December Adventures

[mayoninofukucho]

WHO: Hijikata and ✨YOU✨
WHAT: TDM prompts (exploring the Land of Maidens) and a couple of dark web quests!
WHEN: Throughout December
WHERE: Land of Maidens, Camelot City, Underground Fae Prison, Forest of the Felled
WARNINGS: NSFW for prompt 3B ('Go Get 'Em, Tiger' Quest); I'll add more if necessary!



1) Arrival in Elphame

A ⦿ Searching for Direction

[Early in December Hijikata instructs his ghost subordinates to keep up their nightly patrol in Camelot City and look out for its people while he's in Elphame (where, he hopes, it won't be quite as winterly yet). Upon arrival in the Land of Maidens he tries to figure out where to go next from the small island in the lake and, after some fruitless investigation, ends up sticking his face underwater, which prompts the small fairies who are celebrating the shimmering holographic stones to start teasing him.]

Look, he thinks he can dive out of here! Hahaha!

Well, if that wasn't what you meant by "Keep your head down", what else was it?! Be more clear!

[Instead of elaborations he receives more giggles and an enchantment.]

I don't even need to know what you just did, you little cuties!

[?!?!? What? No!! He meant to demand that they tell him what they did to him at once, and the term he called them was anything but flattering!]

I'm sure you actually have nothing to do with this, so never mind. If you helped me I wouldn't know how to repay you, anyway!

[No!!! He meant to say that they better fix this, or else!! God, this is going to be an ordeal. He turns away from the giggling fairies, visibly furious.]

I had no idea this would be so much fun!!

[No!!! He knew exactly that it'd be a shitshow! (And yet he still came...)]

B ⦿ Off-Track

[Not wanting to endure the fairies' mocking laughter any longer Hijikata grimly takes a different pair of shoes out of the big camping backpack he brought and puts them on. They look pretty much exactly like the others - simply black dress shoes -, but they clearly have different properties, given that he confidently walks across the lake's surface in them without sinking in. Once he reaches the mountainside enclosing the gorge he tries to climb up, but the fairies, who curiously followed him, put yet another spell on him, and the wall freezes wherever he touches it, making it impossible for him to grasp on to anything.]

You're so cute!! I want you to spend all day with me!!

[His expression and tone make it rather clear that that's not at all what he wanted to say... but honestly, the fairies may just have done him a favour, because the aqrabuamelu living nearby have been attracted by the commotion. A pair of them are looking down from the clifftop. When Hijikata spots them he shouts up.]

Hey!! No worries, I don't need any help!! I'm having the time of my life!

[No!!! He wants help getting out! But the scorpiontaur-looking warriors don't seem to think that they want him up there with them at all, anyway, instead taking out their bows and arrows. Hijikata still doesn't look like he's entirely sure that staying with the fairies is the better choice here...]


2) Can You Imagine?

A ⦿ Whisper Bridge

[After some fellow outworlders finally figure out that the right way leads through the waterfall they all gradually make it to the three floating islands. Hijikata takes in the lush, gargantuan forest, ancient statues and friendly wildlife on the first one and the fairy-tale-ish castle on the second one, and after spending a while exploring the surroundings he realises with great relief that the reverse speaking spell has stopped working.

Once he hears about the demands of each of the sorceresses' tasks he really regrets coming here at all. What the hell kind of jobs are these?! He isn't cut out for any of this! Facing thorns that turn people to stone? He just got petrified by a basilisk last month, so no thanks!! He can neither sing nor play an instrument nor paint, so those tasks are out of question for him as well... and he doesn't have the slightest idea how to take care of a baby, let alone a gigantic one! Once he hears of the wolf transformation curse he vows to give that maiden a wide berth, too. Does he end up helping at all?! Maybe! In any case it's the final task that seems to lead to everyone's final destination (or so he mistakenly assumes).]

Crossing this damn unsecured bridge blindfolded... do they just want to do us in, or what?

[There's nobody else around... who's supposed to control whether they walk across blindfolded? He slides his blindfold up on one side and takes a few steps onto the bridge. Seriously, these fae give them nothing but trouble-- but his train of thought gets cut off as a massive, beautifully galaxy-patterned sky orca comes barreling towards him with a delightend noise. It's lunch time!]

B ⦿ The Island of Dreams

[Somehow Hijikata manages to make it to the third island in one piece. At first he's confused by all the unfamiliar people, beings and things he sees there, but before long he's filled in on the island's peculiarity and instantly creates a dozen Mayorins out of thin air. All his pissiness appears gone as he plays and laughs with the toddler-sized gnome-like creatures, who all seem to be wanting his attention.]

