July Adventures

[mayoninofukucho]

WHO: Hijikata and ✨YOU✨
WHAT: Assorted knight stuff, TDM prompts, and "light web" quests!
WHEN: Throughout July
WHERE: Camelot City, Red Springs Resort, Lands of Rot, Ash Mountains, Celliwig
WARNINGS: Zombies, a giant worm, Simon the minotaur, and violence against all of them (and cleaning tools)!



1) Horse Shopping (for corpsewarblade)

[After Hijikata was knighted at the end of June he's been determined to fit the image of a Knight of the Round Table, all the more after he learned that at current there's only a couple of other knights besides him on the island (well, knights who were knighted on Avalon, in any case). A knight should have a horse (never mind that he has no experience in riding... how hard can it be?)! Once he has scoped out the date of the next horse market he invites Mukuro to go with him. Her animal magic ought to come in handy in finding the right steed!]

I like that one.

[Almost immediately he points at a huge black stallion that's snorting and kicking up soil in its enclosure. Wouldn't he look so badass and imposing riding up to any villains on a horse like that?]


2) Training

[After the last month's events Hijikata is dead set on making some serious improvements to his magic skills. He plans to study up on the death magic side of things at the archivist's, having purchased a totem to visit soon, but after some preliminary research of deeper elemental magic he feels that the latter is best practised intuitively. As such he can be found at the Red Spring's training grounds early in the day, testing out his skills on the dummies. He's proficient enough with fire, which always came to him most naturally, but hasn't had any success at all with water and earth. However he's had some results with wind and electricity before, so he wants to hone these better.

Attempting to summon electric sparks doesn't go too well for him, so he quickly shifts to wind magic. He manages to create a breeze that tousles his hair, but like with fire he finds it hard to control its direction once he lets go of it. In any case it's far too weak to have any effect of the sturdy dummies.]

Man, this is a pain. Maybe I should just focus on the death magic after all.


3) Fun in the Sun

A ⦿ Cool Carnival, Bruh

[Even a workaholic like Hijikata needs a break from time to time. The carnival is a welcome opportunity for a cooldown, so he can be seen browsing the stalls in search of refreshment. He eventually decides on a bowl of shaved ice, which he tops with a generous amount of mayonnaise as he watches the unfortunate magical slushie consumers sliding around on their stomachs on the slip-n-slide like penguins. Good thing those flavours were too sweet for him! As he wanders around the margarita pair challenge catches his eye.]

A hangover cure? Well, that'd come in handy.

B ⦿ Surf New Turf

[It seems like all of Camelot's efforts to impress Celliwig and Elphame are finally paying off. Like many others Hijikata follows the carnival organisers to the docks to see the aquatic mounts gifted to Camelot by the fae queen. He hasn't even learned to ride his horse yet, but he may just as well start with this exotic bunch! He turns to the person next to him, pointing at the deinosuchus pack.]

Those huge-ass crocodiles have got to be the best choice. Nothing would dare stand in their way, and they look to be faster than the others too.

C ⦿ Clean Up Chaos

[Figures that not everything would go according to plan with the carnival! Once the cleaning utensils start going haywire Hijikata decisively takes action... or that was the plan at least. As he charges at a pair of brooms, ready to chop them to bits with his sword, a dustpan trips him, and he goes down with a yelp. Immediately the brooms pin him with their long wooden bodies, apparently deeming him a "dirty" cop, as a bucket full of soapy water hops towards them to give him a cleaning.]

No!! Screw you! Don't you dare!

[He summons flames in both palms and sets the brooms alight, so the bucket becomes their rescuer as they quickly dunk their tips in the water. Hijikata uses the opportunity to get back on his feet, teeth bared and fire and sword at the ready. Will someone hold him back from devastating the well-meaning tools, or rather give him a hand at it?]


4) Land of Rot Returns

A ⦿ The Farming Dead

[Damn it, so that minor earthquake did have repercussions! After some basic horse-riding lessons provided by a NPC Camelot local Hijikata arrives on the scene on horseback, ready to kick some undead ass... never mind that he's never fought like this before. After seeing some burning household utensils set fire to a haystack the other day he knows to keep his firepower contained lest a blazing zombie walk into the Dusklight Woods or the fields full of crops.]

