thenearshore | [Closed] You have heard the pleading of your followers

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[Closed] You have heard the pleading of your followers

Who: Goku and Nephenee, Goku and Nia.
When: December 23rd and December 24th
Where: The Near Shore
What: Prayers 56 and 72.

December 25th
And the guy said- He said, if he catches a bunch he'll cook 'em up and give 'em to me!

[Goku bounces along the path leading to the lake happily, occasionally slipping on a patch of ice and quickly righting himself. It hasn't been a long walk from the nearest shrine, but they are a bit out of the way here. This side of the huge fishing lake is practically deserted; most signs of civilisation are far off on the other side. But here is where Huitzilopochtli's follower likes to set sail from, so this is where Goku is headed. Hopefully Nephenee doesn't mind the hike.]

If you help, I bet he'll give you some too! We just gotta figure out what's scarin' all the fish away or somethin'. You'll help, right?

[This is what happens when your shrine is the closest to the site, Neph, you get a monkey knocking on your door asking permission to travel through your temple grounds. At least he asked first and invited you along for the ride. They're coming up on a car with an empty boat trailer hitched to the back, parked next to the pristine lake.]

I bet the fish'll taste real good!

December 24th

Woah.

[Christmas Eve in downtown Tokyo is an amazing sight. There's more people on the street than Goku has ever seen in his life- or it sure feels that way. There's a market going on, with cute gifts and food on sale, and navigating through the crowd looks near impossible. Especially when you're a good couple of inches shorter than most people there.]

Um, okay- [Goku ducks to the side to avoid being run into by a lovestruck couple, more focused on staring into each others eyes than paying attention to where they're walking.] I'm supposed ta find a lady here- she's tryin' to do some shopping but she doesn't speak Japanese!

[Hopefully she speaks Chinese or... Welsh... or this is going to be a real comedy of errors. Goku grins at Nia cheerfully. Getting back up had just seemed like a smart idea, after how things had gone the last few times Goku ventured to the Near Shore. He might have asked Gojyo, but he probably would have just ended up flirting with the poor woman and Goku can't allow that. Ken and Chikusa are busy with each other and that leaves-]

You'll help, right? We just gotta find her and help her get some stuff! It'll be easy!

[Nia is so nice and generous. Who knows what Goku actually said over the phone to get her to come along.]

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[That's exactly how Nia wants it. No opening up, play it cool and safe. If she can't find a good gift, she can act like she never meant to get him one instead of getting him something dumb or owning up or just spoiling his expectations.]

Seems like a friendly enough guy. Not up to your standards though. Speaking of your standards, how are we getting this -- pile, out of here?

[He is welcome to wonder what 'hyur' they're taking the pile out of.]

What do ya mean, "standards"? I don't have those.

[As his general choice in friends would suggest. Goku gives up counting out change and just shoves some money at the cashier to let them sort it out. He's probably barely got enough anyway.]

Uh, I dunno. Carry it? I can take all the heavy stuff, if you want. [He's vaguely aware that's something he should do for a lady, though he's not sure why.]

[Okay. Okay, give her a moment, she's got to finish snickering at his straight-up admission.]

[Once she's got it back under control, she grabs for the bags taking the cereals and potatoes. Goku can get the tons of flour, right?]

[Goku just looks confused. She didn't answer the question. Yes, he can take all that flour just fine, now he's taking the care to actually arrange them in a sensible fashion. He'll even make sure he gets to the potatoes before she does. But Nia is so weird.]

Come on, don't laugh at me! What standards? I don't get it!

Goku... you're a pretty good guy, aren't you. I think I envy you a little.

[And she might just be teasing him by not answering his question on purpose, even if she hides it with some rare honesty. It must be nice to be able to live like he does, happy and straightforward with no worries that keep him down every waking moment. And definitely no secrets that would change everything about how he was seen if they came out.]

... I dunno if I'm "good". I'm just me.

[Yeah, definitely no secrets or worries here. Just an empty-headed and empty-stomached monkey. Goku has nothing on his mind but his next meal. Definitely. Goku tucks the flour under one arm and takes the potatoes with the other, managing to balance himself out pretty well.]

You don't seem bad either though, Nia. This whole time, I thought you were really nice.

Edited 2018-08-06 15:10 (UTC)

[Heh, he actually managed to handle that not like a disaster this time. He's not really dumb, is he? Just impulsive.]

[His comment cracks a grin and a laugh out of her. Yeah, I didn't think you were listening to most of what I said. Sounds like we've reached an understanding. Come on, let's go be saviors of the holidays like the weird supernatural forces we are.

[Not really dumb, no. It depends on how you look at him.]

I listen.

[And he hears what people mean, not just what they say. But it does sound like they're understanding each other.]

Yeah, come on, we gotta find that lady again.

[Plenty of people have, on exposure, figured out that Nia's foul tongue hides a brighter heart.]

[After all. Here she is, helping out, huh?]

[She heads out the door, making sure it doesn't try to shut on him, then peers around. They hadn't been there all that long, so Goku's poor supplicant is still on her bench, a mixture of lingering confusing and quiet worry keeping her there for the moment.]

And there we go, target in sight.

[Honestly, Nia's harshest words rank as pretty tame by Goku's standards. He's used to far worse by people far closer to him. Nia's just a nice girl who's a little brusque.]

Let's go get her!

[Please don't attack the poor woman, kids. Her day has been rough enough. Goku happily trots over and- for lack of having a free hand- nudges her shoulder with the sack of potatoes to get her attention once he's close enough.]

Special delivery!

Hey there.

[Nia keeps her smile and her energy lower as a counterpoint to Goku, setting down the bags of cereal next to the woman. Then she gestures broadly at the stuff Goku is holding. It's yours, lady, help yourself.]

