Do you think Macaque is meant to be fully redeemed as of S4? I don't personally think so but apparently a lot of people do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Well, I guess it depends how you view "redeemed"! At this point, I fully believe that Macaque has become one of the "good guys" (even as we're continually deconstructing what that is). Macaque chose to help "make things right" in "Embrace Your Destiny". Macaque chose to help MK when he was at his lowest in 4x09. Macaque's choice to stay and face the end of the world with everyone else, in contrast to his 2x07, 3x10, and 4x11 (flashback) choices to run away, is an extremely significant development. This is juxtaposed to Peng in particular, who chooses to leave when things look too dangerous for them, ultimately abandoning their brothers ("Is there anything Wukong could do that would break his hold over you?"). We can see the ways in which Macaque has started putting others/the greater good above himself. The fact that he willingly offered to help Wukong in 4x11 is HUGE for him, and proves he has started to understand and even forgive Wukong. He's grown. He's starting to gain more noble traits.
HOWEVER, would I say Macaque's character arc is complete? Absolutely not! "Redemption" isn't the end all be all for an arc. Macaque still has plenty of places to improve (particularly with his relationships), and we could stand for an MK apology.
But, god be willing, in the event we get the "SWK & MK falling out", I hope Macaque is the one defending Wukong from MK. Reverse the roles. MK has been the one to constantly argue on Wukong's behalf to everyone else, he's been Wukong's greatest supporter (or his biggest fan dare I say). Macaque's been so deeply hurt by Wukong, and has arguably been one of Wukong's greatest disparagers. They'd be following in each others footsteps, so to speak. MK becoming more jaded and Macaque becoming more compassionate. After all, who knows more about the ways you can get too close to Wukong than Macaque! But, who else knows more about forgiving Wukong than Macaque? Though this was kind of a tangent lol.
Anyways, tldr: I think Macaque has been "redeemed" in the sense he's fully on team "protagonist" now, but he has plenty of room to grow!
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Hiiii!! I love these rare moments when Thena successfully cooks/bakes something for Gil! So how about she make something for him and it turns out good??
I think it would fit for the Bodyguard AU. If you think it would fit into another AU better please do it!
"Thena?"
Gil walked into the apartment, smelling...quite a few things, really. First and foremost, he could smell the evidence of something burning, which was his main concern.
Thena had told him not to bring food with him when he came over today. Apparently she was 'trying something'. He was pretty sure he had never seen her so much as attempt to use her fancy penthouse kitchen, so he wasn't entirely sure what she was 'trying'.
But she sounded excited, and that alone made him agree to it.
"What, uh," he blinked, on the verge of laughing when he arrived a true disaster in her stunning kitchen. There were bowls and failed attempts still in pans strewn everywhere. That was that weird burnt smell. He smirked, "is going on here?"
"Gil!" Thena emerged from behind the countertop with a bright smile. Her hair was pulled back and there was evidence of stuff all over her flawless skin. But she seemed positively elated to see him. "I'm so glad you're here!"
It was such a simple statement, but it really made his heart start flip-flopping around in his chest with glee. He shirked off his bomber jacket and laid it over the back of one of the counter chairs. "Is this what you've been up to?"
"Okay," she sighed, turning back to the stove.
It was going to take hours to get this place looking presentable again.
"I remember you telling me that you hum in the kitchen because your grandmother would," she narrated as she stirred the pot of...something. "Aren't some of your favourite recipes from her?"
"Uh, yeah," Gil blinked as Thena offered him sparing and fleeting looks over her shoulder as she tasted her creation. He had mentioned it, ever so briefly in passing. He didn't think she had remembered it.
"Well, my grandmother also made me most of my meals in childhood."
Gil blinked; Thena had never brought up her family before. Not much was known about them, and certainly she had never even so much as mentioned them.
"She was quite a good cook, or perhaps everyone else in my family was just so bad that she was the lesser of evils," Thena continued to talk as she added the very last dash of salt to the pot before turning off the burner. "She used to make us a soup called Ukha."