Okay, here we go! Hiyah!!

[His noble steed starts galloping towards the nearest shambling zombie... and as soon as the rotting creature turns its head towards it it whinnies in fear and raises up on its hind legs, promptly throwing its rider off. He groans and rubs his head as he sits up.]

Damn it..! What the hell are you afraid of?! Come back here!

[Sadly the only thing that's coming closer is the zombie. Hijikata staggers to his feet, slightly disheveled but clearly without broken bones, to face it with his sword. He'll definitely end up with some nasty bruises, and his footing could be more stable, but at least he's not reduced to being a damsel in distress!]

B ⦿ Of Wards and Worms

[When the colossal worm breaks through the earth he once again loses his footing and stares up at it it disbelief.]

What goddamn dimension did this drop out of?! D*ne?!

[He could stand to get out of the way, really, but the fall off the horse (which ran far enough away to not be in any danger, at least) did impact his agility, so instead he readies his sword and summons his fire magic. He'll slice and burn this huge bastard up from the inside if need be, but ideally he'll manage to fend it off without getting swallowed... here's hoping nobody less combative nearby will attract the worm's attention, but surely no helpless people came out here, right?]

C ⦿ Wake Me Up Before You're Go-Gone

[Whether Hijikata got swallowed or his battle comrade did (or both, in the worst case), whether by getting spewn up or by pursuing the creature they find themselves in a "breathtaking" bog in the middle of this cursed zombie land. He looks beyond put off as he overlooks the scenery.]

Could this day get any shittier? I mean, seriously. Whom did we piss off to deserve all this crap happening all at once?


5) Quests

A ⦿ Summer Fever!

[Hijikata at first suspects that he caught the fever in the bog, but it quickly turns out that it seems to have been making the rounds throughout town even beforehand. He stubbornly ignores it - a little fever won't keep a knight down! -, but before he knows it everything starts spinning while he's out of patrol, and when he next wakes up he's in a hospital bed. Okay, this is kind of embarrassing. Still, if he's forced to rest up he at least wants to use the time for some research. If he has a bed neighbour or visitor they may hear him mumble about the various topics on his mind as he scrolls through his phone.]

Nothing conclusive about that weird bog yet, huh... guess I'll see if anyone wrote a how-to about possession prevention... or if anyone's offering more combat-oriented horse-riding lessons.

B ⦿ Spotted Dicklivery

[Once Hijikata recovers from the fever he's ready to tackle the QuestBoard tasks again. By now he's been to the mountains twice, and it was troublesome as hell to get back to Camelot City each time, so this time he wants to be prepared... however he doesn't have the recipe for a city- or farm totem, and the Elphame traders are not in town this early in the month. What can he do? He has the spring totem recipe, and ending up there would be much preferable to spending another night in the horrifying triangle that is the Ash Mountains, Dusklight Woods and Lands of Rot, but he'll take his chances and ask on the quest posting.]

Does anyone want to team up? I offer swordmanship and fire magic, and ideally I'd want a partner who can bring a totem to save us the trek back to Camelot afterwards. If you also have a farm totem to save us part of the first trip, all the better. You can deduct the cost of the ingredients from the quest reward.

C ⦿ Lavaft Behind (for itsmypower)

[Hijikata honestly doesn't care all that much about a stuck slime, but he's happy to team up with Shoto for the quest. He's truly a good kid, and after the Mayorin debacle Hijikata wants to show him that he's more badass than he came across then! As they meet up at the hotel the trip itself is the first item on Hijikata's agenda, given how Celliwig is about a two days' journey away from Camelot with no real accommodation on the way.]

Do you have a totem recipe for Celliwig? Otherwise we may just have to camp. No worries, though, my backpack has extra inventory slots, so we should be able to bring everything we need.


[OOC: If you'd like any additional prompts please feel free to hit me up on my plotting post! Also here are Hijikata's permissions.]

Comments

4 - A

[markedfordeath]

[Elza had shifted to taking pop-shots of the zombies as they shambled around the farmlands after playing her game with Zidane. She, of course, was safely tucked a good mile away from all the fighting while she practiced her skills at long distance shooting.

The sight of a horse running away from the living drew her attention. The man in question seemed to be standing there while his mount took off.

