#when hes closer to a painfully optimistic adult who falls on bad coping mechanisms such as naivety and avoidance

[i-am-a-fan]

I saw a post talking about how there’s a deep mischaracterization of Mk in the fandom specifically about his monkey form and I’m here to dissect it. (WIth doodles!)

Tldr: Will Mk end up hurting his family in season 5 due to his new Monkey form? Most likely no, but it is possible that he indirectly hurts them by not understanding the limits of his power.

First things first let’s collect a list of attributes that we know Mk has from past seasons. This will serve as a spine or checklist to see if certain actions are possible. A thing to keep in mind though is the ranking of each attribute as the writers of LMK wrote there are characters as complex and sometimes abandon certain character values if their center value is threatened. 

Mk’s character value list (in my opinion) is as follows: 

-Family 

-Strength 

-Freedom 

-Dependability 

with family and strength being so close to each other, so sometimes strength ends up as Mk’s main concern. Of course, all of these end up mixing at times and in the first seasons we see the mixing of these values gets him in trouble 

Desiring the freedom of choice over listening to Wukong (Pig Pong Panic). Wanting to be dependable but overestimating his strength (Duplication). Wanting to be strong but forgets his family in the process (shadow play). Eventually, he gets his priorities in check and has ended up sticking to this list for most of seasons 3 and 4. 

Now his flaws (in no particular order): 

Impulsivity 

Forgetfulness 

Stubbornness 

Blind devotion 

He’s overcome a lot of these when he was forced to learn them in season 3. His stubbornness to not tell anyone what was happening with the LBD got people hurt. His impulsivity with his actions ended up crashing the ship, and almost sold his family to a goldfish demon.

(Text: Mk's Fault, Good Intentions, Trying mentor)

So he’s had to come up with methods of working around that. Mk’s blind devotion to Wukong almost got Mei killed, and we see how he changes because of it. At the end of season 3, Mk doesn’t explicitly say that he sees Wukong in a new light but he heavily implies it with the metaphor of a bowl of noodles. 

So… Will Mk go crazy and end up hurting his friends? 

I highly doubt it. While I toyed with the idea, Mk is a lot smarter than the fandom usually gives him credit for. He knows Wukong is flawed, and he still trusts in him because he knows Wukong is trying. Mk has faith in Wukong’s strength and the fact that Wukong also heavily values family, even if his isolation makes it a lot harder for him to do so. Just rewatch the ending of season 3 where Wukong apologizes to Mk and watch as Mk comes to the realization that Wukong is trying so hard to make up for his past. (They also drive this point home in season 4 with how disappointed Wukong sounds at himself for not finding Mk in the scroll in the season finale.) 

(Text: He's flawed and trying, Has to accept harsh reality, Dissociating Coping mechanism)

So what about Mk’s impulsivity? I doubt that’d be something that directly harms his friends. He’s worked on his impulsivity by working with others (Redson in season 3 and Mei’s planning in season 4) to help fill in the gaps in his plans. In order for his impulsivity to harm others, you’d have to break that family value first or raise that value of strength and freedom. Most likely this flaw can manifest in Mk overdoing his Monkey form ™  and sending a shockwave that accidentally hurts the people around him.  Probably manifesting either in training or while having fun with Mei (think about how Mk was in the Bad Weather episode). 

Okay, what if Mk is tricked into it like he was in Season 4 (back to the flaw of blind devotion)? Mk has spent every season backstabbed by someone he trusted. We see him snap at Azure after he finds out that he was going to keep Wukong in the scroll. He snaps at Macaque in season 4. It’s safe to say that he’s learned, at least partially, to not trust others so blindly. Mk is also supposed to have gotten the “skill of self-reflection” in “Revenge of the Spider Queen” but his reflecting has mostly just impacted the other flaws. 

(Text: Side note, Monkey Mk doesn't have a nose)

But there is one possibility I toy with, bottled up emotions. Mk has extremely big emotions but hates showing any emotion that can be seen as negative. He loves being happy and he’s not afraid to show it, but as soon as those emotions turn to doubt, anger, or sadness he bottles them up fast. He knows he can rely on his family, but he’s stubborn and thinks that his emotions aren’t worth that hassle. Take the ending of season 3 where Mk states that “he tries not to think too hard” about his own place in the universe, which could be due to a fear of losing the value of freedom if he has a specific role to play in the universe.

(Text: Guys He's so avoidant, forced to think about his identity, 18-early 20's and Identity crisis)

It’s worsened by the fact that every. other. character. avoids. their. emotions. No other characters in this series are open about their emotions except Tang and Sandy. And from season 3 (and a bit of season 4) we know that Mk doesn’t view Tang in an extremely positive light.

Not exactly negative, but his admiration lies more on the rest of the team. Macaque points this out in season 2 stating in “Shadow Play” that Mk should talk out his insecurities, but no one else does that. 

