[Open] The end of one story is simply the start of another

[meanmonkey]

Who| Sariatu and anyone who wants to say hi!
What| Finding her way around, meeting some people, all that new person jazz
Where| Legion World, various common places - the mess hall, near the crew quarters, and on the observation deck
When| ...Now? Obviously after Kubo's whole autobiographical storytime dealio.
Warnings/Notes| This is a moon lady who turns into a monkey. Also spoilers for Kubo and the Two Strings I guess, if Kubo himself somehow didn't spoil you.

Sariatu is not sure about this whole "super hero" thing.

That's not to say she doesn't approve, at least theoretically, of what they're doing here. It's a noble quest, and an important one if what the Legion says is true, about all worlds being in danger. Still, these... code names and tight costumes and all that? Silliness that she's not intending to partake in.

She can simply be Monkey, apparently, if she has to fight. She can just use her name. All the rest of it-- well, Hanzo probably would've enjoyed it. Kubo, too. She, however, couldn't give a damn. So for now, she is wearing her own robes, when human, and has promised she'll attempt to work with the costume makers over the next few days.

In the meantime, she has a lot to get used to: technology, reminding herself how to fly (and with this entirely new way of doing so, thanks, ring), find her way around. Today, she's spending time in some of the more heavily-trafficked areas. Anyone near the crew quarters might run into an unnaturally large macaque, walking slowly through the area, looking critically and rather intelligently at its surroundings.

In the mess, one might notice the tall, regal-looking woman in the red and gold robes, frowning at the chef who's handing her a bowl of rice with vegetables and some sort of tofu. "I don't understand how a civilized society can not have fish," she mutters, none too quietly, as she glides away, her expression shifting to "slightly uncertain" as she surveys the large room and the many filled tables.

The same woman can be found, a bit later, on the observation deck, staring out at the shattered moon and the planet below. Her expression is relatively peaceful, and strangely smug and satisfied as she looks at the moon. She's feeling almost friendly, and will smile in acknowledgement at anyone she notices come near her.

Comments

[bachido]

Kubo's smile had begun to light up his face as his mother told him she wouldn't be going anywhere, a miracle on top of miracles - but it lit up his face fully as she transformed, and he almost automatically reached out to put his hand on her furry neck.

"Oh, this is your power here! That's a good one!"

He hadn't expected her to keep her full range of magic, but Monkey was a good form for her to have access to - strong and fast, with good senses and a coat for keeping warm, and big scary teeth, good for intimidating enemies on the battlefield. And she still had her hands, for swordfighting, which reminded Kubo -

He reached around to his belt, where the Sword Unbreakable hung, unimportant until now compared to all of the things they had to share with each other.

"I think you should have this more than I should," he said, taking the sword off his belt and, with about as much formality as he'd ever learned, presenting it to his mother. The handle was covered by a little scrap of cloth, the scabbard plain battered leather. "You might recognize the sword once it's drawn," he said, with a grin.

[meanmonkey]

She smiles slowly, realizing what it must be before she even takes it, but does indeed draw it, careful not to cut Kubo or anything.

"The Sword Unbreakable," she says with... well, it's not reverence, exactly, but there's a weight to it. The weight of memory, perhaps. She does a couple of fancier movements, then sheathes it, looking satisfied.

"I'm glad you were wise enough to keep this with you," she says. "I'm also glad to have it back in my hand." She unfolds herself out of Monkey's form again, using the ties to attach it to her own belt, under her outer robes. Not the best option, but it will do for now. Especially since she'd rather be a human right now, with Kubo.

She reaches out to take his hand. "Thank you for letting me use it. Though there's a young man here I may let practice with it. He said he would need a sword that wouldn't break before he got sent out, and while he can't have mine, it wouldn't do for him to fall too far out of practice. He was a kind young man." She pauses a moment, pursing her lips. "Odd, but kind."

[bachido]

"What was his name?" Kubo asked without jealousy. He probably knew the young person, and he was glad to hear that people had already been kind to his mother.

"I'm glad you're here to take it," he countered, wrapping his hand around hers, eager still to take it. He pressed his lips together. "Ultimately, it didn't really do very much good in my hands."

His shamisen had served him better. His love for her had served him better.

But that didn't mean that he could go on with the rudimentary swordsmanship he had when he was in a situation that called for every skill he could possibly strive for.

"Mother . . . I know I wasn't always as attentive during our sword training lessons when I was a child, but would you give me a second chance to be your student?"

It wasn't as though he actually expected her to say no. But after two years to think about what he could have learned from her, if they'd both had time, if he'd been as interested in the sword as he was in the shamisen . . . after his breakdown the last time he practiced the little he knew, he only wanted her to know how much he had come to value what she'd already been able to teach him.

[meanmonkey]

"I think it was... Dave? All these strange names, it's hard to remember them all, honestly." She purses her lips. "I'm almost certain it was Dave."

And then Kubo's going on about sword training and Sariatu is so proud that he wants to actually take his training more seriously. She resists the urge to cuddle him for it this time, though, schooling her face serious (but not too serious).

"If you promise to be on time to your lessons and practice on your own as often as I tell you, I would be honored to have you as my student again."

[bachido]

"Dave is my friend! He's a really good friend. He helped me with these machines - Mother, they can make a recording here of something that's happening, and show it over and over again. So I can tell a story once and it's told forever, but since I don't know how that works, Dave helped me - "

His excitement faded a little, too many topics tumbling over themselves in his head, all trying to get out at once.

"Is he going to train with us?" he settled on. He'd get to the other important things later. Excitement at the prospect of training with his friend and his mother bubbled up in him, almost too much to contain.