with all of his passion for storytelling, it was going to be a doozy.

"Pigsy I-"

Desperate arms wrapped about him in a far deeper hug than the last, pulling him in close enough for Tang to feel the beating of his partner's heart through the hospital gown.

"Thought I lost you…" Pigsy said quietly, voice breaking before it faded into silence. It was Tang's turn to tear up. The man he'd loved for most of his life clung to him as if he might evaporate in an instant, holding him close even whilst his arms shook. Holding him back despite his own trembling, Tang allowed the hospital to fade away, feeling a few more hot tears on his shoulder. All he wanted was a few precious seconds to bask in the love he'd never take for granted again.

"You didn't." he promised with all the strength he had left, head bowing as the effort of a simple embrace took its toll.

Pigsy pulled back as soon as he felt the leaner man going limp against him, wiping away the tears that had gathered before he tenderly helped his partner sit upright on the gathered pillows. There was a mountain of unspoken words between them, but neither had the slightest idea of where to start. It didn't help that they were both more exhausted than they'd been in recent memory. For a moment they simply sat hand in hand, each daring to believe that the other wasn't going anywhere whilst they gathered their thoughts.

"I know you're tired, but I've- we've, got a lot of questions." Pigsy said at last, focusing on what needed to be done because it was easier than what needed to be said. Gladly taking the opportunity, he kept his hand on Pigsy's while laying his head back with a sigh. He wanted to tell them everything at once, but he was struggling just to keep his head up. Sleep would come quickly once he'd told his story.

"Of course." he confirmed, quickly ignoring his fatigue and scrolling through the events he'd endured in his mind. A flash of purple and a memory of explosive pain made him hesitate, but he pushed down the worry with a quick adjustment of his glasses and a glance to the window. Thoughts of their vulnerability compelled him to speak up. "But, uh, are we safe here?"

Pigsy secured his hold on his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "You don't need to worry about Macaque; Monkey King is keeping an eye out all around the hospital, and we haven't seen a thing." he explained, encouraging his partner to look back at him. Tang knew that Sun Wukong wasn't the only one Macaque would have to deal with when their team inevitably met him again, and he had to wonder if their foe knew just what kind of an enemy he'd made in Pigsy. "Sandy and Mei were in the food court, but if I had to guess, they won't be long."

Tang nodded, halfway surprised they couldn't already hear the gang tearing across the hospital to get to them. Finding that focusing on action helped him feel more secure, he tried to think of the work that needed to be done. Retelling his story would only be the first of many important steps now that they had the Rings. 

"Once they're here, I'll explain everything." he promised, getting a little more tucked in beneath the thin hospital blankets as the chill of the room made him shiver. Pigsy was already unfolding a spare blanket by the time he began gathering his thoughts in earnest, trying to make his memories flow clearly and in order. Feeling the additional warmth of the blanket as it settled over him helped to focus his mind. "Where to beg-ow." 

The tiniest shift sent a hot stitch of pain through his chest, making him flinch and cling to his bandages. 

Pigsy had a hand on his shoulder before he could open his eyes, his careful grip keeping his partner upright as he spoke up quickly and with open concern. "If you need more time, we can-'

"It's not that bad now, just a little sore." he assured, trying and failing to make his point with a shrug that only aggravated the injury further. Hissing through clenched teeth, he hugged himself as he tried not to shake from the shock of pain. His voice was more of a wheeze when he finally found it. "Okay, a lot sore…" 

"Tang…" Pigsy said more urgently, his tired eyes wide with worry that cut through any excuse Tang could have hoped to conjure up. There was no denying that he was hurt, and that his body could only stand being pushed to a limited degree. All he could do to make things better was be honest.

"I'll let you know if I need help. Promise." he said whilst desperately hoping he conveyed just how deeply he meant it. Pigsy nodded in understanding and agreement whilst squeezing his hand. Gingerly tracing the bandages on his side, Tang used the opportunity to ask a question of his own, curious as to what all he'd endured without realizing it. "Did I… break anything?"

It was a very insufficient question, as he'd felt more than a few things break on impact, but he wasn't sure of a gentler way to ask.

"Quite a few things. It's all on your chart, here. I… didn't get a chance to look through it yet." Pigsy answered quickly, his tone growing strained once he produced a thin manilla folder that had been tucked away on the table. Tang couldn't help but be a little concerned, and he hesitated out of worry for what he might find before he opened the file.

"Oh, my…" was all he could say at the detailed notations on the X-Rays. It had been apparent he was injured the moment it happened, but to behold the degree in such clear, clinical detail… Realizing what Macaque had inflicted on him through a simple lack of restraint sent a shiver down his spine. If it hadn't been for the quick actions of his friends, he would have been in deep trouble.

"How long was I out?" he asked quickly, snapping the file shut and making sure it was out of reach. When he saw Pigsy close his eyes to think, he was left to assume he had been unconscious long enough for the hours to blend together. 

"It's been about… a day, give or take a few hours." Pigsy confirmed. Tang could hear how every hour had drained him, and had to wonder what his friends had done to pass the time while they waited for him to wake back up. Thoughts of them worrying for hours twisted his heart with guilt before his partner continued. "You're up earlier than they were expecting. I've had a couple doctors tell me you should be-"

A great rumbling from down the hall probably had the other patients on the floor worried that a stampede had broken out in the hospital, but he and Pigsy knew what was coming just before his door burst open yet again.

"TANG!"

His entire world became one gigantic embrace as he was centered in what had to be the biggest group hug of all time, the entire group joining in to celebrate being together again. Mei and Sandy made up for lost time by hugging him even more tightly than MK and Pigsy, showing just enough restraint to avoid aggravating his injury.

"Okay, okay, that's enough!" he laughed as his glasses were knocked halfway off his face in the chaos, his hair thoroughly mussed by the time Sandy released the group from his massive arms. Straightening his lenses to see the euphoric but tear stained faces welcoming him back, he smiled gratefully, only now realizing just how deeply he'd been missed. He promised himself never to doubt his position in the group again as he allowed the pillows at his back to support more of his weight. "I missed you all too." 

A loud and emphatic meow drew his attention just before a blue ball of fluff hopped onto the hospital bed, and Mo padded into his lap without waiting for approval. Purring with the determination of a therapy cat intent on doing his job, the feline looked as happy as a cat could be to see someone.

"Oh, including you, Mo." he welcomed softly, finding a touch of relief as the warm bundle snuggled against him. A fuzzy head nuzzled under his chin before the cat curled up on his lap and began purring to offer as much comfort as a little bundle of love could give. Tang found the soft hum to be a genuine source of relief for his lingering pains.

"Alright, hold off everyone, give him some air." Pigsy encouraged gently, staying right at his partner's side as the group gave their friend the much needed space around his bed. 

"Sorry, we were so worried!" Mei said, apologizing for their enthusiasm as she wiped away a few happy tears. 

"Are you okay, Tangy? Anything I can get you?" Sandy asked before producing a bag almost bursting with goodies. "I stocked up at the food court but I can go back!"

"I'm fine, really." Tang said gratefully, noting that for a change he wasn't hungry in the slightest. Ignoring that, he took advantage of the moment to introduce a bit of much needed levity. "That being said; what's on their menu?"

The group shared a freeing chuckle at his seemingly boundless love for food, and with that they all breathed a little easier, allowing Pigsy to come in and move the conversation along.

"Tang, if you're ready, you wanna tell us what happened?" he asked gently, giving his partner plenty of opportunity to decline.

Tang took a shallow breath, thinking back on everything he could remember. There was a small part of him that recognized how, despite the stakes, this was a story like any other. Given that it was his, he wanted to tell it with a touch of pride, as well as the recognition he felt it deserved. He was confident he'd earned that much. "Well, where to begin…"

A thunk against the window made him tense, but he had five very protective friends between himself and the possible attacker before he could even turn to see what caused the commotion.

Not moving with any particular urgency, Sun Wukong opened the window from the outside and squeezed through, stopping only when a loud and very confused voice shouted from multiple stories below; "H-Hey up there, you can't-!"

"No, it's cool! This is my friend's room I'm breaking into!" the Monkey King assured the security guard, ignoring the many complaints that followed to plop himself into the hospital room. Shaking some snow from his fur, he closed the window behind him to cut off the yelling with a roll of his eyes. "Yeesh, touchy!" 