Gil had read about it--Russian or maybe Slavic in origin? It was a fish stew. He raised his brow, "fish?"
"I know," she sighed, finally turning to him and tossing away her hand towel. She tilted her head, "I knew you would catch that."
He chuckled, holding up his hands in surrender, "I'm just saying--you always have some complaint when I make fish for you."
"Because I used to eat Ukha all the time!" she huffed, rolling her eyes. He had never seen this particular light in her eyes, before. But it was quite similar to when she was particularly pleased with her latest performance.
It was pride.
Gil inhaled reflexively as she pushed the bowl in front of him. It was a semi-clear broth, probably a seafood stock, although it didn't smell super fishy. There were large, uneven chunks of carrots and potatoes and onions, and some very whole herbs that probably could have been ground up finer.
It was beautiful.
"You said you were still a little bit stuffy after being sick," she murmured more sheepishly now, toying with the apron she had on over her clothes (an apron he had bought her, since of course she didn't own one before). "I know you like soup--and it's rather hard to mess up broth. So, I thought... "
"It's great!"
Thena sighed at him, "you haven't even tasted it!"
He didn't care. It looked beautiful, and the hopeful eagerness on Thena's face said a thousand words. He picked the bowl up and took a deep, loud slurp.
"Gil!"
He made a nice loud 'ahh' sound too, as if he had taken a deep swig of beer after a hard day. But really...it wasn't bad. It was maybe a little over-seasoned, too many flavours battling it out for dominance. Even after her last dash of salt it could probably use more. He would guess that some of the larger veg pieces might be a little under done in texture.
But none of that mattered because it was the best thing he had ever eaten. "It's not bad."
"Really?"
He smiled, genuinely eager to offer his praise of the simple white fish stew. "I bet your grandma would be proud."
Thena blinked, her eyes going glassy. She sniffled, turning back to the pot for herself. "Well, I wanted to do something for you. Especially since I meant to, and then..."
She was referring to when she came over to his place to take care of him while he was sick and then fell asleep on his bed. He had eventually gotten up and made some miso soup for the both of them, much to Thena's embarrassment and frustration.
"Come on," he chuckled, taking a more civilised spoonful of soup. Actually, it was pretty good on his second taste of it. She had actually cooked the fish just right, which was probably the hardest part of things.
"Hm," she mused, taking only a few spoonfuls for herself in a small tasting bowl. "I suppose I've made much worse."
"It's good," he assuaged, although she still seemed to be ignoring his open praise of it. He tilted his head to try and get a better look at her, "careful, Thena."
She tilted her head at him as well.
"You'll get me hooked on this stuff. Then I'll be asking you to make it for me all the time."
She rolled her eyes at him, now more flustered over his warm reception of her first successful meal attempt. "You will not."
"Why not?" he shrugged, taking another spoonful and chewing the fish. It was actually nice and soft, almost...buttery? His eyes dashed over to the counters again and he spied one of the pans with what was definitely burned butter crusted onto the bottom. That was the smell; she had taken a few tries to get the fish butter basted before adding it to the soup. It was a nice touch, though.
"How are you feeling, by the way?" she peeked up at him, still somewhat shy from his open adoration.
He sniffed the soup again, letting its heavy dill and tarragon scent push through his sinuses. "Much better, now."
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ok SO i went and got out Most of my knives (i remembered I have a nonbinary knife only after i took the photos & also idk where it is currently. just imagine all these plus a nonbinary flag knife ok? ok)
HERE ^ is the most of them, minus that nonbinary knife. look at that fuckin mess. 32 shown here (i think) plus my nonbinary knife makes 33 blades (minus cooking knives, i dont count those for these purposes)(also counting the swiss army knife as only 1 bc lol)
& some explanations for them! gonna put these under a readmore bc it got Kinda long on accident whoops. Read Ahead if u wanna see me nerd out about my knife collection.
STARTING WITH my big ones.
my spear (gifted to me), my cane sword (from anime convention), my shitty $20 sword (also from anime convention. low quality but cool as hell), my teal mini sword + matching throwing knives (from online), my decorative axe (from a local store), my twin blades (my sharpest blades, theyre actually kinda scary how sharp they are, but i love them bc of it. from online), red saber (from online),
ANDDDDDDDDDDDD my favorite hefty bitch of a machete that i sleep with in my bed frame on the very right (inherited from my grandpa bc i was the first one who spotted it at Family Claiming Day)(this thing really is as long as my leg & much heavier than Any of the rest of the blades pictured here. i love it)
another view of the blades so u can better see how long they are. the big boys. they're lovely. 2nd heaviest blade is the cane sword when it's in its cane, mostly bc that handle has some Heft. tbh id feel safer using it as a bludgeoning weapon than a stabbing weapon, but having a cane sword is just plain cool
AND my smaller blades!
i have a lot of pocket knives. starting from the top left: golden pocket knife (from online), rainbow dragon (from online), rainbow HEFTY boy (heaviest pocket knife, from online), spider knife (from online), stiletto jade (from online), pathetic army boy (from local store, this knife has NO redeeming qualities, but it's mine <3), black stiletto (from local store), plain dagger man (from online), my damascus steel knife (was a gift, probably my singular most expensive knife. fancy boy), Dull Dagger Man (first blade i ever bought, from anime convention)
& for bottom row: teeny black knife (first pocket knife i owned, gift from my dad), lil rainbow knife (from local store), plain steel knife (from sketchy shop in gatlinburg + one of my Favorite knives), green dragon knife (from online, a real beaut), triple throwing knives (also from same sketchy shop in gatlinburg), the baby throwing knives again from the Big Boys pic but i included them again bc they r so teeny tiny, my keychain key blade (from online), swiss army knife (from online), & the pair of claw keychain baldes (from online)
many blades, many stories, so little time. theyre great tho.
SOME FOCUSES:
^ these are all my spring-assisted knives, sorted from worst feel to best feel to open. based on quickness, ease, & general satisfaction. leftmost is leftmost bc i didnt even Know it was spring assisted, bc it doesnt have a nice lil tab on the back to press. no u gotta press on one of the rungs. but once u do it Does spring open, so i included it. next 3 are just Average in feel (these 3 are sibling blades anyways, nice of them to be together). jade stiletto is smooth and quick, nice to open. Hefty Boy rainbow has some THUNK to it when i open it. like that babey's got PURPOSE to it. added to the general size of it & it's just pretty great. AND THEN MY TWO FAVS, green dragon is a perfect beautiful knife & feels very great to open. and then Steel Sketchy Knife aka my 2nd pocket knife & first i bought for myself. it looks plain in comparison to the others, but she's anything But. quick, light, Sharp. it has the Best feel to open, bc it's just a fast SHHK. probably my knife that's seen the most use (aside from my small black knife) just bc of how great it feels to open. i love that knife so much for Real.
& the final highlight, somewhat related, are the knives I actually use the most in my daily life!
on the left are the knives I keep in my bag by default, & thus the ones I carry with me Everywhere i go. small black pocket knife bc she's Ol' Faithful, & a pretty lowkey knife for basic tasks when I dont wanna raise any eyebrows lol. silver knife bc as previously stated i Love using it so much. i take it out when i gotta breakdown a lot of boxes at work, & it Never disappoints. small rainbow keychain key knife bc it's cute & i like to keep it on my keychain. & swiss army knife bc Obviously im gonna keep the swiss army knife in my bag for if i need an emergency tool.
on the right are the three knives I keep out in my apartment. black stiletto lives on my bathroom counter, for bathroom knife needs. green stiletto i keep on my table next to where I hang out in my bedroom, for any couch time needs. & then green dragon beaut camps out on top of some shelves by my front door bc it's Great for opening boxes, aka something I will do for packages I receive after pulling them in the front door. it works for me.
all the rest of my knives live either in a box (for small ones) or my closet (for big ones). i may have a lot of knives, but somehow I never feel like i have enough. i just love collecting them so much <3
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