So this is our present for the winter solstice? All the trouble was worth it after all!


3) Quests

A ⦿ Who You Gonna Call? Ghostbusters! (for angel_of_death)

[Hijikata's bliss on the Island of Dreams was harshly interrupted when he found out that Camelot's criminal underground had been making moves against his hard-working ghost patrol back in King Arthur's domain. Why now of all times?! After some hasty information-gathering he returns to Camelot to meet up with his anonymous contact.

The city in front of him is still snow-clad, and he's easy to spot in his black attire. Now he can only hope that the mystery person will make it to his location before the Yuureisengumi's enemies do.]

⦿ Banyanished (for milkmycattle)

[Hijikata eventually managed to get his captured subordinates back, at least for the time being, though the incident forced him to rearrange them into bigger groups of four (they previously patrolled in pairs) and caution them to take no risks until he's able to figure out some safeguards for them - which may be rather challenging, given that unlike physical entities they can't be outfitted with warding gems or other protective items. Damn it, this time the dark web scumbags really set the Yuureisengumi back! That heist they were planning probably was a success after the ghosts, thrown into some disorder by the disappearance of several of their comrades, fell back until their commander's return.

While he's back in his "home" kingdom, though, he feels the need to follow up on some of the other quests on the dark web. One that immediately caught his eye when he saw it is the one concerning the underground fae prison - something he had no idea existed until now. Luckily he ran into Crow, so they're sitting in the library and mulling over the quest together. Hijikata taps the approximate location of the prison on a map with his finger.]

"Halfway between Dinas Emrys and the Forest of the Felled"... that's Elphame territory. It should be smack dab under the Valley of the Shearing. I know nothing about that area.

[Generally speaking a prison break really goes against his principles, but after everything the fae have done to the outworlders during his year on Avalon he's willing to at least investigate and give the prisoners a chance to make their case. Elphame's rogue justice irks him.]

C ⦿ Go Get 'Em, Tiger (NSFW)

[And then there's that other dark web quest... the one that hits Hijikata with an unwelcome, wholly inappropriate sense of near-nostalgia. It's not like he habitually participates in orgies, but the concept of generating healing energy through intimacy rings all too familiar. How long has it been since Prismatica? He visited ever so often after returning to his homeworld, but now it's already been almost a year since this new calamity froze it along with every other world out there.

Back home he had always rejected the notion that romance might be in the cards for him - a man who lives by the sword shouldn't get involved with an innocent woman. Prismatica, however, gave him plenty of incentive - such as saving the planet - and brought him close to people like him, soldiers who'd seen war and bloodshed. What reasoning could he have used to refuse them too? In the end being with them made him happy. None of his moonlacing partners are here on Avalon now, but he decides to improvise a little and recreate one of the moonblessing transformation effects he got to experience - purely to help the Forest of the Felled get back on its feet after being cursed for such a long time, of course. In no way does he selfishly want to feel good or anything!

Ultimately he wanders into the cold winter woods during the day (when his subordinates are hidden away in their various flasks and birdhouse-like structures) with his hammerspace camping backpack and sets up a campfire and a simple, small two-person tent he bought in Camelot, which he fills with a whole bunch of blankets and pillows. He overlooks his work, satisfied. Now only one thing is missing... he takes out the 'From the Void' recipe he won after braving the Celliwigians' spooky trials last month. He should probably best only start the summons once he's all set, huh? He gets in the tent, ready to close it from inside. No one's going to walk up and ruin this for him, right?

And also surely no one's going to come inspect the quiet tent by the burned-down fireplace the next day either (because damn, multiple summons at the same time really will knock a man out for a whole day)?]


[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. If asked for his name in Elphame he'll say he's 'Agent Mayo 13' (yeah...).]

Comments

2A

[theskyaccepts]

[Tsuna doesn't really know what he's doing here. He's not great at trials, and rarely enters things voluntarily. (And somehow it's easier when your tutor is threatening you? Tsuna has a weird life.) But despite the thoughts running through his head, he's here and well, he might as well see it through.

Not without regrets because that that bridge does not look safe, and he does not like heights. He's prepared to attempt some optimism with a "well, it can't be completely bad if they want us to complete the trial..." but that's put on hold as the sky orca bursts forth.

And Tsuna screams, turning quickly to get away as fast as he can, trial forgotten.

Of course he trips in the process, stumbling towards Hijikata.]

[mayoninofukucho]

[Oh crap!! Now he has to save not only his own ass, but also Tsuna's-- but before he can do much of anything they already collide and crash down onto the bridge surface. Hijikata automatically shields Tsuna with his body as the orca sweeps past narrowly above them, massive jaws audibly closing, then he quickly scrambles to his feet and drags he boy along onto solid ground.

The orca halts its second attack about midway through, seeing that neither of the mortals is trying to cross the bridge anymore for now, and peacefully dives back into the clouds with a joyful trill.]

Holy shit!!

[That huge-ass creature seriously would have killed them if it had caught them... unless it's just an illusion or something, but at this rate he's unwilling to risk finding out. He pulls the askew blindfold off his head altogether and looks Tsuna over for any scratches.]

Are you okay?

[theskyaccepts]

[Tsuna does not answer immediately, needing to catch his breath and for his heart rate to go down to something assumingely normal. Though, if he's being honest, Tsuna is fairly certain that his heart rate hasn't been normal since he met Reborn. But those thoughts aside, he eventually gives a nervous laugh.]

Y-yeah, I'm...I'm okay Thank you.

What was that thing?

[mayoninofukucho]

An orca.

[That's not really a sufficient answer, but it's the best he can give ad hoc. He frowns at the bridge. There are numerous of those beautifully patterns but deadly creatures swimming through the sky in the distance, so this surely wasn't an isolated freak incident... what the hell were those sorceresses thinking?!]

I'm starting to feel like Elphame's trying to wipe us all out before we ever get to their capital.

[Why are they doing it in such a strange and roundabout way, though? And why the hell did they put them through all the hassle of the other tasks beforehand?! He's truly about convinced that all fae are sadists.]

[theskyaccepts]

[It's enough for Tsuna, but it's definitely more of an Orca than he's ever seen. Patterns and flying notwithstanding.]

No kidding. Why are we trying to go there again?

[He asks partway in jest but it's also partly a legitimate question.]

How are we even supposed to get across? I feel like the orca's gonna keep coming after us.

[mayoninofukucho]

Beats me, on both counts.

[He takes out a cigarette and snaps it alight with his fire magic. He needs it after that near-death experience.]

Let's go back. This is bullshit, and I suspect all the other tasks are too.

[What kind of moron would actually attempt walking across such a dangerous bridge blindfolded?! He definitely won't allow Tsuna to attempt it. Gokudera would end him if anything happened to his boss!]

Continued from above (to avoid pagestretching)!

[mayoninofukucho]

[(Continued from here!)]

Wait, slow down--!!

[Oh shit. The whales don't seem to be coming, but Tsuna's direction is getting worrisomely diagonal. Whether he has too much momentum to reliably stop without stumbling or looks like he might lose his balance, once he's only a few steps away from the island Hijikata dashes forward, grabs him, and makes his way back onto solid ground with him in a few large strides.

Despite the action only taking a few seconds it's enough to cause a cacophony of angry orca screams. Several of the large, shimmering whales angrily swim towards them through the sky, pointy teeth bared, so Hijikata loses no time running further inland, throwing Tsuna over his shoulder like a sack of rice.]

Those crappy fish!!

[A couple of orcas snap their jaws after them, but apparently they don't like flying too close above the ground, because they quickly fall back. Hijikata keeps running for a little while longer, but then he slows down as he see the strangest assortment of... stuff.]

What..?

[He finally sets Tsuna down so he can remove the blindfold (if he hasn't already managed) and also take a look at all the strange things ahead of them - palaces and castles, a tall ivory tower, several amusement parks, strange massive trees and gargantuan candy canes and other and structures that look completely alien.]

[theskyaccepts]

[It is a strange mix of panic and nostalgia that grips Tsuna in this moment. Panic, because he can hear the angry orca noises and that means something has gone wrong and being picked up while blindfolded is another disorienting thing. The nostalgia comes in with the fact that, really, this is is life and he should be expecting these things more often.]

Wh--what happened?

[Tsuna asks as the blindfold comes off, but the question is momentarily forgotten as he looks around.]

Hie? Are we even in the same place?

[mayoninofukucho]

We're on the island, yeah.

...

They did say that everything you dream up comes true here, but I didn't expect everything to stick around. This has to be all the things people dreamed up here for decades, if not centuries.

