And if you say you're okay

[junkyarddog]

Who: Ken, Goku, various Li Tieguai temple residents
What: Ken is still kind of uneasy at the temple. Goku suggests a bastion of safety, the greatest architectural structure known to man - the pillow fort.
When: January 7th
Where: Li Tieguai's temple
Warnings: Animal boys being dumb, generally.

Ken's done a lot of things in his life, some of them highly questionable and/or unusual for his age. But he's never actually made a pillow fort before. This is partially because he's not used to staying in places that are actually furnished, and because - at least to his spotty shinki recollection - he's never had someone to engage in this kind of horseplay with. Chikusa lacks the energy for playing around, and if there's ever been anyone else then Ken doesn't remember them.

But now there's Goku, who's helping an intrigued and mystified Ken wedge in the last pillows of an enthusiastically massive fort; it almost takes up the entire room they've set it up in. They've raided pillows and cushions from most of the temple by this point, although they've both been steering superstitiously clear of Hakkai. Ken doesn't think this will get them in much trouble, but...he's also not entirely sure. Goku has reassured him a few times, but for future efforts he should consider leaving the word 'probably' out of his reassurances.

Ken peers out over the cushions at the front of the fort, where they've made sure to leave themselves a window. Then he looks back at Goku. "Now what, byon?"

Comments

Have fun storming the castle (Top level for Li Tieguai temple residents)

[junkyarddog]

[Do you dare approach the gates of Fort Monkeydog? Ken and Goku haven't exactly been subtle with their efforts; the whole temple's probably been aware they've been up to something for the past two hours. Anyone approaching will be greeted by two sets of eyes peering over the cushions.]

[kokuyoyo]

[This is sure a thing that's here.]

[One good thing about having Goku around is that he keeps Ken occupied. The bad thing is that Chikusa now doesn't have anywhere suitably comfortable enough to lounge where he can continue writing his story. This has him eventually wandering in the direction of the fort to blankly stare at it.]

....Is this every cushion in the temple....

[rockthemonkey]

[The fort is a marvel. Cushions, blankets, chairs, a mattress and other bits of furniture stolen from around the temple come together to make an impenetrable castle. It's tall enough for Goku to stand upright. Ken might have to slouch.]

Only most of 'em! [It might be hard to see Goku clearly, but there's a gap in the cushions for two gold eyes to peer out of.] There's some left somewhere... I think...

[junkyarddog]

I left the blanket pile, byon! [Ken's voice can be heard from within the fort, although he doesn't come into view. He's preemptively defending their right to claim all the cushions and pillows so long as Chikusa still has a cozy place to collapse.]

[kokuyoyo]

No, I think you took all of them....

[Seriously, the temple is barren. At least he makes a small noise of awareness when Ken speaks up about the blanket pile. That's something, at least.... Well, he guesses he'll make do. Although now that they're talking about things that are in their room...]

...Did you two bring anything in there besides pillows?

[rockthemonkey]

Most of 'em!

[There are a lot of rooms in this temple, Chikusa. It's probably impossible to fit every single pillow, cushion, futon, and whatever other soft pieces of furniture inside one room. Probably.]

Um, we got some sheets, and this mattress, and this stick thing, and, um- [Goku ducks down for a second, as if assessing their horde.] ... Lotsa stuff!

[junkyarddog]

[Ken, meanwhile, has more of an awareness of how his partner works. His eyes and nose suddenly peek over the top of a pillow.] What other stuff should we've brought?

[There's a note of wary suspicion in his voice; it's the tone of someone who thinks that the next sentence out of the other person's mouth is going to point out a gaping flaw in their brilliant plan, and is reluctant to hear it.]

[kokuyoyo]

Ah... If that's all you've brought... Then it's not important.

[...So, in other words, Ken should absolutely be wary about whatever bullshit Chikusa is up to. Still, with that said, Chikusa just turns around and shuffles off. Surely that's the end of it, right?]

[Well, the end of it until half an hour later, when Chikusa remembers to muster up the energy to go harass both animals boys again. This time, he shuffles in with a bag under one arm, and a book under the other. He settles against a wall, putting the book on his lap, and opens the bag...]

[With both Goku and Ken's amazing ability to smell, they should be able to sniff out chocolate, artificial raspberry, and something distinctly meaty.]

Ah... Which to go with first...

[rockthemonkey]

[Goku is less wary and more bemused. He watches Chikusa retreat from his vatage spot before turning back to Ken.]

