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[rockthemonkey]

WHO: Son Goku and others. Goku and Ukoku.
WHERE: Anywhere you want around the starship and then at the food court.
WHEN: January 6th
WHAT: Goku is a curious monkey trying to figure things out and make friends. Come make friends with him. Then he tries to have a nice meal and gets mercilessly bullied.
WARNINGS: Possibly violence at some point.


A.
[Goku tried to follow along with orientation, really he did. But he'd been worried and confused and they'd used a lot of long words that he'd never heard before. And some words he had heard before that apparently meant things he didn't know they'd meant. Also they spoke really fast and didn't answer his questions properly, even when he raised his hand. But, after a day or two to get his head around it and to talk to other people, Goku thinks he's gotten the important bits down.

a) He's in space, far away from Earth, floating in the middle of nowhere.

b) Sanzo, Gojyo, Hakkai and Jeep aren't nearby.

He's more concerned about the latter than the former, funnily enough. Who knows what kind of trouble the guys could get into without him there? He can't leave everything to Jeep, as sensible as the dragon is. He's gotta get back!

For now, the only thing he can think to do is explore the starship and look for answers. Maybe make some friends who can help him out- he's sure he's not the only one who wants to get back fast. People are likely to spot a curious monkey running around just about anywhere. From the medbay, to the shopping center, to the hangar, to getting lost in the black market... Goku is running down halls, peeking around corners and maybe accidentally breaking something he shouldn't have been touching and trying to hide it quickly before anyone notices.]

Hey! What are you doing? [Working on something? Trying to mind your own business? Don't mind Goku hovering by your shoulder.] Can I help?



B.

[After a day of running around and getting underfoot, Goku is understandably starving. The food court in the shopping center looks like paradise to him- so many restaurants! All so reasonably priced! Selling bananas is a dumb job but Goku's gathered enough change to buy himself a decent meal. He gets as much food as he can and spreads it out on a table, just for him!

One table.

Just for him.

On his own.

With all this food that he doesn't have to fight anyone for. With no one to scold him for spending too much or for his terrible manners. A nice, quiet meal... On his own.

Despite the crowds filling up the shopping center, Goku feels like it really is very quiet at the table. Slowly, he starts to eat some spring rolls, all the energy he'd been brimming with before suddenly fading.]

Comments

[existentialcrisis]

[ Ukoku pulls his hands back—gosh, sorry!—and shrugs. ]

I just wanted to say hello! [ Like he wasn't just in a fight with them that involved one really gory death, it's fine. At least one really gory death. He'll have to get Goku to fill in the blanks. ]

Actually, I want one of these. [ a spring roll… ] I'll trade you this one for ten of anything else you want. [ He makes a circular gesture toward the food court around them. All the cool kids are accepting bribes these days, come on. ]

[rockthemonkey]

[The gory death of someone Goku really liked too. All right, he can deal with this. Ukoku being weird isn't any different than last time. He's just gonna stay in his defensive position, ready to fight at a moments notice, thanks.]

I don't want anything from you. [No, Ukoku, you can't sit at the cool kid table.] Go get your own, if you're hungry.

[existentialcrisis]

[ He makes a gesture of surrender, raising his hands, and starts to get up. ]

Okay, no problem!

[ And then he leaves.









AND THEN HE COMES BACK a few minutes later, with his own damn spring rolls, and invites himself to sit down again. ]

So! How are you holding up? You're in a pretty tough position, here by yourself.

[rockthemonkey]

[He left! It worked! Holy shit! For the first time in Goku's life, a problem was resolved without violence! Amazing! Goku stands there for a second in shock before cautiously going to sit down again and resume eating- ... and the asshole is back.

Goku slams his hands on the table in frustration.] Go away!

[Why. Why can't he meet the one Sanzo he wants to here. He'd even settle for Sharak at this point.]

I'm fine! Who says I'm on my own?

[existentialcrisis]

[ Ukoku pauses for emphasis and gestures broadly to the table full of food, not full of friends. ]

It's not a bad thing! Being on your own teaches you how to rely on yourself more. [ He's just gonna calmly check his communicator thing while he eats, ignoring Goku's general aggravation. ] And you'll probably need to, you know, for what's coming.

[rockthemonkey]

Just because they're not right here doesn't mean I'm alone! [He is, but Ukoku doesn't need to know that!!] Anyway, I can already take care of myself!

[Ugh, don't ignore him. He can't even eat while Ukoku is here, not even when everything smells so good.]

What are you talking about now?

[existentialcrisis]

It's a secret!

[ He's full of shit or is he (yes). ]

No, I'm kidding. Whatever they'll need to use us for! [ He picks at his spring rolls while he talks, like he really only wanted a tiny piece of one and for some reason got a bunch. ] Think about it: we're kind of like the youkai of this fleet, right? At least some of us are pretty dangerous people, and we have nowhere to go back to, nothing to lose, and nobody to advocate for us. From the point of view of the people who are supposed to be here, we probably look pretty disposable.

[rockthemonkey]

[So on top of all of Ukoku's other crimes, he's also an evil food waster. What a jerk.]

I'm already a youkai. [Sort of. Ish. Not the point.] And I do have somewhere to go back to. But, what, you think they're gonna try and boss us around or something? Make us fight?

[Like hell he's going to do anything he doesn't want to.]