[As they slowly wander around they see so much more - plants, animals, people of all shapes and colours, plus so many items strewn all over the place - that it's hard to take everything in.]

There was no mention of consequences or a price to pay, this time, but...

[He doesn't trust the fae!]

[theskyaccepts]

All stuff that people dreamed up...

[There's got to be a lot of weird stuff in these piles. Tsuna can't even begin to imagine.]

You don't think that crossing the bridge was the price? Or...are there more?

[mayoninofukucho]

That better have been it!

[Seriously, he's not up for any more twists in this crazy tale!]

Hold on, I'm going to give it a try.

[He closes his eyes and focuses on the original Mayorin brand mayonnaise bottle he wants, and poof, it appears in his hand.]

Ah..! It works! It works!

[Wow, talk about a mood shift! Suddenly it all feels like it was absolutely worth it. He immediately poofs another bottle into existence and laughs happily (perhaps a disturbing sound for anyone who's only gotten to know his more usual pissy mode so far).]

[milkmycattle]

[ A library is one of those places where you will never find Crow, but there's a reason why he's present now. Hijikata was researching the exact location of the underground fae prison, and the only place that provided the information was the old books. Probably why no one has ever heard of such a prison until now. The Dark Web gave them some clues, but it was still quite broad. He allows Hijikata to take point on this because he couldn't read a map or where to start with the few clues they had. Luckily, Hijikata has a few leads, so the research goes by smoothly.

He eyes the place on the map that the samurai points to, and also mentions he knows nothing about the area, so they'll be going into this blind. He doesn't have much of an opinion on the fae or Elphame, but he feels it's not right to mistreat people and have them suffer in such a way. He's not sure what types of crimes they've committed, but there has to be a more humane way than feeding their life force to a tree.]

So? Should we go in prepared? How are we going to deal with that tree? It might be a good idea to come up with a plan.

[They've dealt with a few overgrown weeds before, and normally they're easy to kill, but this tree sounds enormous! Hijikata's fire will be able to hurt it a great deal, and his guitar can cut those roots no problem, but he still feels he's underestimating things. Crow has certainly come a long way!]

[mayoninofukucho]

That's for sure.

[He frowns, idly letting his eyes wander over the map. They really need to figure out how to get to the location... depending on exactly where that banyan tree grows it may be more sensible to approach from the Forest of the Felled or from the Land of Maidens, provided they can attain a new totem to the latter. Traversing the Valley of the Shearing north to south would take an entire day, and he doesn't want to risk the potential dangers of extensively exploring that unknown area. While he leafs through an ancient tome about Elphame he already considers how to deal with the tree as such.]

We should probably bring some axes... though that'll make us look damn suspicious if we pass through any settled area on the way there. I guess my fire magic will also come in handy. Not sure if I should ask Arashi to come along - if we tackle the tree above ground it may help to have him with us, but underground he'll be pretty useless.

[milkmycattle]

[Crow uses his guitar like an axe anyway, so it wouldn't look too suspicious since it can easily pass as an instrument within its case. Though Crow could probably hide some smaller axes somewhere on his person.]

Arashi? Your familiar? Why would he be useless underground?

[Crow feels like he's missing something, isn't he a bird just like Onyx? It'll probably be dark down there, but they have the ability of flight that can come in handy in difficult situations.]

[mayoninofukucho]

[True, Crow pretty much has them covered on the axe front with Red Tomahawk! However Hijikata has a different view on Arashi's versatility on the mission.]

His strength lies in his flight and his wind magic, both of which need space to unfold their full potential, and going underground may be the more promising approach here. Trees can survive even if they get felled, that's why new saplings will grow from old stumps. However destroying its roots will be more difficult and dangerous.

[While he talks he turns a new page, and his eyes light up as he sees the information he's been looking for - not about the prison, but about the tall tree, which constitutes a landmark.]

Crow, we've got the location! It looks to be just south of the lake where the Land-of-Maidens totem statue is, probably an hour or so to walk.

[He pauses as he recalls what sort of welcome he got when he tried to exit the lake on land...]

Or longer if we have to deal with those scorpion warriors.

[milkmycattle]

[That's a good point! It would probably be difficult to fly around, and in terms of space, they don't know how extensive the prison is. It's underground, so it could be pretty vast in size. Though with that thought, Crow wonders how they'll be able to get down there? Would they have to dig a hole? Or was there an entrance somewhere on the surface?

Either way, he leaves his reverie as the officer finds something. His red eyes focus on the open page and he can discern very little from the few drawings there. He does recognize a tall tree, but could that be the Banyan Tree?]

