deercountry | A May Arrival from the East

Entry tags:

A May Arrival from the East

Who: Goku & YOU!
What: Goku has arrived! And is sitting on the beach, staring back out at the ocean. Still naked.
When: early May
Where: on the beach!
Content Warnings:nothing yet, will mark threads as needed!

[This has been a markedly more confusing day for Goku than usual. He doesn't really remember how it all started, but he does have some hazy memories of swimming in the ocean, of being spoken to by someone in robes. They're not super clear, more like some half-remembered dream from several days ago, except he's pretty sure whatever that was actually did happen mere hours ago. He's also pretty sure that he hadn't really been himself at the time. He must have gone berserk again, because his hair is all long again at the back, except nothing bad happened; which is weird.

What Goku knows for absolute certain is that he'd been asleep on this beach, stark naked, and there was no one around when he woke up, just a bag cradled in his arms like it was the most important thing in the world. His head still feels like it's in a weird kind of fog, as if someone had taken all the contents of his mind and tossed them around in his head like a salad. Which- gross. Salads are so boring. There's never really any good meat in most salads. Maybe they're okay when you're right about to eat, like they're just something to get you ready to really chow down on something good. But how can anyone eat just the salad like it's the entire meal? That's so--

--Wait, what was he thinking about again?

He hopes one of the guys comes around soon. He's pretty sure that's why he keeps looking out at the ocean like it's bound to give him answers. His friends are okay, and they'll probably show up real soon to properly tell him what's going on. Yeah.

Goku lets out a sigh, feeling his stomach growl out a complaint as he clutches his bag tighter against his chest.]

I'm hungryy....

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[If Hakkai ever happens to look out beyond his little glade of safety, he'll probably see Goku trudging up the slope in a way that indicates he's very carefully following a set of instructions. He's got his clothes on now at least, the fancy backpack he got slung over one shoulder and a pork bun in one hand; which is all still a pretty normal sight. The only thing unusual about it is that somehow the pork bun isn't being actively inhaled, just idly being munched on.

Eventually he reaches Hakkai's camp, and when he does he just kind of... stops in the makeshift "entryway" to look around, finally swallowing his current mouthful as he does so. His expression is a little blank, a haze of confusion still kind of skirting around the edges of his mind and leaving him somewhat disoriented.]

Hakkai?

[Washing things in a bucket is annoying, it's enough to miss the supplies back in town. But, that's not going to happen until he's sure and - ]

- Goku?

[Well that's good news. Even Jeep pokes his little head out from the tree branches, and trills in welcome. Hakkai is quick to put his work aside, and stand, approaching him with what looks like an honest to god real smile on his face.]

When did you get here? Ah - Are you all right?

[You look a little out of it buddy.]

Hakkai!!

[Actually seeing and hearing Hakkai seems to be what pulls him out of his little funk, a bright grin quickly appearing on his face instead. What's left of his pork bun gets shoved into his mouth all at once, partly because oops, he is still hungry, and partly because then he can have both hands free.]

M'okay, I just got here! It was super weird though, 'cause I kinda just woke up on the beach an' my head feels a little funny, but it's prob'ly fine! An' I saw Gojyo on the beach, too!

Funny? Are you hurt?

[Granted, a little thing like head trauma wouldn't really be much for Goku to handle, but hey. He's been without these fools for too long not to worry upon seeing them again. So let him check you over, Goku.]

It may just be the leftover effect from being a squid... I think many people experience disorientation afterward.

[Nope no head injuries. Nothing weird-]

Did you? I know he was looking into houses to renovate earlier... I'm glad he ran into you.

[The fussing is perfectly normal, so Goku doesn't mind it in the slightest. He lets Hakkai do whatever he needs to do, turning his head this way and that so everything can get looked at. Besides his hair grown out the way Seiten Taisei usually has it, there's nothing unusual to see. So Goku uses that opportunity to give Hakkai a quick lookover, too.

Because something's... off.]

