Celestial Water Monkeys

Was discussing in the notes of this post with @silverlycanthropelover about the possibility of Celestial/Stone Monkeys surviving the Great Flood by adapting to the sea.

One of the jokes is that "Sea Monkeys" (the frozen brine shrimp toy), are actually a misunderstanding of sea dragon records talking about the little mer-monkeys that inhabited their seas.

Basically

Ao Guang: "What are those things hiding in your mane?" Ao Shun, surrounded by tiny mermaid-like monkeys: "I dunno man, they just showed up one day, and they won't stop picking through my fur." Ao Guang: "Why haven't you scared them off?" Ao Shun: "Honestly? They are pretty adorable. They clean my body of parasites, and comfort me when I'm feeling unwell." Sea Monkeys: (*happy chirping + porpoise-like squeaks!*) Ao Guang: "They do seem very useful... How do I go about hiring them?" Ao Shun: "I believe you cannot choose them brother, they choose you." (*cut to hundreds of years later when Ao Guang is lying at the bottom of the East Sea, despaired at the loss of his youngest pup Ao Bing*) Sea Monkeys: "Chirrp?" Ao Guang: (*looks up to see a swarm of brightly-coloured mer-monkeys, all swimming around his gigantic body as they pick off the barnacles and parasites that settled in his depression.*) Leading Sea Monkey, petting the king dragon's face with sympathy in their eyes: "Chirrrrp." Ao Guang: (*smiles for the first time in weeks*) :')

Like pilot fish to a great white, the smaller creatures stick to dragons in a symbiotic relationship. The royal dragons are very protective of their monkeys. Ao Guang refuses to acknowledge the irony of a Stone Monkey being one of his greatest annoyances, whilst tending to his beloved servants.

trancript: "do you think any celestial stone monkeys survived the flood and just adapt into sea stone varient literal sea monkeys"
"be funny if Ao Guang liked the sea monkeys but disliked the celestial stone monkey variant"

"HAH! the infamous "sea monkey/bring shrimp"-pets accidentally being a mistranslation/misremembered recollection of actual "Sea Celestial Monkeys". Look like smaller mermaids or loz zoras I imagine. Kinda odd but ultimately monkeys. Ao Guang ironically I feel would adore them."

transcript: "If the sea celestial monkeys are just like their earthy counterparts when it comes cubs/cute things and been taking care of Eastern seas despite the human issue, Ao Guang in his huge dragon for resting in his nest being sad about his Ao Bing while a sworn of sea celestial monkeys try and cheer him up because sad dragon is cute dragon"

transcript: "aww! Like a swarm of fairies or disney creatures making sure that the Dragon King is well. I imagine Ao Guang wasn't feeling great after Ao Bing passed/was hurt, and his little swarm of Sea Monkeys helped a lot. They all crowd around him, grooming his scales, filing his claws, and chirping soothingly."

trancript: "they swarm looks so tiny like real life sea monkeys while taking care of Ao Guang in his real form, Mei is barely a child size in her dragon body to celestial sea monkeys swarm, must bring to sad dragon king so he'll be happier and make the water less salty with his tear"

transcript: "In the LMK world the strangeness of the southern seas isn't just about the current that surround the area in question but the cryptid celestial sea monkeys that made their home there after their adaption, Ao Guang may smuggled a few out during his last visit there more then a few centuries ago so now they are also the cryptids of his territory to"

transcript: "aww. Like the rumours of "Fiji Mermaids" (actually a monkey fossil). Ao Shun, Dragon King of the Southern Sea, just be hoarding a loyal swarm of celestial-monkey-mermaids. And since Stone Monkeys are manifestations of pure Earth element, it wouldn't be out of the question of Celestial Monkeys appearing as other elemental types. Lotus/Six Ears already having a bit of a Wind theme going on"

transcript: "likely the most abundant variant of celestial stone monkey species thanks to two sea dragon kings that hoard them like a traditional western dragons hoard their gold, no one talk about Ao Guang's odd attendances he keeps in his private wing of the palace or the massive coral forest in the center with sea creatures aplenty along with lots of sea plant life (sea monkey swarm who serve are spoiled) there are swarms outside of the palace in the territory Ao Guang rules"

Wukong has no idea that these little spiritual monkeys exist! To think that some Stone/Spiritual Monkeys survived the Great Flood by changing their whole biology, or existed even beforehand, is an amazing discovery!

The Water Monkeys are a lot smaller than Wukong or Macaque, being roughly the size of tamarins. They don't speak "human" languages very well, their vocal cords are more attuned to the calls of dragons and other sea life. They can still chirp and chatter as monkeys do, allowing for some delightful conversation between the Stone Monkey King (they do not recognise Sun Wukong as their king) and the school of excited fairy-like monkeys.

monkey love language

i absolutely adore just how aggressively physical monkeys can be with affection. they just fully press their heads into each other, lots of tugging and pulling, almost throwing themselves at each other when they want attention. i bet it takes Wukong some adjustment so he doesn't use his full force when he gets grabbed by the need to just squeeze someone lmao, but just as much as the others need time to get used to a monkey perched on them every now and then. plus grooming is often a bargaining chip and a way to build relationships and a show of affection and trust. so, a bit of monkey love for each of the group! :D

aaaand Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing face reveal!! working on a fullbody lineup to show off their heights as well, so consider this a teaser ;3

Bajie is half wild boar, half babirusa. I love the four-tusk situation babirusa have going on, but his bristled mane is too iconic to handwave away. plus, pigs that go feral grow tusks and thicker fur, so i wanted to capture some of that with the half-and-half design.

as for Wujing, he's a complicated one to explain, but for his face i really wanted his beard to stand out as well as the six skulls necklace. i'm going for a "intermittent waters" concept with him, since he's originally connected to a desert before being made into a river demon, so i'm drawing on mudskippers for his ear fins and face spots.

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grandma-the-ghost

11 months ago

What is your fav Tadc au? Other than the most known ones- (hootboon’s, sm-baby’s, etc.)