South of the Lake, huh? There's more to it! I guess we can wade through the water to the other side. Through the waterfall is to Elphame, right? Deeper in the water is just a trap!

[Crow has personal experience of getting enchanted by pixies. Apparently, going on land means contending with the scorpion warriors. No thanks!]

Continued from above!

[mayoninofukucho]

[Continued from here!)

Wow. This prison sure is something. Of course he can't stop and stare like a tourist, so he tries to get an overview while moving ahead with "Ravyn" (he's quietly amazed at how naturally that persona came to Crow so instantly - unless he planned and practiced beforehand), and keeps his voice equally low.]

Damn, this place is huge. Calling it an "underground prison" was totally misleading; looks like they carved it all the way up into the tree!

[To be fair, it feels pretty underground. The tree is so utterly massive that any attempts to break out sideways must fail due to the sheer thickness of the surrounding wood, even with the prison complex eating up quite some space at the centre.]

Still, we need to go down. That's where the roots are... so let's see.

[He walks up to a map on the wall, pointing at it for Crow as if he's only showing the new arrival where his cell is and definitely not because he himself lacks orientation.]

Damn is, Nightshade's upstairs... we're not going there. Looks like they've only got five levels below ground, not as goddamn many as upstairs. That helps a little.

[He searches for a pathway down and eventually sees another warden emerging onto a circular station on what looks like some kind of elevator. He heads towards it with Crow, and they're almost on it when someone calls out from behind them.]

Hey Elodias! I thought you were on guard duty outside!

I was, but we got this unscheduled special transfer in, so I was swapped out to put him in.

And he needs to go down?!

Yep. Mandrake section for this firestarter.

[He manages a disapproving sneer at his "prisoner". Luckily he only just looked at the map of the downstairs area!]

Whew... well, he won't start any more fires now.

[The grin on the fae's face doesn't bode well. He sure looks like he doesn't expect Crow to ever come back out of there! Hijikata keeps a calm face, but he also has a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Ultimately they had to hide Red Tomahawk and Muramasha outside after realising that any weapon on the prisoner would cause a huge ruckus and a foreign sword on "Elodias" would also raise eyebrows (his mun just forgot to bring that up before), so they'll have to rely largely on Hijikata's fire magic and the weapons they took off the two guards: a lance in Hijikata's hand, and a dagger in his hip holster. Once they're able to actually start working he'll give Crow whichever one he can use better.]

[milkmycattle]

[ Crow totally came up with that on the fly! Yeah right, he already had his persona picked out before they left the library. Under more scrutiny, it's not really that ingenious either, since it's so close to what Crow calls himself.

The prison is incredible, but he agrees it only makes the complex seem more impenetrable since the banyan tree's wood seems so dense. He can only guess with the sheer amount of energy from the prisoners that the tree absorbs it only strengthens its wood too.

It's a good thing that there's a map for them to see where to head next. There's not much they can do on the upper levels since the roots are where the tree is the weakest. Of course, getting there isn't as smooth. They are stopped by another guard. Crow stares the suspicious guard down. It seems the light banter from Elodias is enough to give passage to the elevator.]

We'll see about that! You haven't heard the last of Ravyn, the Crimson Arsonist!

[ Though that knowing grin from the fae guard is telling. The cells closest to the roots are probably where the worse criminals are sent. They board on the elevator and start heading down. There's definitely a slight chill in the air. The ride is agonizingly slow like drawing out the inevitable and the light from upper levels starts to become dimmer. Crow doesn't remember what floor Mandrake is on because he quickly skimmed the different tiers. It was a lot to take in at the time, but maybe he should have had a closer look.

He'd feel a lot better with Red Tomahawk, but there was no way to hide their weapons from sight, and carrying them would be a dead giveaway. If worse came to worse, he could try to use his blood magic to create a makeshift axe. Though that depends on how much time they'll have to cut at the tree's roots with the place so heavily guarded.

Once they arrive at the lower levels, it does seem more like an underground prison. There's a heavy scent of dirt and mold. There's moisture in the air, making the temperature drop, and the cold chills you to the bone. The earth seems to have taken over some of the cell blocks with an overgrowth of mushrooms, moss and vines.]

Now, this seems more like it.

[The lower they go, the more defined the tree's roots appear to be. They start from above reaching down into the very depths of the earth like large claws.]

How the hell are we going to cut through those?!