I was a squid?!? I don't remember bein' a squid! [He makes a face at just the idea of it.] But I guess... that'd explain it, huh?

Yes, that seems to be part of our arrival here. A transformation from squid to ourselves. Now we have to be careful not to eat any fried calamari!

[Hakkai shut up. That joke's never funny, you're just being creepy. Stop wiggling your fingers like tentacles.]

[He does take note of the longer hair, but, who is he to judge? Maybe Goku just really likes that style... though it hadn't been that way the last time he'd seen him.]

What all do you remember?

[Don't look too close, Goku. Since Gojyo's arrival, a lot of the creepy vines have faded away, his eye has gone back to green. There's just the barest traces of the markings over his face by now.]

Ehhhhh??? So are all the squid in the ocean actually people?!

[Is he joking? Goku can't really tell. Out of all of them, Hakkai has always had the best poker face. He could have made the whole squid thing up and Goku would probably believe him. He's never had any reason to distrust something Hakkai's taught him, after all.

But now he's thinking about calamari. Goku will miss calamari if he really can't have it anymore.]

Mmmm, I remember savin' Sanzo from that creepy guy in the woods. We all had to rest up after that, but then we were back on th' road again like usual! An' then... [He frowns a little, reaching up to rub at his head.] An' then I was on that beach. I think someone told me somethin', an' somebody musta gave me this bag, but I don't really remember it.

Not all of them, I'm sure. That would be a lot of people brought here... the city couldn't contain them all.

[They should stop standing in the "doorway", so to speak, so back to the little firepit it is. Some rocks pulled up for chairs, supplies neatly either hung in the trees, or otherwise off the ground.]

[And there was only one tent.]

Sit down. If I remember right, the disorientation will wear off in time. You just need to be patient. [Hopefully it will. He's not a Waker, he doesn't know the ropes as well as those people do.] Though... what creepy guy do you mean?

[There have been a lot of those...]

Ohh okay! So there's still normal squid out there to eat! Cool!

[HOORAY. HE DOESN'T HAVE TO GIVE UP CALAMARI.

He wanders in after Hakkai like a puppy, finding a spot to drop his bag so he doesn't have to hold it anymore... And then he crouches right next to it so he can dig up another one of the pork buns that's in there.]

You know! The dark sanzo with the glasses an' the scary scripture! I forget his name, but he was real creepy. [At this point Goku has secured his pork bun! So he goes over to sit down on one of those rocks.] You don't remember? He ran off in the end, so I guess that means we won.

And fish. And... ah, I see you already found some street food.

[You know what that's kind of a relief. Goku turned up with food. Because of course he did. That's just the natural order of things. Out of habit, he reaches into their supplies, pulling out a bit of what looks like jerky, offering a piece out to Goku.]

[It's mushroom jerky. RIP.]

Dark Sanzo...? [There's no recognition on his face.] Scary scripture? I - the last thing I recall is [Recovering from getting his shit kicked in by Crazy Seiten Taisei-] the three of us about to set out on our own.

[He blinks up around a mouthful of pork bun, eyes wide.] Uweh? Street food? I found these in that bag, though.

[Goku points at it just in case Hakkai somehow missed it. Silly Hakkai. He doesn't have the magic credit card! But he does take that piece of jerky when it gets offered to him, bouncing right back to being excited while he double-fists his noms.]

Ah, when Sanzo was gone? But that was weeks ago! After that we found that youkai village, remember? An' then we decided to go west an' find Sanzo after all!

[Hakkai might even get the distinct impression that Goku's purposefully leaving some things out. Because honestly, he doesn't really want to think about those parts too much.]

You... found them in your bag...?

[What.]

[Why aren't they soaking wet. How did food get in the bag. Did Goku have them on him before being squid-ified? That makes no sense. Has anyone else found food in their bags before?]

Yes, when Sanzo had left. We hadn't set off yet - [Because they needed to recover. Goku isn't the only one leaving things out.] Or found any sort of village...