Heh.

Bringing Sturm around, she set her sights on the zombie moving in first towards its target. Exhaling her breath, the gunner calmly squeezed the trigger and fired her rifle with a bang. The 'bullet' tore through the sky as it sailed through the air to pierce through the zombie's head.]

[mayoninofukucho]

[And that's a bullseye! The zombie's head reacts roughly like a rotten pumpkin would. It's not pretty.]

..?!

[Both the headless zombie and Hijikata keep standing across from each other without moving for a moment, then the former slumps to the ground in a heap. If Elza can get a halfway decent view of Hijikata's face through her crosshairs she'll see a mix of confusion and irritation. He starts looking around the area.]

Hey!! Who stole my kill just now?!

[Of course between the zombie's messy demise and the samurai's yelling more zombies are taking notice and start shambling closer, but he doesn't appear to be worried. First his own horse ruined his cool action scene, and now some sniper shows him up?! Not if he gets a say! He turns towards the next pair of undead, calculating the best way to strike them down and unaware of whether Elza may already have taken aim at them too.]

[markedfordeath]

[The barest hint of a smirk curved on her lips as she saw his reaction. So... He was one of those was he?

Amusement bubbled within as she set her sight in the next target. His little outburst, despite the fact she could only see it, had drawn the attention of the surrounding zombies.

Elza had been tempted to leave him to deal with it himself, but if she got such interesting reactions from one shot, what other reactions would he give?

So it was with that thought that she kept her focus on the zombies shambling in towards the man.

Exhaling her breath, the gunner focused on the pair. The one on the left entered her sight. Squeezing the trigger, Sturm fired. The moment the bullet left the chamber, Elza shifted the rifle just enough to bring the zombie on the right into scope. If Hijikata's not quick, she'll try and take that one down next.]

[mayoninofukucho]

[Hijikata always has his priorities in order! He's the kind of man who'd prioritise rescuing the mayonnaise from the fridge if his headquarters back home burned down. He targets the very same zombie Elza has her aim on, and just as he dashes towards it so does the bullet. It's clear which of the two is faster. Just as Hijikata swings his sword back for momentum the zombie meets the same messy fate as the one from before.]

What-- again?!

[He quickly turns around to at least take care of the remaining one, but that one, too, falls victim to Sturm. Anyone less determined to kick some ass in the name of the king might be quite starry-eyed at the sheer precision, but Hijikata just gets more pissy. Again he tries to make out the sniper - at least now he's pretty sure where the bullets came from, so if Elza is out in the open he may just manage to spot her. But even if he can't, he starts making his way over in her direction. It's doubtful if she can hear him at all across the distance, but he shouts nonetheless.]

Whoever you are, I don't need your help!! Cover someone who can't defend themselves, not me!

1

[corpsewarblade]

Seriously, trust you to go for the biggest, baddest looking horse you can find first... you do know how to ride one, right?

[Mukuro had no objection to coming and helping Hijikata out. Despite not making great use of her animal magic until now, talking to the horses didn't seem too difficult an ask.

...Not that it looked as if this one would be willing to play nice.

She approached it slowly.]

Hey- you willing to play nice?

[mayoninofukucho]

I'll find a teacher once I have the horse.

[That's obviously the only sensible way to about it! What are training horses? The stallion stops stomping around when Mukuro addresses it... and immediately breaks out into a tirade (which Hijikata only hears as whinnying and neighing).]

I cannot believe that I am being sold on this dingy market like an old brewery horse!! Me, Black Star, the jewel of the Oakwood Stables! For 20 years I have sired the best foals on the island, and this is how I am rewarded?! I will not have it!!

[corpsewarblade]

Uh huh...

[She was only half listening, though, distracted by the horse's rather impressive rant- pulling a face as he mentioned the foals he's sired. Talk about too much information!]

Come on~ You get to be ridden by like, the best Knight in Camelot. That's gotta make you feel pretty badass, right? See, he came right over, so he can totally see your potential.

3B

[grylls]

They seem very picky about who they allow near them. We should proceed with caution.

