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[forgingfires]

"You have contacted the great Red Son. Keep your message brief and to the point if you want a reply within twenty-four hours."

UN: jetfire

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[forgingfires]

"That seems to be what usually happens when I allow people into my life. Dragon Girls, Noodle Boys, and now Dryads," he said with a huff. "I am becoming used to it."

[wildwarden]

"Sounds like they have excellent taste." She grinned. "You'd probably lose your mind if we all got together to harass you, huh?"

[forgingfires]

"Oh, almost definitely," Red Son said. "They are quite...energetic. Often its better to just let myself be dragged along because trying to rein them in is impossible."

[wildwarden]

"The more you talk about them, the more I want to meet them." She laughed. "I think that's the worst part about being pulled into realms like this... sometimes you don't get to see any familiar faces. Not that I would, I guess, unless time shenanigans happened."

[forgingfires]

"Time travel is not an impossible thing," Red Son said. "Time between this dimension and others are not linear. Though honestly I would not be surprised if they showed up. They once got lost in the middle of a massive desert and they happened to collapse right where I do test drives."

[wildwarden]

"Oh, I know. Stuff like that happened a lot in the last world I was in. People showing up from different times, alternate universes. It was weird." She cocked her head. "Test drives?"

[forgingfires]

"I make cars," Red Son said. "Carts that move without horses or any beast of burdens or magic. Its all machines."

[wildwarden]

"Ohhh." Night Sky smiled. "I fucked a guy in one of those back in Faerie." Why are you the way you are. "Never moved it, though. How fast are they?"

[forgingfires]

"Yes, that seems to be a somewhat common practice. I've never understood it, it seems awfully cramp," he said. "Unless its a van, but even then."

"It varies on the kind of car it is. Most cars can get up to maybe 200 miles an hour. However, I make race cars and those can get around 400 miles per hour."

[wildwarden]

"It's more the danger of getting caught. Even if you think you're far from people, the thing has windows and anyone could just show up."

She quirked her eyebrows upward. "Isn't that dangerous?"

[forgingfires]

"Ah, is that what it is? Exhibitionism...it would make more sense," he said. He's had to move around a car for one reason or another and a lot of things can just jab into you.

"Oh, incredibly. That's why speed limits are usually only a max of seventy miles an hour and that's on the roads that are meant to go straight for miles upon miles. Thirty to forty-five is more the norm amongst where people live and then there are designated pathways. To handle cares going faster takes quite good reaction time," Red Son said. "And, well, that is why I test drive in a desert."

[wildwarden]

Night Sky's eyes widened. The difference between what one was supposed to do and what the cars he made were capable of was both impressive and terrifying. "Have you ever - I don't know. Lost control?"

[forgingfires]

"Oh, I've definitely crashed on test drives. That's to be expected. Weight versus handling versus speed is a fine tuned thing," Red Son said. "After a final design? The only wrecks have been because of the Dragon Girl and Noodle Boy."

[wildwarden]

"Well that sounds terrifying." She said with a shudder. "How did they manage to do that? You let them drive your cars?"

[forgingfires]

"Oh no, they drove into my car," Red Son said flatly. "Using a magic enhanced vehicle so they came in fast and shattered it, used magic to rebuild their car, stealing some of my parts, and then kicked me out of it!"

[wildwarden]

If she hadn't seem some wild shit in her life, she might have thought he was bullshitting her. "That's - uh. Does that happen a lot?"

[forgingfires]

"It is starting to happen a stupid amount the more time I spend with them. I have an incredibly high rate of crashes around them," Red Son said with a put upon look.

[wildwarden]

"It sounds like they're doing it on purpose- at least that one time." She said. "Good thing you're resilient, I guess. Though maybe they shouldn't be around such dangerous machines regardless."

[forgingfires]

Red Son barked a laugh. "They were going by the seat of their pants that time, but there are only so many places to go on a track. They don't really mean to wreck stuff, they're just very good at it," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Honestly, I'm not sure which of us have actually caused more property damage. Its a very close thing."

"They're resilient for mortals. The Dragon Girl has a dragon heritage, and she'll be getting stronger with her awakening her power more, on top of the Samadhi Fire burning away anything that threatens her life now. The Noodle Boy has the Monkey King's power." There is a pause. "Somehow. I'm not sure how that works because Wukong still has his power, but he has shown the potential to be invincible. There is actually a lot suspect with his whole situation, but I don't think he's even realized it. He does take a hit very well though."

[wildwarden]

Night Sky exhaled a laugh of her own. "Wow. Should I be worried you're going to start causing property damage?" Not that it was any of her business. So long as it wasn't something she cared about and no one got hurt.

She tilted her head quizzically. "Is she actually a dragon? I thought that was just a nickname because she was... fiery, or something." A beat. "Why do you call him noodle boy if he has crazy monkey king powers?"