Turning around to find everyone frozen by his unexpected arrival, Wukong looked past them all and brightened when he saw Tang awake and upright.

"Hey, Tang my man, good to see you up! I haven't seen any sign of you-know-who, so I figured I'd drop in to check on things." he greeted, stepping inside and plopping himself down on one of the many comfortable seats in the well furnished room. "Mind telling us how you got your hands on that ring?"

"He was just about to!" Pigsy huffed with a snort, giving the Monkey King slightly more grace than usual due to present circumstances. Looking unconcerned, Wukong shrugged to return the floor to Tang.

"As I was saying…" he accepted with a clearing of his throat, feeling a touch more energized as he got right into the thick of his tale. Tweaking a few of the details to heighten the drama and enhance his heroics, he thoroughly enjoyed his friend's immediate investment in his every word. MK listened with the same wide eyes he always had when Tang told the most exciting of the Monkey King legends, something that touched him and encouraged him to give it his all. Not even total exhaustion could keep him from being excited to recount a slightly more graceful version of his descent into the Lantern.

"I would have had the Ring in minutes, but that was when Macaque showed up. He knew I'd find it, so he let me do all the hard work of tracking it down before he attacked!" he said with a flourish, ignoring the twinge of pain it produced for the sake of the story.

"How did you beat Macaque?" MK asked with wide eyes, waiting with literal bated breath for the answer. Tang smirked and tilted his head to allow the light to glint off his lenses.

"It was a simple matter of outwitting my foe!" he declared, losing a bit of steam when he realized what part of the story he'd arrived at. There was no way to summarize all that had happened in a way that made sense, as he had yet to make any sense of it himself. Total honesty seemed his best bet. With a tug on his gown's collar and a small cough, he allowed the words to tumble out as they came to him. "There was also… some… intense burst of power of the likes of which I've never experienced that emanated from the core of my being and allowed me to take the Ring, which I believe played a small role in my victory."

A silence that was so profound it made the snow landing outside sound like cannonballs overtook the hospital room. 

"You have powers?!" Mei shouted to break the quiet, a rush of fiery green energy crackling about her flailing limbs. MK joined her with equal enthusiasm and a beaming smile, "That's so awesome, Mr. Tang!"

"We're on our way to being a full superhero squad!" Mei agreed as the two bounced around the room in a literal blur, making Tang chuckle at their exuberant joy.

"Hold up!" Pigsy said firmly to stop the chaos before something expensive was broken. Keeping his hand over Tang's, he spoke calmly, but his eyes betrayed a touch of concern. Tang could tell they'd be adding this to the list of things they needed to discuss in private. "What kind of powers are we talking about here, Tang? I've known you for a long time, and I haven't exactly seen you… shapeshift, or nothing like that."

"It wasn't quite like anything I've seen before, certainly not like the abilities you use, MK." he explained, looking to the young boy as he tried to recall the moment in greater detail. When MK used his abilities, the effect was tangible to anyone in close proximity, and the energy he had experienced felt quite different. It was a challenge to describe exactly how though. "These were more… defensive, like a physical, protective manifestation of will. It all happened quite quickly, but it felt and certainly looked like I summoned a kind of shield-"

He was unexpectedly interrupted by Wukong, who stood up in a flash and bore an expression of urgency. "Was it a bubble? A golden bubble?"

"Yes, actually." he replied reflexively, only realizing after he'd answered how little sense the question made. "Exactly."

"How would you know that?" Pigsy asked pointedly, saying what was on everyone's mind at the incredibly accurate guess. The Monkey King's expression went blank under all the eyes in the room turning his way.

"Ah! That's a technique I've seen a few times, while fighting demons and stuff!" he said at last, rubbing the back of his neck while an awkward smile failed to convince any of them. Coughing and softening his tone, he pretended to be very invested in a speck on the floor as he continued speaking. "It's… pretty rare. Great for keeping people safe." Sitting back down on his chair and resuming his usual air of confidence, he gestured for them to go on. "Continue, please."