[ But Riou seems.. genuinely excited about it too.

to be honest he wants to eat them but he recognizes that that would go poorly on all accounts. ]

[mayoninofukucho]

[RIOU STOP... seriously, the feeling is probably mutual between him and the deinosuchuses! Meanwhile Hijikata is feeling unusually reckless today.]

Let's give it a shot! You can talk to them, right? Just ask what their conditions are.

[A fae overhears and offers some well-meant advice.]

They'll likely want a meal in return for a ride! They prefer life prey.

Live prey, huh? Let's see if we can't haggle them down from that.

[grylls]

Why do we need to haggle them down?

[ Riou had already half-turned around to go hunt for something-- ]

2

[lendedahand]

[Lavellan was prone to frequent the training fields, felt the most at home. So it was only a matter of time before he saw his presumed Thedasian friend trying to practice magic. He watched for a time, gauging the other’s skills. He didn’t seem to be performing any worse than young mages, better even, less unpredictable disastrous mishaps than he’s seen.

Still needed quite a bit of refining.

Well, he may not be of much use throwing spells around in combat anymore, but he could perhaps do this.]

My friend! You are fortunate the mage circles are no more, if any circle mage saw that display I daresay they would take offense! That’s alright though, you could always run off with the Dalish!

[mayoninofukucho]

Oh, hey!

[Lavellan is one of not too many people who are greeted with a smile by Hijikata. Luckily his memory of running into him smashed drunk the other month are rather hazy, so he isn't anywhere near as embarrassed as he arguably should be.]

Hah, I'm not sure if that's an insult or a compliment... do you want to see my fire magic? That may just change your mind! Not that I wouldn't still prefer the second option.

[lendedahand]

The same could be said about your spell casting my friend!

[It was at least endlessly amusing watching people trying to throw around magic for the first time, and perhaps nice not to see it feared so. Granted it was less dangerous, but still, he’d enjoy the feeling while he could.

Not that he would cease his playful teasing of course.]

Sadly, there are no Dalish clans to go gallivanting off to, but I was a keeper’s first… if you’d like a little guidance with your magic.

Lavaft Behind

[itsmypower]

[If only Hijikata knew.

He hasn't lost an ounce of interest—though it'd take more than flared tempers, bad decisions. Some minor, isolated instance. His impression's too solid; his angry, hollowed-out expression now displaced by two people. Naïve as he could seem, very little could dissuade the simple boy blinking back at him, and he'd have to accept this!

He shakes his head "no".]

Sorry... I don't have anything like that.

[Just his standard school satchel; and even then, this only includes his used maps, among some rolls of spooled bandages. He's packed far too much soba for just a couple night's rations. Still completely unarmed... Though he's been forced to fight his way at times... through one forested end to another, and yet he's clearly survived that.

In comparison, the thought of camping seems peaceful.] You're alright with walking? [Brushing past already. He thinks he's prepared.]

[mayoninofukucho]

[Oh Shoto, bless you for steadfastly believing in this random cop from another world. Hijikata may be a questionable role model, but he'll do his absolute best for someone who has such unwavering faith in him! Granted, this mission looks to be a relatively easy one (but let him not jinx it now).]

Yeah, I'm used to it. If we're lucky we can perhaps hitch a cart ride for part of the way, but I don't think there's much of a rush here. That geode slime isn't going anywhere.

[His camping backpack would have been large even without the added inventory slots, but as it is it's full with enough stuff to make the night in the wilderness a halfway enjoyable experience: four blankets (so each of them has one as a makeshift mattress), two pillows, plenty of canned drinks and food, a can opener (just in case any pull tabs break off), a pan with a long handle to heat the food over a camp fire, paper plates and plastic cutlery, and some other essentials like anti-mosquito incense to burn at night.]

How've you been? Time flies by, doesn't it?

[As they walk through Camelot's streets he briefly stops by a trader in a small pop-up cart to buy a cheap sunhat for each of them, but it's a quick interaction that doesn't interrupt their conversation much. Hijikata picks up a plain black hat; Shoto can likewise take his pick.]

[itsmypower]

Oh, uh-

[This response comes distracted, because—before he can answer—there's the question of what he'll choose from colors of hats being offered. It's with slowed realization: the mildest surprise he's being treated to something! His eyes light up, too, a questioning look on round features. He picks a pale blue one.

