#fire-lark

(follow up on the lifting ask) i mean this is assuming the s/o actually has the strength to lift them (kind of impossible for most ppl but) 

also if the stick-wielding monkey is referencing wukong???? i have watched like 3 different versions of journey to the west but no cartoons

Yeah, I was talking about the Monkey King/Journey to the West. I’m a little surprised you haven’t heard of the cartoon version, since it’s one of the more famous ones out there? Although it is pretty old, so maybe that’s why lol. All my fellow Chinese-American friends knew it and we used to all sing along with the theme-song and role play episodes (who needs ‘house’ when you can act out epic battles against monsters? I remember we used to fight over who got to be the monkey; someone even had a plastic version of his stick, which we used to beat the shit out of each other-- dang, that takes me back).  

Here’s a picture:

I’ve also seen one of the live-action editions (I believe the original?):

Here we go~! Excuse any mistakes~!

Blue eyes viewed on the new recruit with scrutiny as he was specifically assigned to him, which is a surprise. Marco doesn’t usually take on brats and this kid seemed like one from just the sight of his sneer on freckled face. There was no way this kid would get a good hit in or even pose a challenge to him. It surprises him though, giving a small doubt to his thoughts since Pops sent him over. To play it safe, he had to make sure this Ace could take on his stoic talk and lack of emotions on most things.

“You’re the newbie, yoi?” Marco began towards the guy that stands before him with a small snarl and its evident he wasn’t someone who wanted to be tamed. “You were placed under because you are supposed to be strong and all you look like is a brat…” The words started and definitely made dark eyes gleam dangerously and the blond smirks as he was pecking in the right spot. “Those fists couldn’t hurt that b–!” A fist made contact with his jaw, surprising him and made him take a few steps back with fingers touching the spot. 

Shock is plain in blue eyes as he straightens with his gaze finding the new guy that looked a bit taken back as it seemed impulsive, but he wasn’t backing down. No words could leave either of them as all Marco think was that he was oddly finding himself attracted to the new guy. Every piece of him delved in the fact that Ace was able to leave a burning left behind from that punch and he grinned proudly.

“Good, just what I would expect under my wing, yoi.” Marco comments while shifting to put a hand to dark hair to ruffle affectionately. Complaints left Ace and the hand pulled away so the blond shows his wide smile lingering while rubbing fingers to the spot that was no doubt bruising. “The burning sensation left behind is excellent, do they always do that? Never mind that, come let’s get some tea as we discuss your new living arrangements with me.” The words quickly left Marco as he led the other that gave a confused, but joyful expression at the fact that he got the stubborn instructor to lead him on his training.

Hope you enjoy~!

As soon as I laid eyes on the dark-haired male a floor down from where I lingered making a sword out of PVC pipe and string, I knew we had to team up. So, as I made my way to crouch by the hole in the floor, I noticed he had someone else with him that brought other scraps and how the pipe along his back looked modified, having me know these two were savvy. I laid to my stomach as I watched to see no visible gun present and hoped they didn’t. I would go down, but was afraid they would run and after losing my brother, it’s been hard on me. 

“Hey!” It was a raised tone, but not too loud to gain others attention. Both stiffened, the dark-haired male moved with his still being constructed weapon for defense and the other was moving a gloved hand back to grip his pipe. They were looking in my direction as I had both hands in view to show I wasn’t armed at this moment. “You guys seem savvy in weapons, yeah?” 

They eyed me while the one with the sword glanced to his friend who merely flickered green eyes to soon gaze back at me. “We are, what do you want?” 

“I’m really good with botany in unfavorable places, have all kinds of ways to make remedies.” The words left me while they stayed in defense and I completely understood. 

When the outbreak occurred, it started in a large city area as some type of bio-chemical terrorist attack. The place I worked was in another city area, but on the outskirts at a facility where I helped with basically mutating plants or combining things to help find cures. They put Water Seven on lockdown because of the outbreak, which was awful to watch on the television. Everyone in the breakroom watching stared in silence, mouths open in shock as videos played of people still in the sealed city, not allowed out ‘just in case’ they were infected already. 