[forgingfires]

"Only if I decide to go on a conquering spree. Otherwise I don't wreck very much if I'm not around them," Red Son said with a shrug. That moment when the villain seems to be more mindful of the fallout.

"Dragon human hybrid. Her ancestor Ao Lie took a human mate and since there were...family troubles, his descendants kept marrying with other humans for the most part," Red Son said. "Ao Lie also liked turning into a white horse, he was well known for it. So she's Dragon Girl, Pony Girl, White Horse Girl, and whatever combination of those words I feel like that day. She has a white motorcycle with horse and dragon stylings as well, so I decided to keep it even though I'm less convinced she's a reincarnation like the rest of the crew," Red Son said, voice taking on the edge of someone who has been trying to figure out what the fuck is going on with a particular problem and has no idea what it all MEANS.

"Because the first time I met him, it was because he had shown up with a noodle delivery to where mother and I were releasing father from his prison. Which was underground, deep in a construction zone that no one was supposed to be in because I got all the zoning permits for it! We owned that land! But for some reason, his delivery app brought him right to us and he never thought twice about going down a construction elevator!" The things MK does are vast and confusing. "And I still don't know why! Like he was legitimately there to deliver noodles for his...guardian's restaurant. I don't know who placed the order because it wasn't us, I don't know if Wukong was already playing games then, and Noodle Boy was surprised from start to finish from my releasing father, from my about to kill him, he was very adequately terrified to all the demons and robots there, to him picking up Wukong's staff and it reacting to him! The moment we became aware of his existence that day, literally nothing made any sense." Red Son ranted, fire flickering in his hair because NONE of it made sense, there was some controlling factor in the mix and he didn't know WHAT it was.

"Then I chased him across the city until I ended up crashing into a building when Dragon Girl interfered. He still delivers noodles between fighting demons and saving the world, so he will remain Noodle Boy."

[wildwarden]

Night Sky blinked owlishly.

"Wow." That was... a lot of backstory for Noodle Boy. "That... almost sounds made up. I know it's not because you don't seem like the type to just make up some wild story. That, and your hair is going crazy again so I assume you're... annoyed?" She cocked her head. "I feel like I should have made a grander entrance now."

[forgingfires]

"Because his whole deal makes no sense! He's a human!" As far as Red Son knows, he's gonna need a canon update to find out about the whole Monkey Form thing.

"He is surrounded by the descendants or reincarnations of the pilgrims, none of whom really seem to show any knowledge of their past lives, and he's taken the spot of Wukong, but he hasn't shown any connection TO Wukong except for some reason having a...a copy of his powers, because Wukong still has his! All these things are circling around the Noodle Boy, and I do not know why. I've tried to do a few probing questions, but I am utterly convinced that if he has given it an ounce of thought, he immediately ran from them." Red Son ranted, throwing his hands up in the air. He groans, face in hands. "I didn't used to CARE. He was just someone to destroy, but now I'm concerned and when that many coincidences happen, they're no longer coincidences."

He huffs, lowering his hands. "Its infuriating. And your entrance was FINE. I can do with subdued."

[wildwarden]

"The pilgrims?" She almost immediately regretted asking, suddenly feeling like it might just send him on another tangent. "Sorry, I'm not... familiar with the story here, if there is one. You don't have to explain it all to me now though, especially if it's going to make you more annoyed."

[forgingfires]

"I'm annoyed, but its not at you. Its more...anxiety," he said with a huff. "The pilgrims of the Journey to the West. Its a story most know in my world. The Great Monk Tang Sanzang had to deliver scriptures after completing a great journey. Made difficult between those who wanted the scriptures and those who wanted to eat the monk because to do so grants immortality. So he had protectors, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, Ao Lie, and most famously, the Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. Who was the...reluctant participant. His bodyguard stint was to be his rehabilitation after some centuries of imprisonment and he was leashed with heaven's gift until he learned 'to be a better person.' Basically. Though it took time to find out he wasn't a willing pilgrim, I think my family are one of the few to realize what heaven's gift was before the journey was immortalized in writing."

He rubs at his neck. They had recognized it after Red Son's own 'gift.'

"Sun Wukong is the...not quite the strongest being back home, but that includes the Jade Emperor and Buddha and other beings who are literally part of the fabric of our universe." Sun Wukong is a beast. "He and my family have a complicated history, but I met the pilgrims on their journey when I was a child. I remember...quite clearly."

The trauma does that.

"And the only original pilgrim alive. He's immortal several times over due to things he did before his imprisonment. The rest of them have passed on. Even Ao Lie, supposedly, even though he was supposed to be immortal to. I don't know what exactly happened to him, though I have suspicions on what may have taken him."