[Fortunately, he's talking to the guy holding the brain cell today. Hakkai smacks a fist into his open palm in sudden realization.] Ah! Goku, I think we may be experiencing a time anomaly.

Yep! They were kinda cold, but still pretty good.

[This is not alarming for Goku. He's too busy being grateful to have something to eat right away because when he woke up and started thinking about it, he was starving.

He's still munching while Hakkai works the brain cell, just tilting his head to the side while he finishes up his nom.]

...A lemon tree?

They... weren't damp at all?

[And salty? And squid-ink-y?]

[A shake of his head. Although "lemon tree" was kind of a stretch, come on Goku. Try.]

Time anomaly. It means we come from different points in our timeline. [Wait, maybe that's a little too much.] Ah, think of our adventures as a storybook. I'm only on page seven, but you've gone ahead to page ten.

Mmm... [He has to think about that for a second, brow furrowing.] I guess they were a little salty? But that just made 'em taste better!

[No problem here! Just delicious pork buns~

Goku's nose scrunches up a little bit while he thinks this over. These are new words and concepts for him, but the storybook thing is a lot easier to understand. So once it clicks, he brightens back up.]

Oh, I get it! But how'd that happen? Is it 'cause o' this place?

I... see. Let's try not to eat strange pork buns we find in the future, shall we?

[Goku you sweet summer child, strange food in Trench can be dangerous.]

[He smiles, then, actually. Like he's proud Goku connected those dots.]

Yes, precisely. Something in this world pulls us from different points in our ... ah. Storybook, as it were. What's happened for you hasn't happened for me, yet.

'Kaaaaaaaaaay.

[There didn't seem to be anything weird about his pork buns! But Hakkai is the brain cell of the group, so Goku will always default to listening to his advice. Plus, angry Hakkai is scary. He doesn't want to deal with that.]

Ohhhh... So does that mean I'm not s'pos'd ta tell ya about it??

[Spoiler alert?]

Hm. I don't know, actually.

[Let him think for a minute. What has he heard...? Has he heard anything?]

Unless someone has died horribly, that is!

[Goku tilts his head to one side in a way that's simultaneously curious and thoughtful.]

Mmm... Not any of us, anyway. Do ya wanna know more?

I don't see how it could hurt anything.

[He won't remember it if he goes home, anyway. Unless...]

[He frowns slightly.] Unless you don't want to talk about it, Goku.

[His lips purse slightly while he thinks that over, looking down at his hands like they're the most interesting thing in the world.]

... I dunno. It was a pretty tough fight, y'know?? That guy was super strong. He's the one who almost got me, an' then Gat an' Hazel... If we hadn't shown up he woulda killed Sanzo for sure.

He - what?

[Hold up. He'll feel some kind of ugly sense of victory over hearing something horrendous happened to Hazel, later. The rest of what Goku said is infinitely mote important.]

This other Sanzo - he was the one who hurt you?

[And they didn't get to kill the bastard??]

[Goku looks back up and nods, his expression uncharacteristically solemn.]

That's what you said, at least. He was so strong- I didn't even sense anythin' when it happened! An' he had a scripture like Sanzo, 'cept it could swallow up everything if we got too close.

[He frowns a little then, reaching up to scratch at his head.]

Sanzo shot him in the end. Musta messed him up pretty good, 'cause that's when he ran off.

That's... unnerving. Why would another Sanzo attack like that?

[Shouldn't they be on the same side? Or, at the very least, not trying to actively murder each other?]

Good. A pity he didn't do more damage than that.

[That's uh. A little intense in tone there, Hakkai. But hey, it's probably warranted, considering what that guy did.]

M'pretty sure Sanzo said he was workin' with the youkai, like in Gyuumao's castle or-- or somethin'.

[Didn't he? Goku isn't super sure. It was something like that, at least. But he's definitely sure that Ukoku was everyone's enemy, even Hazel and Gat's.]

Anyway, all that matters is that we won! [BEAM. EVERYTHING'S FINE.] So at least you don't gotta worry about that!

8D

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