That being said Mk isn’t entirely forgetful either. Macaque was a season 1 villain with his betrayal going through season 3. Mk’s high value of family, and flaw of blind devotion, make him want to give him a chance as Macaque’s past is connected with Wukong’s. HOWEVER, Mk is also stubborn and hasn’t forgiven Macaque’s actions. That’s why he snaps, plus the fact that Macaque is terrible at direct communication. Like I said before, Mk won’t directly hurt anyone he cares about, but if his monkey form is highly connected with his emotions (as most magic tends to be) having those bottled-up insecurities might accidentally cause Mk to unleash more power than he means to.

(Text: Normal, Fed up Meter, rage (on jar))

I have no idea where season 5 is going to go, but I’m so excited about the possibilities. 

(Text: Terrified of his actions hurting his family. UNSTABLE!!!)

#lmk #lego monkie kid #speck rambles #lmk analysis #lmk mk #monkie kid #lmk qi xiaotian #My analysis isn't perfect but i agree that most of the fandom paints Mk as this dumb overly trusting kid #when hes closer to a painfully optimistic adult who falls on bad coping mechanisms such as naivety and avoidance #He's smart yall. He can learn and adapt faster than most people in the show #He just has big emotions that pass off as childish moments and as a neurodivergent person I can relate too strongly ... anyways

[fullmetalscullyy]

an angsty prompt that i think could work for roy OR riza, if you want it!! (a drink glass slammed) "I am a WAR HERO—" (clenched fists) "You were a CHILD—barely an adult—clinging to naive ideals about how the world works, and you're a fool if you think that you can change a damn thing." (a sigh. fists loosen)

hi anon!! your mind btw... this was a good one!! thank you so much!!

not me tentatively posting this in the hopes i did such a good prompt justice and that it sounds all right

please heed the warnings before reading

rated: m | words: 1774 | warnings: adult themes, allusions to suicide, alcohol abuse, unhealthy coping mechanisms 

“Sir, that’s enough to drink.”

Hawkeye reached across to grab his glass, but Roy moved it out of reach instantly, affronted she would even dare to try. He should have gone to the bar. At least there she wouldn’t have tried such a thing. In his own home, with no one else about, was another matter.

“Excuse me?”

“That’s enough –”

“Hawkeye.” He barked at her, anger replacing his irritation.

“Sir, this is not the way to do this.”

“Just one, then I’ll get to work,” Roy deflected, turning his shoulders so that the glass was shielded from her wanting hands. He was also ignoring the fact that it was past midnight, and he should be asleep instead of turning to a bottle of whisky.

“What work are you going to get done in a drunken state?”

“I’ll get it done,” Roy snapped. “I have a plan,” he lied. He had nothing left. “It will change everything –”

“You won’t,” Hawkeye fired back, hands clenching into fists. “Not like this,” she shook her head. “Nothing will change while acting like this, burying yourself inside a bottle like a coward.”

“Coward?” He echoed her claim, disbelief and outrage flooding him. He slammed his tumbler onto the table, spinning to face her. “I am a war hero,” Roy growled, cutting Hawkeye off. He’d survived that hell and come back home. He at least deserved to drink to forget –

“You were a child – barely an adult – clinging to naïve ideals about how the world works, and you're a fool if you think that you can change a damn thing.”

Breathing heavily, Hawkeye continued to glare while Roy’s face slackened in his shock. Her words cut into her chest painfully, each a dagger inside his heart. His true feelings were being laid bare, ripped unwillingly from his mind. It was all correct, he just didn’t want to admit it. He couldn’t. If he did, he would break completely.

Both war-weary soldiers were frozen in a stalemate, glaring at one another.

Roy had set out to achieve greatness and do something good in the world… And it had all burned around him. How could he accept that his dreams, ideals, and views of the world had been painfully twisted into reality? It had not been gentle or forgiving. That innocent, optimistic, young man had been turned into a mass murderer with the snap of two fingers. Everything had been ripped from him. He’d failed. It was of catastrophic proportions, and Roy didn’t want to admit that just yet. His mental state was fragile, so could only handle so much at one time. Drinking was the only coping mechanism he had. He didn’t deserve anything else.

However, she’d been just as bad as him over there, thinking she could change the world… Only for it to come crashing down and turn to ash horrifically before her very eyes.

And who prompted that decision from her? Roy’s inner voice hissed inside his mind, as unforgiving as the truths that were being laid bare tonight.

Finally, a sigh passed through Roy’s lips, the air dragging itself from his lungs. His gaze dropped, hiding from the heat of Hawkeye’s stare. The side of Roy’s palm tingled from its contact with the table below. The sensation dragged him back to the present. The grip on the glass loosened, blood returning slowly to the tips of his fingers.

“We were both children,” Hawkeye corrected herself, voice softer and apologetic.

“We were. We still are.”

“Sorry, that was harsh and over the line –”

Roy shook his head. “No, you are correct. You’ve never held back before either, Hawkeye. Why stop now?” As a reflex, he lifted the glass to his lips and took a large swig. The time when it returned to the varnished wood, the contact was gentle. The fight had left him.

“So, not a war hero.” Roy’s eyes never lifted from the tumbler. “What would you call us then?”

“War criminals.” Hawkeye’s reply was sharp yet simple. There was no hesitation in her reply and no shying away from her truth. It was spoken with such conviction that it made Roy pause for a second.