Our facility—along with many others—were tasked with finding a cure and even given a living undead corpse. They restrained it and had the bottom jaw removed so it could not bite, along with us strapping something to the top teeth to be on the safe side. We were doing everything in our power to find a cure, as it started to stem that I would be one of the top three people in charge. Everything was actually going well the first few months, but then the barricades were destroyed, some people deciding the madness should spread. 

People began to panic again, the facility being pressured and having armed guards so we could do our work. We had to live in the facility since it was dangerous leaving the place with them all out there screaming for us to save them. We were working our best, solving ways to eliminate them in the process and to prevent against the disease if encountering one—basically stopping them from biting you by killing it. Our time felt limited as we were told of city after city being taken over to the point people wanted in the building for protection. 

It only took five months for the outbreak to almost reach coast to coast and we were allowed to be evacuated finally. A lot of us stayed, but we had to fend for ourselves, so we closed off one floor with only one access route. A few men from the soldiers helped protect us while we continued. People were fairly okay as we started to let them reside inside and make a small type of base. They were all good at getting things done and set up to keep the undead out, while having means to go for supplies. 

Then someone brought in an infected person, swearing it wasn’t a bite from a zombie but that of a dog. Foolishly people didn’t check and were surprised when the man turned a few days later. It spread like wildfire, the panic and disease infected people to the point they slammed against the doors. The infection travels faster when by the neck and each person differed on speed of being overtaken. It was pressuring us as we began locking ourselves away in our labs and I made sure to tightly as I was so close to a discovery that could help. 

It only took a matter of a few days for the building to be overrun by undead and I made sure to hurry my pace. There was only a small amount of food supplies that I had and I made sure to use what electricity I had left to keep working. The time limit got me working so much before I had finally made something, knowing it would be good in some way. I made ten vials of it, taking the small remainder to test it along with my blood and a sample of the zombie blood. When I noticed a slight difference in mine and not the undead one, I figured I had done something wrong, but then I decided to put a little of untreated blood from the undead with mine I had put the serum in. 

It didn’t change… 

The blood actually rejected the undead virus. 

Hope blossomed in me at a way to prevent such a disease, making me take a vial in hand to begin getting a clean needle. After getting the serum in, I had shaky breaths while tying a band to my arm and finding a vein I know would be good. Then I calmly ejected myself with the serum and decided to wait twenty-four hours to be safe. In that time, I had slept and gathered my research to place it in a drawer with a note saying of it being a possible serum, but if found then that it meant it needed to be modified. 

Reaching my time mark, I took the chance of getting bitten by one of the wondering scientist that had been overrun already. After getting a sample of my blood beforehand with a look over it, I had moved to my door and moved a corner of paper to see there was only a few undead lingering. This had me mentally prepare myself because at the time I had been terrified of what I was about to do. When I had finally braved the bite, receiving it was excruciating as it still amazed me on how there jaw muscles could be so strong—fending it off to lock back away was only difficult as I had to get the teeth out. I kept taking samples and prayed to the Maiden that I would be onto something. 

And I had been. 

My blood rejected the virus, sterilizing it with no problem. I monitored myself for five days, which is the normal time it takes from the farthest of your heart and nothing happened. I was immune to the disease, though now I had a scar from the bite, but I was immune. 

I could not contract the Z-virus. 

“Are you alone?” The blond had asked me with a suspicious look and I felt myself clenching in my chest. 

“I am, yoi… now anyways…” I lightly mention with a strained look at the thought of being alone. 

“Was… was someone with you?” That was the dark-haired male now as he had furrowed eyebrows of curiosity. 

“Yes, a month ago I had my brother with me… but we… we came across some other people…” I told them truthfully, the memories hurting to think about and I could see them gazing to each other. 

“How did you get up there?” The blond asked me while they lowered a bit on their weapons. 

