Starring:
Date: October 12, 2012
Summary:
Goh and Itami venture out from Sunagakure, heading to the Salamander Caves.
Poster's note: Foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Journey to the Caves pt. 1"
Sunagakure
It's been a few days since Itami and Goh had become quite drunk. After her confessions about her Mother, the pair had hit the booze. At first they sort of bar hopped, starting in early afternoon. Having a drink at one place, chatting about the quality, then moving on to the next. This happened for a few hours, before they then hit some Kareoke bard and became more settled as the night wore on. Slowly more and more under the influence, until finally, Goh's recollection of things stopped at about 7.30pm.
The next thing the blonde himself remembered was waking up in a bakery dumpster, stark naked. The early morning sun had hit him hard, and his head was throbbing. Itami was no-where to be seen, leaving the ex-Jounin to question what the heck actually happened. Sliding out of the dumpster, Goh had then spent the next several hours recovering.
It was now evening, the sun having set. Goh was in his little rented out apartment, fully recovered after eating plenty of pickled vegetables. Also fully clothed! He sits on the edge of the couch, doing a final check on his backpack. Seems he's already heading off, having finished his task after he told the recent updates to Itami.
Everything was a blur from last night. It started out great, then tanked and went black. Itami wasn't naked, but she was slouched up against a building, head down with a small puddle of her own sick left behind from where she let it all out. She was a bit worse for wear, but was somewhat fine. After waking up and wiping away some drool from the side of her mouth she immediately placed a hand to her head as a headache hit her full tilt. Last night was nothing short of a 'female dog'.
Rising up with some support from Mr. Wall, she staggered to her feet and took a look around at where she was. An alley it seemed…no one was around, no wait…kids were around. Darn. "You didn't see me here," she remarked and pointed out to them with a slightly limp finger and bloodshot gaze. The kids were nonplussed to say the least, though slightly amused. From there, she left to get herself cleaned up.
Beginning to feel pretty good about the situation, God sucks in a breath as he stands up in the apartment, looking outside the window. The moon hangs in the sky, giving at least some light to the darkness that falls across Sunagakure. Tying up his duffle bag tightly, the blonde will then hoist it across his shoulder. "Man… I feel good." He tells no-one in particular. "That nap I had for most of the day is doing wonders." — "Not to mention the huge amounts of salt you ingested." Comes a voice from above. It seems Goh was speaking to someone after all! Reiko sat on his blonde hair, perched. Just sort of lazing about.
"Yeah, well. Salt is the best remedy and all that. Anyway, let's go. Back to Jump." — "Don't forget, Goh-chan!" — "Right, right. I know. Swing by the Caves first." He sighs dramatically as he leaves the apartment, exiting onto the streets of Sunagakure. "I'll be honest with you, Reiko. I'm still not feeling awesome enough to chat with the boss of them all." Mutter mutter.
aking a quick look about him, Goh then proceeds to march away. Perhaps happy with just slipping out quietly through the night, without telling anyone about his leave.
After getting herself straightened out and her headache relieved, Itami felt refreshed and reinvigorated. Still, she couldn't help but feel some sort of deja vu about it all. It was evening again, after all. She thinks she ought to start this night out properly and end it without blacking out.
She walked out of her home after having yet another lengthy discussion with her mother continuing their piecing back together what was a broken past between the both of them, thinking that she needed to take a walk and blow off some steam. It wasn't long before she reached the village center via building hopping across the village. Night life as usual, it appeared.
There are a few people wandering through the Village Centre, though not many. Some romantic strolls with people linked via hands or arms, and others on their lonesome. One such is Goh as he strolls through the area, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. Seems completely oblivious to Itami far above, the blonde chattering away to the small salamander on top of his head. "Look, don't take it personally Reiko. It's just that Igneel is one bad motherf… Well, you get my idea. A bad-bat that likes to roast fat." — "Don't blame him just because you're a terrible brother to us, Goh. If he spits fire at you, it's your own fault." Goh sort of cranes his head back, groaning loudly. "Reeeiikoooooo. Why can't you be on my side for a change?"
They continue their discussions as Goh continues to walk through the centre area, before veering off to the entrance.
Itami couldn't hear the conversation, but she could see Goh wandering the centre. Just seeing him was enough for her to go ahead and see to dropping in on him. So, she hopped off the building she was on top of and landed on the ground below in a bit of a crouch. Rising up, she'd dust her clothes and proceed forward to Goh asking, "And just where are you headed?" She wondered of him. "Thinking about deserting this place, hm?"