It doesn't go on yet. He just stands there, appraising, gripping its brim with both hands and masking ghostly soft smiling.

It might as well be gold.]

Thanks.

[Quietly. He feels like a ronin! Even better: they'll match now.] My friends are here. [Cautiously. He'd denounced the thought, years ago. Your "friends" were competition. Stepping stones to further heights. The costs of advancement, using others along the way as means to push himself forwards, were just that. His former self follows him. And now, he makes amends, as though he's found his own pathing. Whatever his father's expectations, his willful mind and stubborn nature seeming resolved to shake free of things. But... others shaped him as he is. The way their meddling's affected him; even this much divergence makes him seem more rebellious.

If Endeavor met Hijikata, he'd lose his mind! It'd serve him right.] I guess they've lost their Quirks, t- [Oh... he stops himself, suddenly; an embarrassed retraction. His world is still different. "Quirks" a foreign terminology most here haven't encountered.

His eyes lower sharply.] Ah- their powers, I mean. [Then, he's brightening.] Come to think of it... I can do a lot more here. [There's more he means to mention. How his growth seems unlimited, how he'd been "Half and Half" before—but it all feels extraneous. He could easily start rambling.] What about you, Hijikata-san? [As if he needs every detail. Suppressing the smile. It's too nice to be open with someone he thinks is worth looking up to.]

How's your magic strength?

Continued from above (to avoid pagestretching)! 1/2

[mayoninofukucho]

Thank you.

[Hijikata is happy to accept a can of tea and offer his mayonnaise in return, but he won't be upset if Shoto declines, given that he's being polite about it. The speed and delight with which the samurai eats point towards this indeed being his usual amount of the condiment.

It's a nice atmosphere by the river's spring, everything around them lush and bright... they can observe fish, dragonflies, and even some small fairies as they sit and rest. If they weren't on a quest it would be tempting to stay a while and already start with the sword lessons, but duty comes first! Since the journey so far has already provided ample opportunity for them to talk about all kinds of things the greater part that still lies ahead may allow them to properly map out what they want to focus on in Shoto's training.]

2/2

[mayoninofukucho]

[After another few hours of wandering through a landscape that varies little, but still holds a summerly (and, at times, whenever strange plants or animals or other beings come within view, otherworldly) charm Hijikata has managed to explain the very basics of swordfighting to Shoto in theory at least, not without a variety of anecdotes about the Shinsengumi's crime-fighting activities strewn in.

The summer equinox is over, but the days are still very long, so it's late when the sun finally starts to sink and the two adventurers feel hungry again. They've walked alongside the river from the spring onwards, and about an hour ago they passed by the bridge that leads across to Camelot's vast farmlands. Ahead of them they can see a small, light forest - if it can even be called that; it's certainly nothing compared to the Dusklight Woods that are likewise coming into view on the other side of the river. Hijikata points towards the group of trees.]

Let's set up camp there. I don't trust any proper forest on this island, but there's no way anything large and dangerous could hide in there, and the trees will block the wind at night.

[If Shoto has strong reservations, though, he'll be content to sleep out in the open. It doesn't seem like it's going to rain, after all. Regardless of which exact spot they end up choosing, by the time they've eaten a drawn-out dinner and set up two cosy beds as well as insect-repelling incense burners the sun has sunk almost completely, tinting the horizon golden. Hijikata observes it, smoking contentedly.]

We've been making really good headway. I think the average rule of thumb is that the trek from Camelot's city centre to the bridge usually takes a full day; we're well ahead of that. If all goes well tomorrow we may be in Celliwig just after noon.

[itsmypower]

[It's true he'd decline if he weren't so proper... but he wants the memento. Of course, he accepts. His souvenir now, basically. His smile still hesitates.] I'll keep it. [He tucks it away—the memory. He eats his own meal delicately, slurping up long threads of noodles. He can't stop his staring... Between his hands and the swordsman, spacing out a time or two. A sort of drowsy fascination. He naps often, falls asleep easily when nothing particular's happening.

As they journey, there are several things to notice here. The boy's a sponge, and as he absorbs, imaging words into movements, he sees each technique visibly. Holding a blade in mind. He picks up rapidly when interested... masks an aggressively climbing battle IQ. Already, abnormal. There's growing envy he wasn't born sooner. A fascination with katana; the Shinsengumi. He wants to join, too. His expressions change rarely. Only the eyes which seem sharpened, wondering up at the other.

