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....

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's all right. A small amount like this won't hurt anything.

[It's barely a droplet. Just enough to show Goku what he means. Once his point is made, it's simple enough to apply pressure to the spot with another fingertip.]

Well, the easiest way is what I just showed you. A small scratch would do fine - we just need to see the color, really.

Mmmmm... Okay.

[Goku leans back and holds his hands out, palm up and facing him. He looks between them like he's assessing each hand carefully before doing anything. After a few seconds he comes to a decision, bringing the thumb of his left hand up toward his mouth and, taking a deep breath first, bites down hard on the meat of it. Hard enough to draw some of that blood out.

What he gets as a treat is a slow flow of pale blue blood, and as he pulls his hand away it starts to turn into ice. Which, as far as Goku is concerned, is highly alarming. So naturally, he immediately starts to flail.]

UWAAAHHH!!! HAKKAI, IT FROZE!! MY BLOOD FROZE!! WHAT DO I DO?!

Be -

[- Careful.]

[Because it looks for all the world like Goku is going in for a very dramatic, very hard bite, right there. And they definitely don't need that much blood. The panic definitely doesn't help.]

It's all right! You're all right-! Calm down. It's normal.

[He's automatically reaching out to try and take the injured hand. It's not a bad injury, but maybe if he heals it up, Goku can calm down.]

It's just Coldblood!

[There's no protest when Hakkai reaches for his hand; in fact, Goku practically thrusts his injured thumb at him without thinking. It takes another few seconds for him to actually calm down and stop making all sorts of panicked noises, but he does at least get there.]

C-Coldblood?? [He even has the presence of mind to look sufficiently weirded out.] Like... Like a lizard??

[He's still frowning, though. Did lizards have blue blood, then? He'd never seen one bleed before, so maybe they did? Or-- Wait, this is because he was a squid here. Did the lizards here also used to be squid?

So many questions.]

[Ah, yes, the familiarity of patching his friends back together again. It's second nature - though, really, this probably just needs a bandage, not healing. But if it calms Goku down, then he's happy to do it.]

It's the same term, yes. [Just going to heal up that bite mark.] But not the same thing. Lizards don't bleed icicles, after all.

[See, Goku, everything is fine.]

Coldbloods are usually... how to put this? Elemental-based? They can control ice and fire, and are far less susceptible to changes in the climates, like sudden cold or heat.

They don't?? Then why're they called coldbloods?

[Once it's healed he brings his thumb back up to inspect it. Not because he needs to check that Hakkai healed it - that's obvious - but because he wants to see if the blue blood is visible through the skin (it's not). Or if any of the ice is still sticking to his skin (there isn't).]

Uweehhh? So I'm... magic now?

[Goku turns to Hakkai with big, bright eyes, a smile threatening to overcome the look of awe on his face.]

How do I make it work?!

It has to do with how they maintain body temperature, not that their blood is ice.

[Once they're back in the city, maybe he should take Goku to the Archives and pick up a little more education while they're there...]

I suppose you could call it that. But - oh. [Don't you dare look at him like that. It's going to be very hard to answer when Goku is staring up at him so expectantly.]

I have no idea! [Or maybe it's not hard at all.]

Ohhhhhhh... Okay. [He still looks a little confused about that, but... That's kind of what happens when you've never been to a proper school before.

And now this? This is the look of someone who just got their newfound hopes shattered. Goku looks back down at his hands with a little frown, brow furrowed like he's trying to focus on making a ball of light. The way Hakkai does with his chi!]

Ain't it s'pos'd to be like how you use your powers?? How do ya do that??

[Obviously nothing is happening. Even though Goku looks like he's trying real hard.]

Mine - ? I don't think so...

[His abilities aren't elemental. They're his own energy, focused. Unless energy itself counts as an element? Maybe it does.]

[Still, he reaches out to pat Goku's shoulder.] Not to worry, I know at least one other Coldblood who could help you. I was actually doing some work for him around his dojo - I'm sure he'd be happy to assist.

[Goku tries one more time to be like Hakkai, focusing his energy on making something magical happen... Only to fail miserably. He slumps down with an anguished kind of groan, disappointed that it doesn't come naturally to him.

He does look back up at the words of comfort, at the hand on his shoulder. He even gives Hakkai a little smile.]

Oh yeah, Gojyo said you've been here for a while already. You probably made lotsa friends!

[You probably made a lot of friends]

[Hah.]

[His smile tightens. In that classic Hakkai way. The way Gojyo reads like a book. And shakes his head. And deliberately does not comment on the "friends" part. What friendships he did tentatively broach have probably been burned by now.]

He's correct. I arrived last fall... so it's been roughly eight months.

[While he may not know it as well as Gojyo does, Goku definitely recognizes the shift behind the smile. He sees the presence of something in the way Hakkai shakes his head. It gives him pause, makes him blink owlishly. And then he remembers--

He's had a rough time.

The phrasing Gojyo used echoes in his head, and for a second Goku frowns. Eight months is way too long. There's concern in his eyes as he searches Hakkai's face, eyeing the faint imprint of vines that crawls across his cheeks, just before he reaches out for his hands. And he smiles, in a way that's much warmer and less cheeky than his usual grin.]

Well, now you got me an' Gojyo ta keep you company! S'just the three of us lookin' out for each other again- [Just like the youkai village] -but we'll make it work! But make sure to introduce me to that coldblood pal o' yours, okay?? Gotta stay useful in a fight, y'know!

[It shouldn't surprise him that Goku grasps his hands. Or that he's more perceptive than anyone ever expects. But it does. He blinks, but doesn't pull his hands out of Goku's grasp. And, honestly, the thin, pale traces of vine along his cheeks fade out - leaf by leaf.]