Goh's eyebrows raise a little when Itami falls directly in front of him. He stops speaking, as does Reiko. He does seem surprised that she's just fallen from the sky! He cranes his head up, looking at the starry sky. "Oh. Right. The roof." He smirks a little bit, before shaking his head. "You can't desert what you're not really a part of." Hands go onto his hips. "Na. I'm heading back to Jump. I only came back here to give you the update. I'm surprised you're up and about, actually! Thought you may have been a bit hungover." He smirks a little.
"I'm actually heading to the Caves on my way to Jump. Need to check in on the Salamander. Send me a note when you're keen on hitting us up, yeah? Unless you're still feeling spontaneous and want to come with right now."
"True." Itami chuckled about the desertion comment. "But an update you say?" She inquires, lofting a brow as she stepped closer to make sure she was able to hear this news clearly. "So you're heading to the Caves to check in on the Salamander. Well, that's all fine and well. Spontaneity on my part? I think I am thinking of coming with you right now, but," she chimed and held up a finger. "I'll need a few moments. My mother doesn't know I'll be leaving, so I'll have to let her know." Just as she finished, her mother seemingly came from nowhere saying, "You needn't tell me anything… If you want to go, then go," she remarked followed by a shrug. "I know if you wish to talk, you'll find the time to do so. We have more time now than before and…I could stand to make a living around here…" She paused, "I /can/ use your home, right?"
With the mother being a super ninja and appearing out of no-where, Goh turns about and blinks. What was it with this family? They just kept popping up out of no-where! "I'll… uh, keep going. You catch up, Tam. I don't want to interupt on the goodbyes. And don't worry, Kotone." He re-assures, flicking a thumb up to the mother. "I'll look after Tam. I may not look it, but I'm pretty good in an eating contest!" …whatever that had to do with anything. Clearing his throat and throwing out a victory laugh, the blonde begins to march on.
Not as quick as he was going before, since he needs to let Itami catch up.
Itami wasn't sure how she managed to do that either, but she thinks she's being watched a lot more closely than she thought. "Yeeah, you can use my home," she offered to Kotone shortly after Goh disappeared. "But, alright. I didn't want to make it seem like I was abandoning you…" Itami offered; Kotone smirked. "I'm the one that abandoned you, not the other way around. If you want to go, then you have every right to do so. I'll be here and I know you'll be out there somewhere. When you return is whenever you return. In the meantime, I'll probably try to get your sisters up here. Maybe they might see you one day." They were the ones that inspired all of this anyway.
Itami wanted to say more, but she was cut off with an embrace offered by her mother and further emphasis on her leaving. "Alright, I've got the message. I'll go. Thank you…" She stated before deciding to head off with Goh.
Goh will continue to stride along the lamp-lit street, reaching the entrance of the Village. He'll wait here, opting to let Itami catch up here rather than the desert. When she finally does so, Goh will lift a hand to wave. "I must say, this IS being impulsive! I didn't think you had it in ya." He smiles widely, turning about as she joins him.
"To be honest, this is actually a good idea. Well, probably. You'll be one of the strongest people in Jump. Not that I'm trying to blow your tyres up or anything, but the Salamander are… well, pretty involved with the guild. They're trying to get more involved with humans, you see. So they're part of the guild in lots of ways. They'll want to meet you."
Itami laughed. "I have it in me, I just couldn't afford to let it out as a leader of this village. Now that I'm leaving, I think my restrictions have dissolved to a degree. I'll be working on transitioning, but all in all, I think I can commit to being more open." She admits. "I'm looking forward to working with the Salamander. I want to help in whatever way I can to aid them or ensure that their health or acclimation to human environments and activities is something achievable." She nodded.
"What's it going to be like working right near the ocean for ya?" What an odd question. "I mean, you've been in the desert for so long. Now all of a sudden you'll have salty winds blowing up through the island, and the splash of water never further than a few hundred meters away." He begins to walk out into the desert with Itami, seeming happy that he has some human company again. Reiko remains perched on his head, looking to be dozing.
"I'm sure they actually have quite a few questions for you, regarding your own abilities in… that whole side of things." He coughs, maybe not entirely sure on how to address her lizardy skills. "Caves themselves aren't that fancy, I'm afraid." He frowns. "…Just a whole bunch of underground passages. Not many regular people can hit them up, but it's alright! I have a special key."
With this said, he begins to lead the way to the Salamander Caves.
FTB.