[Her words aren't clear, but the expression of confusion on her face is unmistakable as she touches her chest and looks at the god and the shinki both. Is that -- for her?]

[Goku isn't about to drop half a dozen sacks of flour on the pavement, but he shifts his position to show them off a bit and raises his shoulders. Grins bright enough to blind someone.]

This is yours! [She looks a little confused at that.] Um- for you! All for you! Flour and potatoes- [Okay, she recognises those words, that's what she was looking for-] and cereal and candy and I found these dried fruit things that-

[Okay, she's confused again. Goku stops, finally, and takes a second to think about his approach. He gently puts all his finds on the pavement in front of the woman and then takes a step back, gesturing to it with his hand. She can help herself.]

[Seems like he's got the right idea, and Nia follows suit. If they'd just gotten what the woman wanted, they could just take off and leave it to fate, but somehow they might need to get through that she doesn't need to take EVERYTHING.]

[Promising start though, as she slowly reaches for the bags, still looking up at them as if to make sure this is really what she's supposed to be doing. Nia motions her on with a gentle wave of her hand.]

[The woman picks out a bag of plain flour and her hand hovers over the potatoes-] Go ahead! It's yours! [Okay, she'll take it then! And pull a reusable shopping bag out of her handbag to put them in. At least she came prepared.]

And the rest, right? You want anything else?

[For some reason she doesn't seem particularly interested in the other five selections of flour available to her. Or the sugary cereal.]

[What a shock. Color Nia not surprised.]

[But all's well that ends well, right? They got the woman what she needed, and that look of earlier despair and misery is gone as she puts the things in her bag. Now they just let her go off to her happy holiday meal.]

[Bit of an adventure, but it feels good to help out like this. So Nia takes a step back to give the woman space, an uncharacteristically warm smile creeping onto her face.]

[The woman picks out what she's after and takes a step back- at which Goku quickly rushes forward and stuffs some candy in her bag as well.]

That's for you too!

[She looks a little uncertain but, er, okay. "... Thank you very much." She speaks slowly but clearly enough to be understood. Goku grins at her.]

You're welcome!

[Nia just flashes her a victory sign. That's universal, right? Then she gives Goku a little slap on the shoulder, accompanied with a tiny jerk of her head. This is where the helpful helpers make themselves scarce, and leave the woman wondering at her answered prayers, right?]

[Goku nods- but first he has to duck down and gather up the food that the woman has left on the pavement. For what it's worth, the woman loses focus once Goku ducks out of her line of sight and she suddenly realises the time. She gasps and starts to duck through the crowds muttering to herself in her own language.]

Man, we shoulda gotten a bag too...

Or a hell of a lot less stuff to begin with. Call me crazy. [But her edge is tempered by amusement, and a little charitable warmth. They'd done all right, after all. Saved the day, or at least helped it out a little. Maybe that woman would have a decent holiday, when it's all said and done.]

[Aaah. Hell with it. Call it the spirit of the holidays.]

Hang on. I'll be right back.

[Before he can object, she takes off back into the store.]

[That woman will go home to her family and have a lovely Christmas lunch tomorrow, full of potatoes and other carb-filled delights. Assuming she doesn't get confused by the public transport on the way home and become lost. Maybe they should keep an ear out for any follow up prayers.]

Huh? What? [Where's she going? What's going on? Goku looks up at Nia, then back at the pile of groceries, and then back up at the empty, Nia-shaped hole next to him.] Wait, Nia! Where- hey!

[Sorry! No Nias here! Nia is missing! Where in the world is Nia?]

[Nia only takes a few minutes before she comes back out, lugging something in a grocery bag which she keeps slung over her shoulder.]

Sorry about that. Figured it's the season, so here. Merry Christmas.

[Hauling the bag off her shoulder, she pushes it into Goku's hands before he objects.]

Not wrapped or anything of course so you're going to have to settle.

[Oh, god, he lost Nia. What's he going to do now? He can't even remember the name of her god to let him know she's gone! Ah, damn it, maybe he can pretend he doesn't know anything- oh, wait.]

Nia! [She didn't leave him! Goku jumps up to greet her, just in time for a bag to be shoved into his arms. He looks pretty baffled again.] ... Christmas?

[Right, that holiday... But what's that got to do with... Goku opens up the bag and looks inside, still confused.]

[Goku, stop imagining scenarios in which Nia is in a box out on the street with 'free to good home' written on the side, in the pouring rain.]

[Inside -- well, it's nothing special. An insulated travel case, the kind you wear over a shoulder or stuff into a backpack, big enough to hold some food and keep it cool till you're ready to eat it. Which it does: Nia had grabbed him some cheese and a couple of fancy rolls of prosciutto wrapped around mozarella, a large can of lemonade iced-tea, and a box of cookies that really doesn't fit and sticks awkwardly out.]

[She figures food is an easy gift, but she wants him to have something he can hold onto and use for good, too.]

[She's left alone in the cardboard box all day, the rain pouring down, until eventually it floods and collapses. Nia's left all alone until a pack of street dogs take her in and sing jaunt songs as they cross the city- I mean. Nia & Company (from Walt Disney Pictures) can wait. Goku's more confused by this now.]

Another bag? [That's weird- oh, but there's more!] And cookies! Oh, wow, thanks! [He is delighted.] Wait, this is mine?

Yeah, I told you it was your present! [Not in so many words, which is her obvious mistake.] That's a pack that'll keep food cool if you zip it up, so you can take a lunch or a drink or something somewhere without it getting all warm. It's not much, but... yeah. This wasn't too bad a time. [Nia resolutely looks off at a streetlight as she says that.]

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