Tang readily took the opportunity, finishing up the story on a happy note. "After that, I ran back into you all!" he said with a slightly nervous chuckle, recalling how the adrenaline rush had still been going strong when he'd tumbled into Pigsy's arms. Though he had once considered such fortune to be unrealistic and lazy in storytelling, he had a very different view after having lived it. That newfound appreciation for simple luck made him smile softly as he pushed up his glasses. "Quite the fortunate coincidence, if I do say so myself."

"I just can't believe you beat Macaque!" MK said in agreement, his eyes shining in delight. Something clicked within him as the name of their enemy passed his lips, and his face dropped when guilt took over. "I'm… so sorry I didn't-"

"MK, I'm the one who went off alone." Tang interrupted, firm but gentle. It had been foolish to go off on his own, and while things had turned out well he never would have wanted his young friend to feel responsible if they hadn't. Once he'd discussed things with Pigsy, it seemed a talk with MK was in order as well. He beckoned for the young boy to approach and took his hand in his own as he spoke.

"It's not your job to protect everyone, okay?" 

MK smiled and sniffled, his eyes welling up with grateful tears as he nodded in understanding. 

"That's right." Pigsy confirmed, putting a hand on both of their shoulders. "We're all here to protect each other, yeah?"

"You know it!" Mei confirmed, giving MK a dragon sized hug that replaced his tears with fresh laughter. 

"Awww, group hug!" Sandy declared happily, his great arms encircling the entire group for a massive embrace. Tang once more laughed along as he was gently smushed against his friends, their careful arms avoiding his injury. Mo purred dutifully at his side as everyone savored the moment. Tang closed his eyes and joined them, not caring if they took a hundred years. He'd never doubt his place among them again…

"Awesome group hug guys, ten out of ten!" Monkey King said from the other side of the room, giving the display of affection two not-at-all sarcastic thumbs up. "I can feel the love from here!"

jttw comic

沙和尚の話が書きたかっただけです。

沙和尚は流沙河で九人の坊主を食べたらしいので、天竺への道中で三蔵を食べたいと思う時があるのではないだろうかと思って。でも食べないで我慢をする沙悟浄が偉いという。

三蔵の慈悲で血くらいなら吸われてもいいかと沙和尚に吸わせても良い。というかエロい。

英語訳は後ほどリブログにて投稿します。

This movie is going to actually ki l l me

Dude, can you imagine looking in your Alternative dimension evil counterpart's eyes and seeing every bit of your self-harming and suicidal tendencies manically smiling back at you?

This moment is absolutely insane. Griffe Noire's entire face is twitching because he's THIS eager to proof his good counterpart Chat Noir wrong that he has any power over him. That ANYONE has any power over him that could actually hurt him, just like our Adrien is forced in basically every dynamic he has to hide away his negative emotions bc it could bother or inconvenience someone.

It's one of the most extreme coping mechanisms regarding emotional and physical vulnerability or helplessness. Deliberately tanking any kind of pain to "proof" that NOTHING anyone can do "could possibly hurt or break you".

This is by far the most unhinged and insane Griffe Noire is in the special. His TRULY worst sides only comes out when he interacts with our Adrien/Chat Noir which really brings home just how much self-loathing Alt Adrien (or let's be real, this is still a reflection of our Adrien too) internalized

Which in turn then made their later bonding moment of mutual and unconditional self-acceptance all the more important for both of their paths to healing.

Kagami is soooooo clearly autistic and i think most people agree on this so I think we sleep on the fact that Adrien is like the only person in the show (besides Félix ig, but you can apply this to him as well) who immediately got her. like Adrien and Kagami are on a wavelength. like everyone thought Kagami was awkward and weird and didn't understand her but Adrien just thought she was cool and nice. I'm almost positive that if a character commented to Adrien about Kagami being "weird" he literally wouldn't understand what they were referring to. Kagami commented all the time about how similar her and Adrien were and how that made them perfect for each other. Marinette, the other person who Adrien clearly super vibes with and gets along super well with, is also commonly agreed upon to be ADHD. The most Adrien thought of Marinette's extremely outlandish behavior around him was that it was "sweet and just her charm" (literally his words to Kagami in Protection). In general there's almost a trend in the show where the more openly neurodivergent a character is the more Adrien seems to vibe with them and is comfortable around them. Adrien is not neurotypical in this essay i will

we r all waiting for this

[BLUE DIDNT COOK IT]