He's really weird. [Says the technically-an-adult in a pillow fort talking to an animal boy. Oh well, he's not really wrong anyway. Now it's time to focus on securing the fort's walls.

... The walls are not secure enough to keep out the smell of rasberries and meat though. Goku (very sneakily) takes a peek through a tiny gap in the cushions.]

[reformedsinner]

Excuse me. May I have two couch cushions back?

[He'd been planning to sit down in the front room. The front room is currently woefully bereft of places to sit.

Apart, of course, from the floor. And Hakkai has standards.]

I can trade.

[rockthemonkey]

[The fort really is a wonderful example of engineering. For someone who got dizzy when his math homework suddenly introduced the three times table, Goku's an impressive architect. Though they may be lacking an obvious door. Gold eyes appear within a gap between a cushion and a tightly stretched sheet.]

Uh... Which ones? [Some of these cushions are load bearing.]

[junkyarddog]

[Ken peers over the top of another cushion; only his eyes and some of his nose can really be seen.]

What've you got to trade, byon?

[reformedsinner]

I'll trade one futon mattress, and I need two of those beige cushions over there, but it doesn't matter which one.

[He points out the correct upholstery color in the pile.]

[rockthemonkey]

[Goku bites his lip thoughtfully and ducks down out of sight. After a moment of silence, he pops back up with some blue throw pillows. ]

What about these? [There isn't a big enough gap in the fort to show the pillows properly, but hopefully Hakkai can recognise them by the colour.] You can't have those ones, they're in the wall now.

[junkyarddog]

You should give us two things if we're giving you two things, byon.

[Clearly this is hard bargaining. What do you mean, relative size should balance it out? Ken knows numbers. One is less than two, ergo, give them more stuff, Hakkai.]

[reformedsinner]

If you fold the futon mattress into thirds, it can take up the same space in the wall as two couch cushions. I'll help you hold up the cushions while you make the trade.

[The real concerns here are structural, obviously.

And he's not sitting on a throw pillow on the floor, either.]

[rockthemonkey]

[The pillows drop out of view and are replaced by golden eyes again.]

Can't ya just sit on the futon instead? Those ones are doin' real good holding up everything else!

[rockthemonkey]

If we get blankets, we can turn 'em into a roof!

[Goku's feeling excited- this is the kind of dumb thing he'd normally get up to with Gojyo, but it's been years since even they've been quite so ridiculous. It's fun. He's circling around the outside of the fort, looking out for any gaps or weaknesses in their defence.]

Or... If we get some mattresses, we can make walls and a floor that're way tougher than pillows! [That's a great idea!!] Hakkai won't mind! Probably.

[junkyarddog]

[Ken squints speculatively at their creation.] If we make the walls high enough, can't we just use the actual roof for the roof, byon? [He's ambitious. And clearly a bigger fort is a better fort.] Especially if we're gonna get mattresses, byon.

[rockthemonkey]

Mm, maybe... [Goku looks up thoughtfully. Reaching the roof seems totally possible. Ken can reach pretty high, after all.] But if you've got a roof, it holds everythin' together better! Plus it looks really cool!

[Which is the really important thing.]

[junkyarddog]

But we can't make the pillows float, byon...and if it's a big fort, the blankets won't stretch that far, right? [Ken scratches his cheek.]

[rockthemonkey]

We can balance 'em, maybe? [Goku keeps looking up, taking a few steps back and stumbling a little as he does so.] And... tie blankets together...

[Hmm...]

... Hold on a sec! I'll be right back!

[Goku runs out of the room. A minute of silence goes by before there's a loud thud from down the hall.]

[junkyarddog]

[Ken peers after him, confused and more than a little intrigued. He has no idea what Goku's doing, but he's eager to find out.]

[rockthemonkey]

[Thud. The sound of something being dragged across floorboards. Another thud. Gradually Goku backs into the room, dragging a mattress along with him. He stops as it gets caught in the door frame.]

Ah, man, these things are way bigger than I thought...

[junkyarddog]

[Ken perks up.] I can get it, byon! [And he moves forward, even as he plucks out a cartridge and slots it over his teeth.

This will be Goku's first chance to see Ken swell to almost twice his height, and well over twice his breadth, as he grows into his Kong Channel. He bends down and grabs the mattress, folding it with a frightening amount of ease until he can pull it through the doorway.]

Where should we put it, byon? [Ken's voice is significantly deeper and more gruff in Kong Channel.]