“War criminals…” His fingers circled the rim of the glass. That was correct. They were. There was no hiding from it and there wouldn’t be for the rest of their lives. The question was, what to do now?

“Of course. That was no war. It was an extermination.”

The bile that had been roiling inside his stomach continued to do so, every so often jumping up into his throat. It was like a game to see how much it could torment him before it removed itself from his stomach completely.

Roy pushed the tumbler still half full of whisky away from him, moving it out of reach.

He knew his goals, knew his destination, but in his stupor Roy was like a lost little boy, just like Hawkeye had said. In that exact moment he was floundering, desperately trying to cling to life while at the same time thinking it would be so much easier and better for everyone if he gave up that fight. In his current emotional and mental state, he had no idea where to go now. He’d ask Hawkeye for help however he’d brought this down on them both. He couldn’t take anymore from her.

“Where do we go from here?” It wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion.

“Up, Sir,” Hawkeye replied without hesitation. “There’s no other direction to go.”

“Do we deserve to live after the atrocities we caused?” His heavy lids blinked slowly as he glanced up at his old friend. That question had been weighing on his mind heavily for days and the outcome he’d arrived at was not pleasant.

“We must.” Hawkeye was determined but her voice was a whisper, unable to rise any higher. “We have to keep going so this never happens again. We will make a change.”

“Sacrifice ourselves for the greater good?”

“We will bear it, so they don’t have to.”

It terrified Roy to think about the journey to come. Sleep was already non-existent for him. It wasn’t worth it because the nightmares would come. How much longer could he cope? How much longer could he ride this out?

“Sir?” Hawkeye called to him, dragging himself from the depths of his dark mind once more. She was concerned. A tiny step forward was taken, moving closer, before coming to a stop. “Roy?”

“Yes?” His voice was rough, trembling as it passed through his throat. Clearing the lump there, he met her eyes while moisture swelled within his. He was so tired. He needed direction, purpose, something. Anything that would tear him away from his thoughts and his memories would be Roy’s saving grace that night. He was a desperate man, on his knees, begging.

“We’ll get through this. Together.”

Looking in her eyes, he saw the determination in them. Another hesitant step was taken forward and Hawkeye gently slid her fingers atop his. Her touch was ghost-like, barely there but held enough pressure to make him shiver. Roy was frozen, lips parted in his shock, but unable to look away from Hawkeye. His old friend. His saviour on more than one occasion.

Hawkeye’s eyes were on their hands instead. Her digits looped around his, the opposite to her soothing touch from before. They clung on tightly. “Together.” Roy had to strain to hear her whisper.

Surging up from the chair he wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. Coming together at once, their kisses were feverish and desperate. Hawkeye – no, Riza – was equally as frantic as him. Her hands shoved at his military jacket as she whimpered, trying to remove it from his shoulders while his fingers loosened hers, revealing the crisp white shirt underneath.

“Don’t leave me,” he pleaded in a whisper against her lips.

“Never.” Her reply was immediate, claiming his lips with her once more.

A sob escape Roy as a tear fell down his cheek. “I – I mean it, I –” Roy pulled away, gripping her upper arms tightly. She was pulled back from him as Roy bowed his head, averting his eyes. His lids were squeezed closed tightly. He knew this was wrong. Roy couldn’t and shouldn’t be asking anything from her after what he’d done. He shouldn’t be doing this either –

A gentle hand on his cheek guided his face back up. His jaw unclenched as he looked at Riza, feeling desolate in every way. She didn’t deserve this kind of behaviour from him.

“Never,” she stressed. “Not tonight, not ever. We –” She swallowed thickly. “We have too much work to do,” Riza added in a quiet whisper, as if afraid speaking it too loud would break him there and then. “And we’ll see it through together. But…” Her hand dropped as she bit her lip. Quickly, her eyes moved away from Roy’s, looking off to the side in shame.

“What?” His prompt was gentle even with his hoarse voice. Roy was still blinking away tears as he listened intently to her, hanging onto every word.

“I need you.” She was anguished, ashamed to admit it, just like him. Roy could sympathise completely. “I know I shouldn’t – we shouldn’t – but I can’t –” Her eyelids fluttered closed, expression pained, as Riza took a moment to collect herself.

“I need you too,” Roy admitted quietly. He hated to do it, but it was the truth. He was at rock bottom anyway, how much further could he fall now? This self-destructive behaviour of theirs was mutual but maybe…

Just maybe, Roy thought, it would keep them both alive for another night.

“I need you as much as you need me.”

Riza stepped forward into his embrace once again, cupping his face tightly in her hands.

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. This wasn’t healthy. It was better for his physical health than the alcohol, but it was still wrong. His actions didn’t warrant him getting to hold her, cherish her, and love her. He wasn’t in the best frame of mind either, but neither was she. It was bad.

All Roy knew was Riza. All he wanted was Riza. And it was enough to get him through the night, to forget for a moment, and to live another day.

#royai #royai fic #royai fanfic #royai oneshot #ask #anon #fic request #emma writes #aaaa #i just #idk i went hard #and don't want it to not sound real #so #yeah #me staring at it for another age won't make it better so here goes