“The outside window,” I mention with a finger pointing a direction I had went and they were a bit surprised. “I have been up here a few days, making some salves and such.” They seemed to nod before looking to one another with tilts of their head so I couldn’t really read lips, which I was bad at anyways unless staring intently. I let them talk, noticing more on how the blond had scars over his left eye as he gazed back to me as they discussed, seeming to be from a fire. Any other features were hard to tell from my distance, but it looked like the dark-haired male’s face had freckles on it. 

“Could we come up?” The blond had asked as they both showed of lowered offenses, but stayed on guard. “We need a break and to reform some things.” 

“Of course, yoi. Do you need to transfer anything up? If you want, one of you can come up and then help with pulling items up.” The suggestion was to ease them that I would not run off with their things, not that I would know how to make weapons. I was mainly chemical/plants stuff, the weapons maker was my brother. 

“We will do that, I am Sabo and this is Ace.” The blond greeted and I made a noise of acknowledgement. 

This was definitely different~! Excuse any mistakes~!

Hope you enjoy~! 

Ace had been nervous as he walked into the local city bank, holding himself together while tugging off his gloves, ignoring the heavy weight on his chest. It wasn’t a situation he wanted to find himself in, but he had no choice when those men wrangled him with the vest on. The task is to go in to the bank and ‘simply’ tell them to close early while he hung around. Of course, Ace had a look of pure terror as he was becoming the victim of one of the bombings that’s been happening through the country. He was told if he pulled this off that they would let him go and he had to at least try or they would have shot him on the spot and gone after his little brother or best friend like they threatened too.

Appearing to the desk after he waited his turn, ignoring security as he frowned and picked at his nails, he was greeted by the blond desk clerk. The man looking to be around his late twenties and possibly someone Ace may have passed a few comments towards on a good day. The teller is at the end side of the counters more and Ace began pulling out a wallet before pulling on an index card he was given. When sliding it over, blue eyes flicker up to him as if he was too exhausted for this, but they gleamed differently.

“Please…” The whisper is hoarse from the dark haired male as he viewed the teller with a hand nervously grasping at his jacket. “J-Just do it…?” It’s a small plea as dark eyes sting with his mouth shifting into a purse as he tried to control his fear. Dread swarmed in Ace’s eyes as the teller stares in absolute shock before he glances to the sides a bit without moving his body.

“What’s your name?” The blond asks as he nods while shifting to begin typing on his computer and the young man gives a shaky breath.

“Ace… m-my name is Ace…” A nod is there as the teller put up his window closed sign and gave a reassuring smile to the customer.

“I’m Marco, please just stay calm…” The blond mentions while Ace swallows heavily and nods while hands were over his fake wallet that held nothing else within.

“I’m sorry…” The youth mentions shakily as he tries not to give anything away and how an announcement is made of the bank closing due to system error.

“It’s not your fault, yoi… Just breathe as we get you out of this.” Marco speaks soothingly to calm him, but Ace frets as he keeps himself steady at the counter and watches people leave in mostly happy moods. Then here he was, strapped with a bomb to his chest and nowhere to run. It only took a total of twenty minutes to evacuate everyone else and security made sure to stay away, but he had been surprised as the teller stayed.

“Why are you here…?” Confusion shows and eyes stare into blue ones that gleam as he soon shifts with hands to the glass.

“Someone has to open the vault.” The door of the main building opens up and Ace turns to view the few men that nabbed him appear with hands tugging their masks down, wearing hoods to shadow their appearances at first.

“Zehahahaha! Good job, boy!” A glare leaves Ace at being told that and is shaking as he wants to act, but can’t. “Show me to the vault, you two stay here with boomstick.” The leader snarks out while the dark haired male moves over to the two in no protest, being grasped by the arm harshly to be tugged. Dark eyes watch the leader take Marco with him, the blond being calm and showing no resistance as he leads the robber.

