Work Text:
The Golden fur Monkey, eyes of a dazzling sun, grumble as his head titled to the side with his eye's train on the moon of one of the many Goddess it hale from, his eyes only stay dazed for only a short second before it shot open fully once more, he gulp as he wiped his red stan lips with the back of his sleeve and remove the extra wine after taste from his lips, in the snow White temple with my marble wall engraved with the ancient saying of a long dead language far away, alongside the hall leading to the outside stairway.
Right at the point of the wide open doors, two figures sat at the bottom step's, looking at the sky that was a pitch blue in colour, a beautiful shade that always calm the racing heart, to admire the cool air alongside the sky, with the thousands of small tiny sparkles of stars in the sky, the air was a calming cool breeze.
Has it tousled in the golden hair of the monkey king sitting with his eyes looking forward, he felt himself chuckle as he made a breezy melodic ray of giggles.
As he laughed with the feeling of the breeze rustling his nose as the monkey hid his face behind his long sleeve while in his other hand held the drink of plum peach wine, a rarity that only existed in the heavenly realms.
Méihuā's smile wildly has he slurred out “you are really the best elder brother-! This is the best wine I have ever had in like– I don't know, like forever?”
He cried out with a laugh a little too loud for the ears of the man sitting next to him who just simply sipped his wine with a soft and pleasant smile, the golden monkey half giggled as he covered the bottom half of his face trying to hide the small blooming smile on his lips as he slurred out.
“Huh– why are you smiling?’
“It's nothing much i assure you shihóu it- well…” Erlang Shen was then cut off from his thoughts by the somber and quite annoyed sound of Tiãncghân Shihóu's half grumbling voice.
“oh- come on!– stop with that name! Just call me- Méihuā! Like everyone else! You're acting like we're strangers, elder brother it ticking me off”
He grumbled the last part as he looked away with a slight frown to his lips, he kept his eyes on the wine he was swirling in the bottle.
Erlang Shen smiled at the sight as his eyes roamed over the demon beside him. With a smile that soon turned into a deep frown on his lips, the monkey goldenish orange color, he was a demon it was quite obvious fut covering most of the body.
Yeah he was a weak one at that, but he can't deny even with how much he would love to dismiss it, but Méihuā's is very smart, very smarter than what he gives the demon credit for.
His hair was a golden colour seeming to mix perfectly with a light blonde alongside the orange, with tight curls full with such a gravity-defying, rounded silhouette that reach just below his shoulders, it was cloud-like in it bounce when he laughed or make any small movement, his eyes that was a dazzling gold something so different than the others, adding on with the heart shape mark on his face, he really was a sight to be hold.
He caught the movement of the monkey tail being twitchy every couple seconds at the glare down he was getting from his sworn brother, but Erlang paid no mind to it.
Hmm– demons.., Erlang thought, seeing the demon begin to drink like there was no tomorrow.
Erlang hum his mind running with all the things he knows of the three realms– right much like heaven itself, the demons have their own Higharcy, there are… hunter demons? and then there are prey demons, demons such as dears, goats and— monkeys...
Elrang finger's reach out has he camb it though the tight curls as he felt the monkey flinch slightly at the contact of his hand reaching his scalp.
They hold a much– smaller lifetime than any other demon in history, only living for a couple centuries at most, he always wondered even though he would never admit it, but when would the monkey beside him take his last breath, will it be tomorrow– will he be there beside him in his death bed? He hopes not, he doesn't want to see him injured.
He thought as he let out a hum, well at least he thinks so, his eyes focused on the wine that slipped down the demon chin as the monkey gulped the rest down while looking away coughing slightly in his own hand.
His cheek flush with what Erlang thought to be the wine taking its place.
The deity let go as he smiled and muttered “you really do love that wine a lot don't you?”
Méihuā rubs his chin with his sleeve as he beamingly says.
“Well- it is the best wine in the house! And well…you got it for this occasion so– it be weird not to drink it”
Erlang nodded as he took a sip of his own wine, his eyes roam around before going back to the demon who was drinking his own bottle in all the form of delight he could muster finishing the some in his mouth, with a huge gulp.
