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

You'll have to be careful - the landlady will make me pay for any damages to the furniture.

[His money's on Gojyo, honestly.]

[Or on Gojyo somehow managing to get Hakkai to use the bed and claiming the chair.]

M'not gonna break stuff! I promise!! [He huffs a little.] 'Sides, that's usually Gojyo's fault!

[It is not. But that's certainly how Goku sees it.]

I'll be holding you to that promise. Both of you.

[Do not piss off his landlady. She likes him. For a reason.]

Y'gotta tell Gojyo, then! He's th' one always startin' it!!

[Good thing Sanzo's not around to shoot at them when they become Too Much. Hakkai's landlady is at least spared that much.]

I'll tell him, I'll tell him... But do try to be on your best behavior?

[She would literally murder them all if there were bullet holes in her walls!!!]

[He lets out such a dramatic, petulant sigh, his head dropping back and everything.]

Fiiine. [Even though it's not his fault ever, geeez.

And then, perking up--]

Does the landlady have lotsa food??

Well... we can use the kitchen. But food preparation is our own responsibility.

[And Hakkai may have volunteered to cook more often than not for other people there...]

So don't worry. We'll make it work.

Oh.

[He looks a little disappointed. If only Sanzo were here with the magic credit card-- Waitaminute!]

Oh!! [Goku brightens up all over again.] And here we can trade diff'rent stuff for food, right?? So can't we just go someplace else, too??

Yes, we can. Good thinking.

[There definitely are places to eat in town, cafes, bakeries... places he probably should have checked out but uh. Did not. Really.]

I'm sure we could occasionally.

[Good thinking. That praise makes Goku's chest swell with pride.]

Can we go somewhere tonight, then?! I'm already starving!!

[Goku you just ate so many pork buns and mushroom jerky--]

Ah...

[He hesitates. Noticeably. And then fishes around in a pocket, pulling out a bag of - you guessed it - fancy rocks.]

Why don't you treat yourself? On me.

[What if he isn't cured. What if he changes again. What if he just turns again without warning and they're sitting in a cafe, or they're in the middle of a busy street, or worse. What if - ]

[No, he should just... Stay here a while longer.]

[It's definitely noticeable. Even if Goku wasn't weirdly more perceptive than he seems most of the time, he'd notice that hesitation. So he doesn't move to take the bag of rocks from him. Instead Goku's brow furrows ever so slightly, his head tilting to one side while he works to understand what he's seeing.]

...Mmm. I guess we don't hafta go tonight tonight. [He offers Hakkai a little smile, something warm and understanding. Goku may not fully understand why Hakkai still doesn't want to go into town (he seems cured now, after all!), but he can at least understand that he feels that way.

It lasts for just a few seconds, quickly getting replaced by a scrunch of his nose as though he's caught whiff of something awful.]

'Sides, it's no fun eatin' alone! We'll all go together soon though, right??

Are you sure?

[He hasn't put the bag away yet. It - feels a bit wrong to make Goku change his mind like that, when he'd been so eager. Denying him that? Telling him no when he'd been so excited? He shouldn't - he should just go with it. What kind of friend - ]

[He shakes his head.] I'm sorry, Goku. I don't want you to have to miss out on town on my account. If you want to go, I'd prefer you did.

I... am not entirely sure of crowds, at the moment. Just in case.

[Gojyo said he needed to try this honesty thing. Ugh, it sucks. He'd rather be friendly with a Beast.]

But yes. I would like to, soon.

It's okay, Hakkai! [Goku goes back to his cheery grin, thumbing at his nose with a chuckle.] I can wait 'til we all get ta go together!

[That willingness to be patient might be a sign that Goku's also still a little out of sorts. He did only just arrive, and whether he's conscious of it or not he'd rather stay close to his friends now that he's found them.

...But he's also assuming that they'll only be waiting to go until tomorrow.]

Is it just 'cause o' the vines that were on your face?

All right. I'll try and make it up to you then, shall I?

[He finally puts the little bag away, with a sigh. It still doesn't feel great. But his worries won't be completely put aside. Not yet.]

[Frankly, he'd rather the others stick nearby too. It's less worrisome while they get their bearings around the town. And. Well. He'd missed them. All of them. Even Sanzo, to an extent.]

Well, yes. You know what they are. [What they mean. Goku hadn't been out of it every time he'd gone and went Scary Demonic Mode...] To think that they could appear when I haven't removed my limiters has been worrisome.

[That makes Goku frown, just a little bit. A hand comes up to rub idly at the golden limiter on his own head, considering his own demon-like circumstances. He's worn the diadem for as long as he can remember, and it's never just plain failed to work before. The idea of him going berserk with the limiter still on... isn't a fun thing to think about.]

... If it does happen again, we'll help stop you, though! An' we'll make sure you don't hurt anybody. You guys do the same for me, so... Okay??