It takes a little time and Ace tries to hold himself steady, hoping to live through this as these bastards almost have what they want with no issue. One of the men with him moves to the back area shortly as they must have ear pieces, making Ace worry for the teller before he heard a loud resounding explosion. Shock is on him as he was dragged along before shoved behind the bank counter for the tellers. It startles him, but as the guy leaves him, he starts to feel relief on being able to make it out of this finally.

Then he hears a clicking noise start a haunting rhythm. 

Hands move to unzip the jacket and is faced with the vest on him counting down and he begins to shake with tears welling. “Ace!” The head snaps up to see the bank teller there looking in surprise and the strapped man lets out a raspy sob at his predicament. He was foolish to think he would survive… “Let me see it, yoi…” Marco is by him to begin looking to the mess of wires and he could only shake with tears beginning to slick his face in fear and dread.

Ace had his little brother to look after still, his best friend couldn’t handle his brother and the rent by himself. There was so much he was discovering about himself in these past few years, not hanging off what people expected of him as his father was a veteran with a lot of high honors before being killed in action serving his country. That isn’t the path Ace wanted and he had finally won the argument against their gramps about not being enlisted, finding himself pursuing other dreams. Now he was faced with only three minutes of life left with that haunting clicking noise and how much he wanted to deny it, he couldn’t with this man here with him.

“Please leave,” Ace starts out with trembling lips and notices the twisting of pain in blue eyes. “Please, please leave. Please… There’s no time…” He begins pleading as he wouldn’t want anyone else to be brought the same fate, their families loosing him as well.

“It’s okay. It’s okay, you don’t have to be scared.” It’s a coaxing, Marco trying to keep him calm and not hyperventilate. “I’ll be right here, yoi…” The words come out and Ace begins shaking his head while noticing the timer reaching almost to the minute mark.

“No, please, please leave!” Ace begins to be louder in protest while grabbing to shoulders and shoving at the other, but is resisted firmly. “I don’t want you to die! I don’t want two families torn apart! Please just leave me here!” Shock flares over the blond as sobs spill from Ace’s lips and those hands from shoulders move to cover freckled cheeks. 

“Ace, do you want to die?!” Marco bring the hands down with a fervent glare and before a protest could stutter he repeats. “Do you want to die?!”

“No! I want to live! I want to see my brother! I want to see my best friend!” The voice comes out sharply in response before his hands are pressed harshly to the ground and the blond is moving to grasp at a nearby desk to have scissors.

“Then let me get it off, yoi!” Dark eyes widen in surprise before he glances to see the time just barely enough and could only choke out a sob. As Marco moves to the wiring to have the scissors ready, Ace closes his eyes as the haunting of the clicks is there before he hears the sound change.

Cli–fshhuuu…………

……….

Okay, this one actually looked a lot of fun! MarcoAce ahead~!

The fact that Ace worked at a famous airport should mean that he got paid well and be getting compliments of sorts, but that wasn’t the case. Where he worked had villains–yes villains–flying in frequently to challenge some random superhero that rests within the city residing nearby. Now, this meant that part of his security job was to make sure that they go back to wherever they came since Ace knew it was for the city’s sake mostly. It could be difficult at times, but he made do with it.

That really could be an understatement as he threw some low grade villain towards a wall. It stunned the blond man trying to find his way with a map in hand. An indignant yelp came from the civilian as he looked in surprise at the dressed up individual, not believing that a villain was right before him. His blue eyes made contact with a security officer that was approaching with a tired look of no remorse.

“Jesus Christ, I thought this was an airport,” Marco began when the man was closer and soon began waving arms towards the unconscious individual laying out on the floor. “Not a death trap, yoi.” A snort left Ace as he stood before the villain and just leaned over to grip the clothing before making two long steps to soon throw the man again. This startled the blond at the feat of where the villain soon landed in an area that read ‘send back’.

“This happens often,” a shrug left the security officer and the other had lips move in disbelief. Blue eyes looked over Ace as he couldn’t believe someone who didn’t look like a superhero was throwing these known villains around like a simple baseball.