[Funny what not isolating yourself completely does to cure corruption.]

I... yes. [Hold on, his brain is rebooting.] Yes, you're right. You're both here now, and we should be focusing on that.

[Because clearly nothing can go wrong now.] We'll move back into the city soon - Gojyo's found a house to fix up. And perhaps both of you can come to the dojo with me.

[That makes Goku beam, pleased to see that his efforts are working. He'll never be as eloquent as Hakkai when it comes to cheering his friends up, but at least he has a method all his own. Whether he's aware of it or not.]

See?? You're lookin' better already! [He has no idea what he did or said that made those vines fade away, but he's glad they did.]

Uweh? We can get a place in the city? [Goku blinks around at the little camp for a moment, releasing Hakkai's hands so that he can twist himself and get a look at everything.] You don't have to live here??

Am I? [There it is - a nearly honest smile. A nearly honest laugh.] Gojyo said something similar soon after he got here.

[... The transformation back had been a bit more dramatic then, but still. The parallel is there.]

We certainly can. There's no monetary system here - everything works on bartering, so we don't need to worry about lacking money this time. [Since they once again don't have the Gold Card.]

... Ah, yes. We don't have to stay out here, no. This was... it was a temporary home.

Yeah! The leaves on your face just went away!

[Clearly Gojyo did the heavy-lifting when it came to making Hakkai feel better. Goku's just the last of the clean up crew.]

Bartering... Oh, y'mean like trading! So if I help carry heavy stuff around for people they'll give us food? [That's... also a lot like the youkai village.]

Mmmm, if Gojyo's lookin' for a new house, I can stay there too, right? Can I have my own room???

They did -? [Hold on, he's got to check. Pulling out his communicator to use as a mirror and, sure enough, there's nothing on his face any longer.] How odd... I should thank you then, for your hard work.

[And he'll do that! By fishing out the rest of the mushroom jerky. Here you go, Goku. Your favorite reward.]

And yes, they will. Offer your time and effort and they'll repay in kind. [Or shiny rocks. Those work too.] Of course you can. I'll ask him to make sure there's three rooms instead of just two.

[Goku just beams at him - and then of course as soon as food is being offered he has to leap on it. He takes the jerky with an excited little cheer and a laugh, immediately chomping down on one of the strips.]

Awesome! Thanks!!

[He's still munching while he thinks this over. It'll be a lot like their time in the village, then. He helped out at the shop and carried things around for the villagers, he'd even helped with meals from time to time and everyone had been pretty grateful. It'll probably be the same deal here. And--

Wait. Three rooms?]

Eh? We'd all be gettin' different rooms??

[Once Goku chows down, Hakkai can't help the smile. It's much easier to do, since they showed up. Funny how that worked.]

[He stands, brushing his hands off on his pants, to start packing up the campsite. It wouldn't hurt to bring everything. They won't need a tent, but it may come in handy sometime in the future. Also, there's too much food and water to waste leaving out in the woods. Cooking supplies too-]

[Uh. What kind of question is that. He stops, turning to look at Goku like he's grown another head.]

Well... yes? The houses here aren't terribly small... I'd assume everyone would want their own space after so long on the road.

[Goku stares back at Hakkai, eyes big while he keeps munching. He's not sure why Hakkai's looking at him like that, so he'll just have to assume that there's some vital piece of information that Goku isn't privy to. That's usually how it goes, anyway.]

Oh... [He talks around the jerky in his mouth, so his voice is slightly muffled.] I guess I just thought you an' Gojyo'd be sharin'.

[Was that not how it was when they were living together before? It was so long ago now that Goku honestly can't remember.]

[ why is the ocean so far away he would like to turn around and walk directly into it rather than think about that in the face of his awful terrible realization a while ago because clearly that is a horrible thing and he does not deserve it and it would only make trouble for someone else and potentially ruin his friendship with gojyo obviously that is the only way it could go there's no other possible way in this world or any other because that's a good man and he is a piece of shit who turns into a murderous monster beast oh my god he didn't even think of sharing a whole ass room even though they were in a single tent the last few however long it's been and here's goku just dragging it out into the open like it's no big deal oh you sweet summer child this is the worst thing ever and ...]

Edited 2023-05-14 04:51 (UTC)

[ Ahem. ]

I guess we'll have to see what happens once the house is fixed up again.

[what the fuck kind of non-answer is that, Hakkai.]

I already imposed so much in his home, as it is. [RIGHT THEN.] When you've finished the jerky, come help get the other supplies out of the tree.

[UWAH?! HE'S AVOIDING IT HE'S AVOIDING IT.]

[Goku blinks owlishly, confused. He doesn't understand. There is only one tent, and they've been camping here together. Was that not right? Did Goku say something wrong? Did he misunderstand something? Why is this the way Hakkai's responding? Is he mad?!

OH NO! Was it supposed to be a secret?!

He frowns around his jerky, looking down at where the end of the strip is rapidly disappearing into his mouth so he goes a little cross-eyed. He's definitely visibly fretting, making a soft distressed noise while he just... focuses on eating all the jerky in front of him.]

O-Okay. B-By the way, it's real good, Hakkai! What's this jerky made out of??

[Poor Goku. It's not his fault at all. But Hakkai's shoved himself so far into the Denial Hole, he's not even sure how to start making it less weird. Or less like he's upset - he isn't. Not with Goku anyway.]

[... Thank everything for food. For Goku's change of subject. When he answers, he seems much more at ease, much more relaxed than a minute ago.]

Hm? Oh. Mushrooms, I believe!

[Yeah that's Normal Hakkai again.]

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