[Of everyone in their group, Goku's the most familiar with that fear. The awfulness of blacking out and waking up to find that you're responsible for all your friends' injuries. He wouldn't wish that on anybody, and especially not on Hakkai.]

Goku...

[It's been far too long since he's seen his friend. Too long since that positive vibe hit. It's really hard not to have a feeling about this. A soft gross feeling. Ugh.]

[He reaches back out again, and grasps Goku's shoulder.]

I will do everything in my power. Just like always. If I can prevent you from harming anyone, I will.

[Even if it kills him. Which, you know, fortunately, isn't a huge problem here.]

[His smile breaks right through again as he reaches up to clasp his hand around Hakkai's wrist, just returning the companionable gesture. Goku's glad he has his friends here in this strange new place. He can't imagine how scary and confusing it must've been for Hakkai to arrive here alone.]

Yeah! I know you will.

[There's a reason he always trusts his well-being to his friends, and to Hakkai in particular. That's never changed, and it probably never will.

Though this does bring a thought back to mind for Goku...]

Oh, uh... I think I should prob'ly tell ya... I think I musta gone a little berserk when I got here? M'pretty sure I didn't hurt anyone! But that's prob'ly why my hair's all long, an' why I don't remember where I got that bag from...

[It sucked, a lot. He kind of isolated himself completely, as Hakkai is wont to do. It's not healthy. But it's how he is. No matter how horribly unhealthy, how self-destructive. After all, it was a new place. Somewhere to keep your past behind you, as much as you were allowed.]

[Those nice confident vibes vanish though, once Goku admits that. His eyes widen, and he reaches for his communicator. To check - to see if there's any news. See if anyone has reported a massive swathe of destruction.]

You're sure? People occasionally have trouble remembering things when they wash up... maybe that was what happened?

[Scrolling... scrolling... no. He doesn't see anything yet.]

Mmm...

[He looks down at his hands for a moment, flexing his fingers like he's testing for something. Searching for a sensation, a memory in his muscles. Usually when he goes on rampages he can still kind of feel it, and more recently he's gotten little flashes of memory when something is able to trigger it. Goku doesn't feel that way here. The only things he can vaguely recall is being in the water, and then someone talking to him. Nothing else.]

Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure.

[There's that smile again and everything. It's the first time he's ever really felt confident about this, so he's pretty pleased. And fortunately Hakkai's search is going to come up empty, too. A true instance of "no news is good news"!]

Oh hey Hakkai, can you cut my hair for me? I don't like it bein' all long like this.

Hm... [Still scrolling... still scrolling... ah, there's his own fatalistic message there. And Goku definitely hadn't been around for that. Which leads to one logical conclusions.] I don't see anyone reporting anything out of the ordinary. If you're correct, and it did happen... somehow, nothing terrible came from it.

[They should be thankful for it. He is, of course. But also a little baffled. Maybe it was just the squid.]

I think you're in the clear. [And that's with a real smile, too. Goku is Winning.]

Oh! Yes, of course. Let me see if I can find where the scissors are... [Hakkai why do you have scissors in your wilderness camp.]

[There is a real sense of triumph that swells up in him when he sees Hakkai's Real Smile. That on top of the fact that things are starting to feel so normal makes Goku feel pretty damn good about... Well, everything. It's just better when their little group isn't broken up. He's happy and relieved that Hakkai can still find it in him to genuinely smile.

And now Goku's even getting a haircut out of it. He really is Winning!]

You brought scissors out here? [He'd sort of expected to have to use a carving knife or something...] Did you hafta cut your hair, too??

[They're almost all back together again. For Goku's sake, he does wish they were. But on the other hand, meeting up with Sanzo after what he pulled probably wouldn't go over terribly well. Someone would get shot.]

Ahaha, well, they're sewing scissors... [Oh, that's why he brought them.] I brought them out in case someone needed their gear repaired.

[That makes so much more sense than Hakkai carrying around random ass scissors.]

[Fortunately for everyone, Goku's really started to grow out of his "depend on Sanzo for everything" phase. It's a bummer for him that Sanzo isn't there, of course, but at least it isn't as upsetting as it once was. Goku will live.]

Oh! So that'll still work, right?

[He... didn't even really know there could be different scissors for different things. But there are different knives for cutting different meats, so it still makes sense to his monkey brain.

Either way, Goku's already preemptively straightening up in his seat, ready for Hakkai to work his magic. After all, if he had his way he'd just be hacking the long parts off with the nearest blade. Maybe ask Gojyo to lend him shakujo for it.]

They should. It just may take a bit longer than with regular scissors.

[Just to Goku knows he'll have to sit still longer than usual. And hopefully he'll stay sitting still.]

I thought maybe you were trying to match Gojyo's style. [Good work sitting already, buddy. He brings over the blanket they'd been using, improvised drape, and starts his examination. Best to know what he's working with before just hacking through Goku's hair.] Let me know if you need a moment to stand?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject