[Closed] You have heard the pleading of your followers

[rockthemonkey]

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.]

Comments

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[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.]

[rockthemonkey]

[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.]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[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.]

[rockthemonkey]

[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!

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[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?]

[rockthemonkey]

[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...

[sassywelshcatgirl]

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.]

[rockthemonkey]

[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!

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[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.

[rockthemonkey]

[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.]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[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.]

[rockthemonkey]

[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?

[sassywelshcatgirl]

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.]

[rockthemonkey]

I wasn't expecting one!

[So he was confused. He's definitely not complaining though.]

Woah... That's amazing, Nia! Thanks! [Smiles at her, then realises she's looking away.] ... You had fun today?

[sassywelshcatgirl]

It's the weirdest thing, but I did. [She's probably crazy. That's really the only good way to explain why she had a good time through all this, isn't it?]

Wouldn't mind helping you out again sometime.

[rockthemonkey]

Is it weird? I had fun too!

[It doesn't seem weird to him. He had a nice time, running around with a nice person, and he helped another nice person. That's fun! Goku grins at Nia.]

So, I'll have to pay you back and get you something as well.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Oi, the purpose of a gift isn't to get repaid. [Now she's just getting self-conscious, so she folds her arms and glares off at nothing.] You don't owe me anything. It's fine.

[rockthemonkey]

Not for the gift, for today!

[She had fun, so she got him a gift. He had fun, so he should get her a gift, right? Honestly, getting Nia a present just sounds like fun. Goku shoves what he can fit of the left-over groceries into the bag Nia handed to him and then starts walking back towards the markets.]

Come on, let's go! I wanna find somethin'!

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[It was more than just that, Goku. Oi.]

There's no talking you out of this, is there. [That sure isn't a question, as she follows behind him.] That's you all over.

[rockthemonkey]

Huh? [Goku looks over his shoulder at Nia, still walking ahead.] What do ya me- ah! Sorry!

[He bumped into someone while he wasn't looking where he was going. Turning back now and walking properly.]

It makes sense, right? I think so.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

You're gonna get prayers asking you to save people from ghosts if you don't watch where you're going!

[She's trying her best not to laugh, and it shows.]

It makes sense to you, and right now I feel that's good enough for me.

[rockthemonkey]

What would I even do against a ghost? [He grins at her over his shoulder again, just for a second.] Y'can't punch 'em! But they can't punch you either, so it's fine.

[Goku and ghosts are cool. They just let each other do their own thing.]

Come on, this way! There's lotsa stuff over here! [Goku turns round a corner to a slightly smaller street, packed with stalls full of tourist-y merchandise and handcrafted goods.]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Dummy, I'm basically a ghost, you know! Dead girl haunting the land of the living and all!

[As will be demonstrated in the future, they can very much exchange punches.]

[Nia comes after him, wincing slightly at the crowding, but -- that's been bothering her all night and she's been ignoring it, she can keep that up.]

[rockthemonkey]

Nah, ghosts are all see-through and they can't touch anythin'! You're not like that.

[She can punch things. Goku walks quickly through the crowds, looking at the stalls and getting distracted by anything shiny while still rushing along- then he suddenly stops and backtracks a few steps.]

Oh, look- I mean, don't! [He puts his hands on Nia's shoulders and spins her around so she's facing the other direction.] Wait here a sec.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[Nia lets out a surprised squawk, not even managing to flail before Goku has her whirling around on her feet.] Oi-- hey! Goku, you -- hrrrgh!

[For all her protests, though, she's not turning back. She knows what he's up to, and wonders what sort of food he's going to get her.]