“Who are you? And why do you even work here?” Marco asked as he wouldn’t believe anyone would want this job.

See I would have forgotten this if you hadn’t sent it XD Excuse any mistakes~!

Changing pirates to treasure hunters/adventurers 

When hands found the parchment, it awoken him with wide blue eyes gazing straight to the two men holding the map. It was like a beacon, drawing people in when it could and he saw the excitement on both of their faces. The blond is named Sabo and the other with dark hair is Ace, hearing them address each other about the map being of the island they were on. Talks of finding the treasure left them excitedly as they had been hitting some duds lately and needed to restock, which made the treasure a perfect fit.

Though the ghost stared on as the two interacted closely and mentions of staying at the cave they found the map in was there as night was coming upon them. Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched by those blue eyes flickering to intently catch to how these two pirates were. After some of the night, it was evident they weren’t exactly pirates per se, but more along the lines of treasure hunters or adventurers. Seeing them interact made the ghost envy such affection and when the two would share chaste kisses, it made his apparition quiver.

They couldn’t have the same fate.

So, for the following days, the ghost would merely change the map and they caught on quickly enough. They figured maybe it was because they got close, but would move to the next location with no luck as well. By the end of the day, he had made sure to lead them back to the cave, hoping they would leave the parchment and disappear away from the small island.

“Why does it change, though?” Sabo had questioned one morning as he viewed the map and blue eyes lingered on the pair around a campfire.

“Doesn’t want us to find the treasure?” Ace had merely replied while digging into his food and the ghost carefully lingered between the two as he savored to feel their warmthorany human contact, but knew better.

“But why?” The question had the dark-haired male stop eating with those obsidian eyes finding his partner. Confusion showed and let Sabo continue, “it doesn’t make sense? If the curse really wanted us to stay away then more than just the map changing would be happening to us.”

“Maybe we are just lucky?” The question from Ace made the blond roll eyes and the ghost floated along through the fire, making it flicker. It drew no attention like usual and he let blue eyes watch as they talked of this curse on the island with the map. “Maybe it’s trying to help us? Maybe something bad happens?”

“Then why not clear the map?” 

As soon as Sabo said those words, it dawned on the apparition that he probably should have done that in the first place. Green eyes were viewing the map, but it didn’t matter as he moved fingers to touch along the parchment, letting ink begin to fade. A noise left Sabo as he jerked the paper away, startling the ghost as eyes searched along where he stood, but knew he couldn’t see them.

“Don’t clear the map!” Sabo exclaimed before blue eyes noticed Ace paying more attention at what was happening, but said nothing. “Why are you misleading us?” The spirit stared at the blond with a pained expression showing before moving to soon have the map in his hands, startling the two. It took energy to do this, but he etched new ink to the map before dropping it. “Wha…?” Sabo voiced as he carefully dragged the map over to himself with green eyes searching along the ink with furrowed eyebrows.

“What’s it lead to?” Ace asked curiously as he leaned to get a glimpse and the ghost merely closed eyes with his heart wrenching at what he was going to put himself through just for these two adventurers to get out of here alive.

“I don’t know, but let’s find out.”

The ruins were from some tribe that the ghost knew only by gazing upon them when having nothing else to do. Floating after the two adventurers, he carefully made sure no traps would set off if any still lingered and made sure they went to where he wanted them to go. As they wondered through the ruins covered in vegetation and mostly was exposed to the outside, the blond seemed well taught. 

“If I remember reading up on this, the ruins belong to the Shandia who were known to guard…” There was a pause in words and feet began to slow down as Sabo was looking to realize something. “Oh my gosh, Ace…” The widening of green eyes was there with his strained words as he paused in place and his companion turned to gaze upon him in confusion. “They guarded the Golden Bell of Kami and one of the two Poneglyphs for Poseidon.” The two looked to one another in shock and the spirit frenzied as they couldn’t search for that. In a quick thought, the parchment was snatched and Sabo was startled with eyes looking as the map was moved to on top of a crumbling wall.