Méihuā dreamily said soon after “it really is amazing! Anytime I drink it, I always feel tipsy. This is the best!”
Erlang with his leg's cross put on a tight wit smile and said “i got it for you, you always seem upset about your inability to get drunk so your welcome”
Méihuā chuckled, smiling brightly as he looked at the deity's calm face with a gentle and admiring look.
He thought with his wilting smile, elder brother really is caring he- how could people those demons, even say he a cruel heavenly genural–?. He is the kindest, most gentle being I have met! Well..from outside the mountain
He frowned at how he remembered when Erlang visited he always complained about how cruel a demon could be with them being all bloodthirsty and– well i…well it!– it was kinda obvious demons were vile creatures!, but– Not to worry.
Erlang always said I was one of the rare good ones! That means I am not vile like all the others…right, he never looked at me with hatred! Or disgust he looked at me with…with something but he looked at me! and that means everything well, he shook his head, cutting off his own thoughts.
He smiled and mumbled “ah- do you want some fruits? Elder brother..? Like peaches or…”
Erlang dismissively mutters mostly to himself with the wine to his lips.
“No need i don't fancy peaches, you know that, they have many life risks”
Méihuā raises an eyebrow and nervously whispers “what life risk?”
Erlang uses his fingers to slightly ruffle the monkey hair as his eyes met with the Demon.
“There's a lot of risk that can come from it, I don't expect you to know of them”
Méihuā confusedly mutters “but– isn't well– peaches are really rich in ah– potassium?, so you don't get chronic illnesses like heart disease or something?”
Erlang's eyes went to him and he then asked “and who told you that?” Méihuā felt the nails running a little deep into his head but Méihuā' said all the same.
Méihuā mubbled “ah....my ma…?”
Erlang thought a little longer on that, then he let go of the demon monkey head “–right Tiān Yòu the langur monkey right?”
Méihuā nodded, smiling at the thought “it's been a century and you guys only met a few times! i should really get you guys to hang out more- ma really loves to know more about humans and deities! she tried cultivation once but it didn't really work out from what i know– but with you she could-”
He froze at the look of the deity staring at him as méihuā nervously looked around just fully realizing how empty the forest in front of them was as he mumbled “or you..don't need to-“ he stuttered out as he finally moved the bottle from his lips.
“Méihuā-” that made the monkey uncertainly look up at the sound of that– his name, his eyes narrow at the frown on erlang brows, the name sounded quite oddly weird on the tip of erlang tongue and cold even, not how Méihuā thought it be, as the golden monkey made a small sound, a hum of acknowledgement.
Erlang sighs, finally taking a breath to compose himself before saying with the air of a superior.
“A demon can't stand in the line of cultivation only deities and humans can, i know you never left your mountain since birth, but you most not needlessly believe everything people tell you, your way too foolish sometime you really are” at that the monkey rub his arm his claw digging into his fur abit.
As Méihuā chuckled as he whispered ”yeah– sorry it's just a stupid well– thought! and i–well..” elrang cut him off with a shake of his head.
“That the issue méihuā you think too much about the wrong ideal” he thought how much should i keep mentioning humans and demons are nothing alike?
The seconds tick on, as méihuā eyes went to elrang shen frame every so often, when he finally got the courage and careful breathlessly reply, with a weak frown on his lips “ah- Erlang i mean elder brother…do you think-”
Erlang eyes went to him with a tit of his head, his eyes narrowing in on the demon, beckoning him to continue with his thought process as méihuā spoke up “well– what am asking is nothing much!- it just still feels quite off- i knew you for quite a long time… a whole century!, but it just feels like I barely got to know you– does that make sense!?”
Méihuā laughed nervously, as his eyes went to the ground where he kicked a rock, his mind went on the thought of every single day he spent with erlang and how it was a blast– that he always cherished but it just felt like– it just seems like nothing to erlang.
To Méihuā it was everything! Erlang told him everything outside the mountain, of what those demons are like, if just seems like to erlang it nothing, but he guess it makes sense to an immortal a century is nothing but a walk on a rocky road right…?
The monkey was silent for a moment as the wine lay abandoned on the step beside his frame as his tail twitched.