The younger's stare is too open, his every response a new question. He rambles at times: I want... I need... I have to. He mentions stronger, repeatedly. Several battles before his coming here. One could assume he's always fighting, that it borders obsession, with things he's frighteningly overeager to prove. And then he's hanging on words again, the way his fists clench lightly, suppressing his sparking.

Spying the forest's edge. How Hijikata's gold, too.

Trailing him silently. Without reservations. Thoughts calming once they've settled, boy hunched over soba, mind on his mission. It isn't long before he's dropped himself, flat and still, eyes on a cigarette's glowing ash-end. He answers back, tiredly. Peering from bedding.]

Yeah. [If all goes well.] I think I'm ready.

[He has to be ready. He's letting his ice claim his fingers, watching its magic spread.]

Don't worry... about me tomorrow.

[That smoke-scent's fading him. His eyes lid slowly.]

I know what I need to do, so... you should sleep, too.

wildcard

[groundzeroes]

[Rei's corner of the net has been giggling over some poor sap's multiple attempts to get into the dark web. The gossip was less about the guy himself, and more about what kinds of stupid pranks they've been firing back at him-- the latest curse was a something of a wobbly drink syndrome, he thinks. But for all the fun of crafting new curses, Rei is more interested in the how and why they have a intruder problem.

So when Rei walks into the bar for a drink and sees Hijikata... well, struggling with his, he can't help but be curious about just who is trying to brute force his way into crimetown.]

Let me get you another one of those.

[Rei slides into the seat next to Hijikata at the bar with a grin, waving for the bartender to replace the poor man's drink. Better luck with the next one, buddy.]

[mayoninofukucho]

[Hijikata is so goddamn pissed off. Not only has he been unable to access the dark web - he tried proxies and everything! -, but he's been having a streak of ridiculously bad luck. It's just one thing after the other. First he tripped on every flight of stairs he took (which quickly got super annoying because he prefers the hotel stairs over the elevator), then his shoelaces kept coming undone every 10 minutes, and now that he's at the bar to drink and forget it seems that he somehow unlearned how to hold a glass.

By the time Rei sits down next to him he already slushed the contents of one beer mug straight into his face and spilled the next one on his lap, so he's dripping wet and will look like he peed himself once he heads home. Great! At Rei's offer he merely glowers.]

Thanks, but I think I'm done--

[But the bartender already slides him the next beer. He stares at it for a moment, but hell, the third time's the charm, right? He grabs it with both hands, not caring about the snickers (because of course by now pretty much everyone is watching the show), trying to hold it really steady... only to end up spilling it all over his chest just before he can take a first sip.]

...

[He wordlessly grabs his jacket and gets up as the room erupts into laughter. Clearly it's not his night!! Rei can try to convince him to stay (perhaps a straw will do the trick?), but maybe talking outside won't be for the worst, given that Hijikata won't want the whole bar overhearing the source of his troubles if the conversation gets to that.]

[groundzeroes]

[Okay, he has to admit-- this is fucking hilarious. Rei can't help it; he's laughing too. Sorry, Hijikata...

Hijikata has a few moments to fume outside alone before Rei emerges from the bar as well, though still chuckling a bit.]

Hold on, hold on. I know how to break it. [Rei offers the man the remains of his drink, poured into a simple cup. He'd read this much on the boards.] You have to drink upside down like you're curing hiccups.

5-B

[mycrosstobear]

No totems, but I have healing and blood magic. I'm used to camping, so I was planning to head out.

[mayoninofukucho]

Healing magic is always an asset! I'll prepare a spring totem so we don't have to walk the whole way back (if we're lucky we can probably hitch a teleport back to Camelot from there; the resort gets way more visitor traffic than the mountains).

[Wolfwood's username is unfamiliar to Hijikata, but honestly, he feels up for a camping adventure, especially after being stuck at the hospital for a while. He's not good at being out of commission.]

[mycrosstobear]

Sounds like a good plan. [Hitching a ride from the spring shouldn't be that much of a challenge, definitely better than camping both ways.]

When were you thinking of heading out?