Can't Teach an Old Monkey New Tricks

X is for Cross my Heart

Wukong hummed, weaving the leather skillfully between his fingers. He slipped a bead onto one of the pieces and continued to braid it, knotting the pieces as they came to an end. He let out a happy hum as he looked at the finished work. This gift had taken Wukong a while to complete, from finding the perfect kind of leather to the several books on leatherwork that he had to reference.

Adjusting his glasses, he placed it in a safe spot with the other part of the gift and moved on to the next step. Walking out of his home, he made his way to his garden. Implementing the garden into his routine has been a great benefit to him, getting him out of the house and giving him the satisfaction of doing something with his hands. Most of what he had planted could be made into medicines, but there were a few that were for the looks, such as the rose bush he had spent hours agonizing over (seriously, it was such a picky plant!) He had a peculiarly manicured section of his garden for these flowers.

Winding around the fence was moonflower vine, a flower that blooms at dusk and lasts only a night. It had just reached that time of year when they started blooming, and they were just as gorgeous as he remembered. They made for the perfect backdrop for what he had planned. Next was his black iris. Dark and prideful, he was particularly happy with how these turned out. He picked over his best blossoms and swiftly cut them. Next, he grabbed some pink carnations and purple aster, adding them to his bouquet. Skipping over to the small pond he had nearby, he eagerly knelt at the edge and looked over the lotus flowers. He had some gorgeous blue lotus flowers growing there, though it was a little tragic that he was cutting them to add to his collection. Finally, he decided to complete the bouquet with a yellow, an orange, and a red rose settled in the middle.

He brought the flowers back to his cabin and settled them in a vase with sugar water inside. Everything was coming together nicely. He still had a few hours left until dusk, but it was better to be early than rush everything last minute. He wanted to ensure everything was perfect!

He scratched his chin. Should he go and pick some fresh peaches? He had a few left in his kitchen, but they were a few days old and a little too ripe. Perfect for making other things, but not so much for what he wanted to do. There was also the fact that he didn't have any plums, which would be essential. So, a trip for fresh fruits was next on his plan, along with trimming some of his herbs for tea leaves, which he would do after training with MK.

Stepping out of his home, he quickly made his way to his peach trees, greeting his subjects along the way. His eyes picked over the growing fruits, searching for the ones at the perfect age. However, as he wandered through the trees, a familiar shadow began popping up in the corner of his eye. He chuckled. With an amused sigh, he leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was faced with a familiar figure leaning over him, his hand pressed against the trunk next to Wukong's head.

"Hey there, Peaches~" Macaque purred, his tail flicking against Wukong's. "Fancy seeing you here."

"At my home?" Wukong chuckled, tilting his head. Macaque laughed as well, reaching up to adjust Wukong's glasses.

"Have I mentioned that I love it when you wear your glasses?" He hummed, gently cupping Wukong's face. "Because I really do love it when you wear your glasses." His tongue swiped over his lips. "Makes you even more kissable~"

"Hm, does it?" Wukong nuzzled Macaque's hand. "I'll have to wear them more often, then."

"If you would be so kind." Macaque grinned, nuzzling their foreheads before stepping back. "I've got something for you. I think you'll have a lot of fun playing with it."

From a shadow, Macaque produced a simple wooden box. Opening it revealed colorful paints and a powder of some sort. Wukong immediately knew what it was. It was a box full of makeup, in colors he hadn't seen in centuries. His tail started waving excitedly.