He blinked and Looked up to the deity beside him, immortality was the first thought that came to his head something a short live demon such as himself will never gain the feel of, something so fulfilling, something that would make the deity look at him a little longer– méihuā snorted at that as he shocked his head, his hand went to his mouth as he burst in a high pitch laugher waving his hand dismissively, sneering a smile.
As Erlang sighs in silent disappointment as the laughter finally cooled down to a heavy chuckle as the corner of the monkey lips that soon moved up a bit, forming into a smile.
But his eyes remained cold as he spoke “elder brother– sorry…” he gived a small smile, that was a little more brighter than before as he waved his hands once again dismissively.
“i got no idea where that thought came from” he rubed his eyes with the back of his sleeve.
Erlang Shen's eyes were on him as Méihuā looked to the sky as he whispered.
“Well that thought was dumb to begin with, it really isn't that I don't know you– it feels like it has only been a day to you, and I am afraid you don't remember thing's…anything really– that is even remotely related to the last century and it…”
“Pains you?” Erlang spoke up with a skeptical look in his eyes, he had a slight discomfort in them but in a blink of an eye it was gone.
“I didn't know you felt that way about my thoughts on you” or then again maybe i did he thought but i just refuse to acknowledge it.
“Elder brother sometimes I am just well—” Erlang shen's eyes were on him pointedly once again as he raised an eyebrow when he saw Méihuā shake lightly with the hand hovering in the air falling to his side.
Méihuā's voice cracked, his breath hitched as his lip trambled and he grit his teeth, he looked up trying to come up with the words, as Elrang gave him a deadpan look of disapproval at the struggle, as Elrang whispered.
“Your one of the few things in my life i will never forget Méihuā”
That made the demon smile softly, as he took a sip of his wine once, in my life time i wont live for more than the next century if am lucky, and only erlang will remember me, but even than a monkey can never truly reach the height of the god's that is if, if I don't just go to fight death it self.
He shoves more of the wine down his throat with a sharp gulp as tears peek into his eyes at the burning. This was some hard stuff.
He swirls the bottle of wine in a circle motion “hey..that nice” he smiled softly as he said ”You can count on me, we're in this together"
Erlang with a smirk on his lips whispered softly “you promise?” Méihuā looked at him for a short moment, eyes slightly widened as he tilted his head and said the word with little to no hesitation
“I promise”
Méihuā said with a beaming smile as Erlang smiled at him back, as he hummed in response, Méihuā eye was trained on him thinking he smile- again, Méihuā smiled softly with his knees pulled to just below his chin his head idly resting on them, he thought, i never really realize erlang had began smiling a lot more lately– that good it means he getting more comfortable around me.
That good…better than before even, than in the last century it always seem like he was just forcing himself to be around me, his eyes were on the other male face as whatever Erlang was saying left though the monkey other ear.
Erlang smiled once more saying something else Méihuā himself wasn't even sure he was paying attention to what was coming past the deity lips- his smile was so infectious that all the monkey knew.
Méihuā tail twitched and waged soon after, he smile again he should smile more, Méihuā thought it looked- amazing on him even..perfect on his–, his face flush a bright red as his ear twitched in the dead of the night filled only with Erlang chatter as Méihuā eyes shot up as he jerked up to land on his feet while almost falling over himself has he quickly brace himself before hitting the ground, he didn't bother to wipe off his face as the dirt clang to it, the wine bottle roll to his side rolling off into the distance as the monkey cried out in shock.
“You're a WHAT-!?”
Erlang chuckled, “I'm going to be an uncle, weren't you listening?” Méihuā chuckled nervously as his eyes darted around and he felt his face flush even more than before but he tried to play it off with it being the alcohol.
Méihuā mumbled “ah- well I got distracted–? By the beauty of the mountain!”
Erlang tilted his head, his smile slightly dropping as his long waist length ink black hair pool over his shoulder like an inky waterfall, as Méihuā breath hitch when the deity third eye opened and lucked onto him.
Méihuā's breath came out shallow, his body ran cold as in a blink of an eye– the eye closed once more and the monkey gulped his mind racing as he stumbled to come up with something.
Has Erlang just smile at the demon on the grass ground and said with a soft smile “it is true the mountain is a beautiful sight, but yes my sister yang chan she having a baby, she a couple mouths down the line, they don't know if it a girl or a boy as of now but my family is growing and that all I can really think of”
Méihuā mubbled looking away “ah- that good! Amazing even! You're becoming an uncle! Buddy, I am so happy for you!- I mean why wouldn't I be?, you always well…talked about your family situation and-”
Méihuā was trying to come up with the words as Erlang cut though the monkey's thoughts.
”don't mention it”
Méihuā looked up to him not getting what he was going for and Erlang then muttered.
“let not speak of it” Méihuā eyes went to the wine stan grass as he mumbled.
“Now I think of it- what will your uncle think of this-?”
Erlang mutters “didn't I say to just stop talking of it”
He looked away as Méihuā eyebrows frowned in, and méihuā began fidgeting with his fingers as he picked at his nail bed as it began to bleed.
“sorry elder brother” Méihuā half mumbled out his nail to his mouth nervously as he bit down on it.
Erlang mutters “it fine” his eyes were cold but it wasn't directed at the monkey and that made the demon take in a breath of relief.
It was moments later that Méihuā leaned his back on the stone steps behind him as he looked up to the night sky, there was humming as Erlang placed the bottle of wine down and his eyes dazed over in appreciation of the night beauty, then he mubbled.
“...Méihuā are you thankful for anything?”
“hm?”
Came from the confused méihuā his eyes fluttered pointedly as he saw erlang rub the back of his neck, eyes sorting back to the sky not wanting to lay eyes with the demon on the ground.
Méihuā mumbled as his finger tangled in his hair nervously as he mumbled “well yeah— my brother and ma- my troop, my friends- and well…you.”
Erlang eyes went to him wanting to ask for more intel as the monkey smiled at him saying.
“Yeah, am thankful for you- why wouldn't I be-? Your well..”, he looked at Erlang Shen, with his ink black hair silky smooth, his black eyes as endless as the abyss itself, skin- as pale and as white as porcelain, Méihuā felt his face heat up as he pulled his finger out his hair.
“your cool- well your a god- a relative of the Jade Emperor himself-! And well you're Erlang Shen…it's very.. very hard not to like to… be around you- well it is to me! I guess- hahe..”
He let out a nervous round of chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck as he heard Erlang let out a chuckle, from the corner of his eyes he saw the deity was smiling again.
Méihuā got up from the floor as he went back on his two feet, his tail twitchy and said.
“But I am serious! You're like-... family to me! I don't really know what I do without you to be honest…” he gulped, looking away as Erlang looked up to him, and placed his hand on his shoulder squeezing a little as he smiled.
“Thank you” Erlang let out a breath, his fingers loosening the hold on Méihuā's shoulder as he whispered.
“You mean …alot to me as well” Méihuā eyes lit up at that, as his head shot to the side of him smiling brightly.
“You mean it, elder brother?” Erlang smiled at the little monkey antic and question as he reached out and pulled Méihuā's down to sit beside him, his fingers tangling into the light blue stained clothes as his grip tightened on the monkey waist a fraction as Erlang smiled in the monkey hair as he mumbled.
“Of course i do, your more important than I originally give you credit for..your the reason am even here right now to begin with, if it wasn't for you I would've never even come to flower fruit mountain”
Méihuā's flush red at the feeling of erlang fingers on him, but he tried to pay no mind to it, as he looked up to erlang face and muttered with a nervous chuckle.
“So your sister? Getting a baby- and all… soo– who is the lucky guy?”
Erlang eyes went to the side as the cooling breeze wisp though his long black hair, he whispered.
“Right i seemly forgot to say, his name is Liu Yanchang, he is a quite good meaning man he make her happy and that is the only thing important to me”
He tilted his head as his eyes went back to look down to Méihuā's whose eyebrow was frowned, deep in thought when his eyes went back to the deity as he said.
“Liu Yanchang-? Never heard of it..the name i mean”
Méihuā's felt erlang fingers in his hair as it smooth though the golden, Erlang chuckled with a stiff smile to his face as he muttered.
“Méihuā's you don't know much about the outside world, you know that–”
“But I do! Ma knows a lot about the whole Heavenly Realm! thingy--” Méihuā's eyebrows were inches away, his teeth grunting together at the blatant diss on his intelligence from his friend.