“It doesn’t want us to look for that, I have a feeling…” Ace mentions with a searching look around to most likely try to find the ghost, that lingered by the map with watchful eyes.

“Okay, okay, we… we will follow where you want us to go first.” Sabo tried reasoning and the spirit looked to notice the sincere gaze as green flickered to find him as well. The map was flicked off and he moved to catch it with a breath of relief before they began moving again. Sabo would gaze in a certain direction on occasion and the ghost knew the adventurer noted places to search, but hopefully he could change his mind.

They soon found a staircase going down as it showed to of a garden ahead and the two were amazed as they lingered in the area. Flowers looked almost being touching out in a certain direction, the ghost trying to stay in the flower beds more as they were attracting to his life force. Dark eyes focused in the direction the flowers moved, noticing the shifts and followed after and Sabo followed his partner. In a way, the spirit was happy they followed easily enough and soon he brought them before a wall of vines and flowers. The two viewed it all and the ghost quickly moved to shift before a certain area to make the flowers reach out to him. They curiously looked on before approaching, Ace making it first as he pulled at vines and was face to face with a blond man.

“Holy fuck!”The curse of being startled filled the serene atmosphere and Sabo was there quickly to view upon the man seeming to be ensnared by the forest. Skin looked to be sickly pale from being deprived of oxygen, but yet there wasn’t a flaw to be noticed.

“Wait… could this be?” Sabo questioned as the ghost began to move in a hesitant manner, dragging green eyes as he noticed the flowers move. Shortly, he noticed a basin to the side with a clay bowl next to it and grabbed his partner to drag him over to it. “I think we pour it on him?” The blond questioned as Ace started helping with getting the bowl to dip it in the basin and the spirit was bristling in anticipation and anxiety of what is to come.

“Well we can at least try that?” Dark eyes looked to his friend for a moment before they moved back to the man within the vines. Flowers moved with the ghost as he watched tentatively and noticed relief from the adventurers as he made the flowers move, probably glad he followed along. “Okay, just try to move them apart while I pour, maybe tilt his head?” Ace mentions while the blond began doing so and carefully placed fingers to the chin to press it upwards. 

The head moved easily enough, making the adventurers notice the purple skin along the throat, but Ace began to carefully pour the water along the ensnared body and that’s when the ghost felt the pull before blue eyes fluttered close. The next he felt as he was gasping for air that he hasn’t needed for several years and tried to get control over his body. Vines tightened in a displeased manner to his body as he let out shaky coughs, the water no longer drizzling on him as he quivered while he was still held in place. Moving his head and staring wide eyed to the adventurers, he gasped in a breath of fresh air again and swallowed dryly, but he didn’t have time as vines tightened along his body, snaking along back up to his throat like the time before.

“You need to leave!” He quickly snapped out with a hoarse tone from not having to use his vocals in so long and they had jolted back in surprise. “Finding the treasure will only bring you the same fate!” The man trapped gritted teeth while eyes squint as he trembled as the ghosting vines were beginning to reach his throat. “Don’t be stupid like I was, yoi!”

They stared in surprise as glistening blue eyes watered and then they sprung forward with their machetes. “We have to get him out!” Ace claimed and the man ensnared could only give out choked laughs that had sobs. As soon as they cut the vines, more doubled over and they were already starting to strengthen against his throat.

“I can’t escape…” The broken voice was shared with blue eyes viewing them deeply as they gave a desperate look. “I can’t… just, please… Leave he-here…” The tightening started as the trapped man started to feel choked and they shook heads.

“Your name, tell us it!” Sabo desperately spoke as Ace went for the vines near the already bruised neck.

“Marco…” The man spoke softly with eyes releasing a few tears as no one has known who he was for years. “Please… Leave…” The voice began hallowing and sounded raspy as he squeezed eyes closed with trembles as the vines merely gripped tightly as the machete had done nothing, leaving both adventurers to watch helplessly as Marco was taken from his body once more as the head tilted to one side with no remaining movement.