[existentialcrisis]

[ He's not even going to bother responding to that already-a-youkai thing. It sure isn't the point, punk. ]

I do! Maybe not immediately, but when they need it, yeah. [ And he sounds cheerful about it, of course. Life is meaningless, enjoy spring rolls!! ] So you'll need to be extra careful. Not that I don't think you can handle a lot, but there's no telling what some enemy might be able to infer about you— [ he points to his own forehead— ] with all this technology. And there may not be anyone here who can bring you back from that.

[rockthemonkey]

[Don't use a whole species as a metaphor like that then, jerk!]

Wait, you mean- [Goku's hand automatically goes to cover his diadem protectively when Ukoku points to himself. That's... probably a good point. If his limiter came off for some reason here, it'd be really bad for all of them. They don't have Sanzo to repair it or get through to him. Without Gojyo or Hakkai around, Goku doesn't have anyone else he can trust to bring him back either. Now Ukoku is suggesting someone might do it on purpose? To use him as a weapon?

For some reason, Goku is reminded Nataku's blank face. He slowly clenches his fist and drops it from his forehead. Gotta be strong. Can't freak out. No matter what, he can't freak out when Sanzo isn't here.]

Alright. I'll be careful.

[existentialcrisis]

[ It's been like ten minutes and he's already reached some kind of conditional accord. Incredible. What to do with it, though— ]

That's good. [ He picks at his spring roll for a second more, thoughtfully. ] The truth is, we're both in a little bit of a tough situation. What about this: provided that nothing I do is objectionable to you— [ it would be silly not to concede the moral high ground— ] maybe we can call this a truce, yeah?

[rockthemonkey]

[Don't dream too big, Ukoku. Even Goku can admit when the bad guy has a point, that's all.]

Hell no, you're a jerk! [Goku The Diplomat. He narrows his eyes at Ukoku, partly because it's easier to not get distracted by the food on the table when he's looking at his dumb face.] Why are you pretendin' to be nice to me?

[If it were Kougaiji, Goku would take him at his word because a) Kougaiji is a reasonably nice guy and b) he could get why Kougaiji might want to avoid a fight right now. But this is Ukoku, who is a huge jerk. He also- and it pains Goku to admit this- has no reason to worry about fighting. Goku had Gat and Gojyo backing him up last time and the shitty crow still wiped the floor with them.]

[existentialcrisis]

[ Ukoku shrinks back an inch, eyebrows shooting up like Goku raised his fists instead of just calling him a jerk. The smile probably ruins the illusion. ]

I don't know if I'm being nice. That sounds extreme. It wouldn't be very practical to pick fights here, you know? We might get thrown out into space! [ He does not really believe this, but it sounds exciting!! ]

I'll tell you what: you can keep thinking I'm your enemy if you want to, but I don't consider you mine.

[rockthemonkey]

[Doesn't consider him his enemy- rude, Ukoku!]

You tried to kill me! And everyone else! How's that not enemies?

[Trying to kill Goku isn't that big of a deal in the long run, but it's the principle of the matter. Enemies try to kill each other, it's how things work.]

[existentialcrisis]

I didn't! I explained this, I thought, remember?

[ He definitely went off on a little tangent about how they'd all be super cool research subjects, at least. ]

That was a different situation, anyway. It's good to be able to adapt. If it's important to you to hang onto the enemies thing, maybe you should ask yourself why that is.

[rockthemonkey]

[That's also something enemies do? Hazel definitely didn't appreciate it. Anyway, Goku's not signing up to be experimented on today.]

I don't want any enemies. [He just wants friends and spring rolls.] You're the one who started picking fights with us. What's so different here?

[He's still going West (detours are nothing new to the Sanzo Party). He's still Sanzo's friend. He's still who he was before and, as far as he knows, Ukoku is still who he was.]

[existentialcrisis]

Well, you're the only one here! That's very different. You seem nice.

[ Which is why...he attacked him out of nowhere... has his thought process reached incomprehensible levels yet?? (But it's true, in a way: he's by himself. That presents interesting possibilities.) ]

[rockthemonkey]

[Honestly, Ukoku's been pretty incomprehensible to Goku since the beginning. That's part of why he'd really rather resolve this problem (the problem of Ukoku forcing a lunch date on him) with violence. But even he knows that'd probably end badly for him.

But yeah, this is still frustratingly confusing. What the hell, Ukoku? He's just a monkey, have pity.]

Gat was nice, that didn't stop you from killing him. [Or from attacking Goku, but honestly he cares less about that.] Anyway, even if Sanzo's not here, he's still my friend.

[Not even gonna try to argue that Sanzo and the others are nice too.]

[existentialcrisis]

Sure. Why wouldn't he be? [ It's breezy, dismissive; what matters is that he's not here. ]

If he does show up, I'm sure he won't be happy to see me. You'll have to be ready to talk him out of doing anything stupid, okay? [ Moving right along: ] Have you met the other Sanzo here? Koumyou?

[rockthemonkey]

[As Ukoku breezes past all that, Goku feels the anger in his chest start to boil. Ukoku's not even acknowledging what Goku's saying, he's just dismissing Gat entirely, just like everything else. That line about Sanzo makes something snap inside Goku. Talk him out of it? Sanzo? Like hell!]

If Sanzo wants to do something stupid, I'm not gonna talk him out of it! [Sanzo can do whatever stupid shit he wants!] Especially if it's because you're gonna start messing with Koumyou! Leave him out of it!

[No, Sanzo isn't here. But Goku is and so, in a way, part of Sanzo is too.]