“And my brother traveled around the three realms and he told me all about it so–”
Méihuā's head was tilted to the side, as his breath hitch, when he felt the grip in his head tighten as he quickly shut his mouth and started fidgeting with his robe sleeve, mumbling.
“or…i mean! Your the ah- God here so you know more than them obviously”
Erlang sighed, his grip loosening at the sight of the small tears that seemed to peek in from the side of the monkey demon eyes, who immediately looked away and wiped them roughly off.
It took a second for Erlang to realize that he was not crying about the hair pulling that Erlang did by accident but about the whole Erlang implying his family are nothing but liars.
Elrang sat back, his hand finally leaving Méihuā's, he spoke up after a moment of looking at the sky with its light shade of blue, the stars were gone from the sky but that wasn't really the thing on his mind.
“ Liu Yanchang is a… mortal scholar, he is a traveler, he travel all around the two realms"
Méihuā's eyes were back in sight of the deity, his finger on his chin in slight confusion, his eyes narrowing a bit, thinking if he can just go to the heavens there wouldn't be a reason why– erlang would be slightly upset by this, he than mutters.
“So he can freely travel to the heavenly realm, while still being mortal?”
Méihuā eyes widened thinking he finally caught on, it didn't make a whole lot of sense but it did make sense–? Did that make sense?
Erlang blankly shook his head seeing the monkey so perplexed and mubbled.
“No, not the heavens to the demonic realm and the mortal realm.”
It was quiet for a moment, still the saying finally connected in Méihuā's mind and he blurted out eyes widened.
“He what–!?” his voice cracked as he made some movement with his hands– “all demons are bloodthirsty!– how is he even still alive to get a whole child!?...i ah no offence– by the way, But if he even stepped foot near those– near us- i thought he would be dead!”
His hand was pulled back down from hovering in the air awkwardly by Elrang who smiles softly at him.
Erlang patted him on the head when Méihuā's finally sat back down and his tail twitched and wagged a little, erlang fingers stopped it smoothing as his thought process slowed to a crawling pace while looking at the monkey.
The rest are vile creatures but your defrent- that all you need to know, he got out his thought process when he felt movement on his fingers located on Méihuā.
The deity mumbled with a soft stiff smile "ofcourse ofcourse– i..well he cultivates hard, he is one of the most powerfulest cultivators I have seen in ages…”
Méihuā's eyes sparkle in pure delight at the mention of cultivation, his tail twitching again, as he bursts into a ramble, his eyes going to the side with a soft delight.
“–Sometimes I wish… I was–”
“Born Human?”
Méihuā's looked up to the wording of that to see Erlang looking back at him, with slight pity, Méihuā's shook his head thinking.
Well ah– close enough but not what I was going for– he smiled and mumbled.
"I would like to be able to cultivate! If I could do that– I could be immortal!”
Erlang was quiet, then he whispered with a sad tilt of his head.
“That is not how things work.. i told you that more than once you need to be attentive to what am saying méihuā's”
Méihuā's mind went back to what his mama once told him years ago.
“Hm, this reminds me of that certain time, long long ago before your brother birth when I once attempted cultivation but ultimately gave up before reaching Huaguo, it really wasn't set out for me I presume, i originally thought to try it since all the others demons i met reach such a high enough level”
Elrang's judgemental voice cut though the monkey memory as he pointed out “what are you thinking of?,” his head was tilted to the side as he looked down to the being sitting close beside him.
Méihuā's thought it best not to mention what his mother said, as he shocked his head while giving a relaxed sharp toothy smile that immediately went away into a frown when he caught on to erlang stere.
“Don't smile like that, it way too sharp”
His fingers were already on the demon month as he slightly pushed his mouth open to take a cleaner look at his teeth, sharp he thought too nun human, he looked back up to the slightly dazed and confused eyes of the demon and soon let go as he mumbled.
“It seem so demonic and…vile, and i would not want people to think your one of the vile ones, that is if they ever were to meet you”
Méihuā's fingers went to his cheek in thought as his mouth turned into a deeper frown, as he gave a big normal like before, he eagerly smiled that didn't quite reach his eyes mubbled with a chuckle.
“Ah..thanks elder brother–” He smiled though the slight discomfort in his eyes.
“For the..ah–imput”
Elrang turns away from him, looking forward to the forest with the wind blowing gently as he mutters.
“But…do tell me this younger brother, why would your mother lie about cultivation? Seemly by the way you been talking, it imply that she meant everyone can do it, and such saying isn't quite true”
Méihuā picked at his nail bed, biting his lip tightly, when he felt Erlang fingers on his chin, when he didn't turn his head, he was forced by the finger to look at the deity.
“And I would never want you to think of her as a liar, i met her a few times in the last years and she a very good doctor, one of the best i seen in all– in the mortal and demon realms that is"
Méihuā dismissively waves away Erlang concern and the deity hands slipped off him, as he chuckles.
“well- my ma was thought to be the most talented in herbs in her whole tribe! Way more special than her sisters and aunts before her, if she had a mate she would've had many gifted offspring to maybe even get in a higher demon tribe because of their talent!"
It was obvious to everyone including Erlang himself that Méihuā loved his mother's achievement no matter how little it seemed to be.
To Méihuā's it looks like she hanged the moon and stars every night.
Erlang smiled softly as he raised an eyebrow “and what else?,” his chin was in his palm, as he stared at the over-excited monkey next to him.
“Oh right–” he coughed into his hand to clear his airway, as he began “but instead of following what her mother told her, she insisted on leaving to travel east for a new life.”
“Then she traveled and traveled– and she finally reached Mount Huaguo where she made her new home! Becoming the leader of the troop– And ah…fifty– no sixty! Yeah sixty years before I was born she had my brother and that's it, I think?”
Erlang mumbled in deep thought of the weirdness of it all.
“She was unmated when she had mùchén or did the mate die early before I could meet him?”
Méihuā nodded confusedly with an eyebrow raised and his head tilted not seeming to get what the deity was going for, but still his eyes did soon widen and he let out a sharp gasp.
“Oh– no no– she ah..never told me or Mùchén about it mostly since I– we don't think it really a big deal and all,”
Méihuā tilted his head, seeing that Erlang still had confusion in his eyes as he raised an eyebrow at the demon.
Méihuā chuckles nervously and goes on as he rubs his neck, calming down a little bit, at the feeling of the cool breeze rustling his neck fur. He took a quick breath and stuttered out chuckling.
“She went into labor on an outing and with the help of a…local Monkey demon prophets from the clan of Moon Demon my big brother was born pretty healthy! not needing a father sent to- you know keep him calm down and all”
“Moon Demon…? prophet–?” his breath slightly hitch, his finger on his chin, his brain was ruining to get into everything he saw in the many books located in the heavenly library, he knew for a fact there were rare powerful demons monkeys around– the moon demons with many ears or eyes, but their hated by other tribes and clans, they are cannibalistic, they eat monkeys for more insight and power.
He mubbled “That could have been dangerous, thanks the buddha there was no complication if the thing was hungry” who knows if it would've taken the new born baby or even Tāin You herself as a meal.
Méihuā nodded, smiling softly at the thought of the moody and restless Mùchén.
“Oh did I tell you that he is studying to be a doctor like ma?" Méihuā's eyes were sparkling at the pure joy of the process.
Erlang furrows his eyebrows itching together ”since whan? You always tell me anything that happens in your troop, no matter how little it may be? Why didn't you–”
Erlang mind was in a frenzy once again as he looked to his hands, thinking of when he could have missed something so deathly important, he thought at first only humans could become healers because of them being Nùwa favorite creations, but ever since Tiān Yòu made the Continental healer Association.
Demons mostly of all races could channel their weekend demonic energy to the side and suck in the power of the chi, but when could he have missed something so deathly important? The heavens would be upset they didn't–
Méihuā laughed half heartily, as he smiled as he started.
“Oh, like a couple decades ago, maybe more?–” he was cut off by his laughter, at the sharp cracking sound of Erlang's head snapping towards him, Méihuā's flinching back sharply when Erlang hand shot out and grabbed him by the collar.
“Tiãncghân Shihóu's, why haven't you told me of this much sooner?”
His grip tightened as Méihuā was dragged closer to him, as the monkey tried to stutter out a fiddle excuse for his faulty actions, when there were soft footsteps coming from deep into the forest, and Erlang Shen immediately let go, sighing while looking around.
Just now realizing the sun had risen a short while ago, and they both hadn't realized being too deep in their own world, he got up after a split second of looking around, and began dusting off his clothes, which unlike Méihuā's was still the pertain white.
Méihuā reached out for him as he went to his feet, stuttering.
“Wait elder brother–,” then his ear twitched so did his tail as his eyes went to the side, where there was a seemingly awkward cough from the forest line, Méihuā muttered.
“Mùchén? What are you doing here?”
Mùchén had his hand to his mouth as he covered a yawn mumbling "I live here?” his eyes roam over Méihuā's dirty form than shooting to the entirely silent Erlang Shen.
“You guys seem quite pent up, Am I interrupting something?” His head was tilted as it looked at the wine bottle on the floor, one half empty as it dripped wine that smelled of not peach but something else.
His eyes furrow even more, as Erlang takes a step forward to the other demon, with a pleasant smile on his dashing face.
“No I assure you, you are not interrupting a single thing, I was just on my way back home”
“Were you now?” Mùchén tilted his head, in a growl in his chest his sharp teeth grinting, as Erlang smiled and faltered just a bit at the challenge.
“I appear not to know what you mean” his eyes narrow into slit as he smiled though his teeth, his voice still the same monotone “can you possibly tell me what am missing? Demon–”
“Ah- guys mùchén–!”
He took a couple steps between the two, as he mumbled “–stop that, and erlang…–elder brother can we just talk for a moment–” Erlang eyes went to him as he simply smiled, making both monkey tails twitch.
“I can't, well not now,” erlang sigh mumbling ”I need to be on my way, we will see each other again”
He took a lingering glance at the demon elder brother who glared at him, and walked past the two brothers without looking back even when Méihuā's stuttered out his name, beckoning him to just stop for a moment and talk about this.
Mùchén sighs grumblely as he rubs his temple, Mùchén grinds out through his sharp teeth with the uncanny ability to tear through flesh.
“He said demon like it below him”
Méihuā wanted to say something, his lip cracked into a frown as his tongue ran over the dry blood on his lip.
It was silent for a couple moment's, the bird chip as the flock flew overhead, Mùchén seeing his brother's golden eyes looking at the spot that Erlang Shen was at a moment ago, sighing and whistling, relaxing his frame, one hand going to his hip the other on the back of his neck.
“Want to get some peaches? Mom making some peach pie for breakfast" he smiled, his eyes losing its edge as he saw Méihuā's grin up at him.
As the siblings begin their walk through line, into the woods, the trees were huge, seemingly reaching to the clouds, the small woodling creatures of spirits and pixie zoom around doing their early morning tasks.
Small human like creatures barely taller than a human pinkie, chipped away in their own serpent language, deers with hooves withe the ability to make small plant sprout just by starting around, twitch around the edge of a river bed, the bare earth was rocky but felt of home, there was vines and dangerous poisonous plant such as the elegant, deep-purple blooms of the monkshood, and the the beautiful lily of the valley, bearing it delicate pure white ball shape petals.
One of the stuff, méihuā's always loved to chew on when he was bored or hungry, he took a petal off and place it in his mouth as his brother sigh at his antic, méihuā's giggled and stung, his mind was still on elrang like I was on many days, but he finally placed that thought of the deity to the side, feeling the warm wind of the early morning air offer a restive warning and hold, as the two reached the cave entrance where they heard the chip of the baby monkey, méihuā's turn to the forest for one last time his mind still slightly occupied as he remember erlang last world.
I need to be on my way, we will see each other again.
Méihuā's thought I hold you to that, I take that as a promise you always refuse to give me, he smiles to the forest than to himself before he turns his back on the woods, to see his brother who had a raised eyebrow who didn't decide not ask what he was thinking but just
said “you ready?”
Méihuā's smile brightly at him seting his gold eyes on his brother sky blue ones, nodding and muttered ah simple “yeah”