[mayoninofukucho]

[The good news is that there are far fewer guards down here - it's almost like fae don't like being underground, which would also explain why being interred here would be pretty much the worst for them. On the lowest level where they disembark from the platform Hijikata can't see anybody patrolling at all. He's glad for it, even though his sniffling and throat-rubbing seems to have convinced the guard he spoke to earlier that he just has a cold... he doesn't like espionage, he's an open combat kind of guy!

Upon looking around he immediately shares Crow's concerns. Since they're finally under the tree and the gargantuan trunk has split into massive roots they can at last get to work, in theory at least. The roots, seeming to emit a weak dark purple glow, practically ooze a bad aura. He thinks out loud as he assesses their options.]

We have to work quickly and quietly. I'll try to sever the roots inside any cells with the lance; it's long enough to reach through the bars. You take the dagger for those that grow into the corridors.

[He gives it to him.]

I'll burn the stump of each root we cut. If they're anything like other creatures they should struggle to regrow after that. I hope they'll even burn, though; it's so goddamn damp in here.

[He doesn't inquire after Crow's blood magic, unsure how much he's been able to improve on that front, but naturally a blood copy of Red Tomahawk would be badass and very helpful! That aside he's starting to have serious concerns as to how he'll explain moving Crow out of the prison again later... but an idea is coming to him as he ponders.]

Whether anyone notices or not, I'll blame it on you, infamous arsonist that you are, and drag you back out for Camelot to take off our hands - since they're the ones who sent you in the first place, I'll claim.

[milkmycattle]

[ Crow looks at the dagger that Hijikata slips into his hand. It's not his preferred weapon of choice, but it'll do for now. The plan sounds reasonable. Cut as many roots as they can, he takes the corridors and Hijikata will get at the roots from the cells.

Crow isn't sure if he can make a replica of his guitar, but that's on his mind as well. He'll reserve it as a last resort for now, just in case the situation becomes worse and they need to sever these roots more quickly, he'll give it a try.

He laughs at the alibi.]

Of course, Ravyn, the Crimson Arsonist cannot be contained! So you have to make sure your fire causes a lot of damage, my reputation is on the line, okay?

[ Finally the elevator stop on the Mandrake level, and they exit, surveying the area for any guards. Like Hijikata noticed before, there aren't many guards, but there doesn't mean there's not a different type of surveillance. Crow walks over to one of the cellblocks that one of the banyan tree's roots stretch through. It's low-hanging, so even someone like Crow can reach. However, at closer inspection, that dark aura around the root sends chills down his spine. He can almost feel it sucking the life force from him. The restraints around his wrists take on the same wicked hue, and now he realizes how the tree is able to drain the prisoners of their energy.]

Hey! I think these cuffs are connected to the banyan tree through some magic or maybe it's made of its wood!

[He thought the restraints were made of iron because of how heavy they were, but maybe it's actually from the tree too. Either way, they need to work quickly more than ever. Crow separates from Hijikata, taking a blind spot in between two empty cells, climbing against the wall to get closer to the room, and starts cutting into it. Although it's more like carving, the knife not being able to cut through cleanly but friction seems to wear away at it.]

2b

[mushroomaficionado]

[It wasn't exactly easy getting here, but somehow Jade had made it. And he enjoys dreaming up, well surprisingly harmless things, like some shiny green mushrooms that he's caused to sprout in a few places, because why not leave behind one of his special interests for these good people?

But then Jade pauses to see those well, whatever they are. And the ecstatic adult man romping with them.]

I mean, I guess that is one thing to live for.

[mayoninofukucho]

[Jade is definitely getting a splendid first impression of Hijikata. He's in full mayonnaise fanatic mode and doesn't take offence at the remark at all.]

I bet you're from some poor world without quality mayonnaise! Do you want an original bottle from Mayorin?

[Two of the mascots offer a pale yellow bottle with a red cap, making bubbly sounds all the while.]

It'll lift your mushrooms to a whole other level of cuisine after you fry them!

[Those are edible, right... maybe not.]

[mushroomaficionado]

[He raises an eyebrow and hesitantly takes a bottle and puts it in his bag for the moment

Well, we do have mayonnaise, just not from such an interesting source.

[He'll find some poor sucker to taste test.]

And as for mushrooms normally I just like them sauteed or in risottos and curries.

[There's a 50 percent chance they are edible and a 50 percent chance they are super deadly poison.]

[mayoninofukucho]

Are you a cook back home?

[By now the Mayorins have started inspecting the mushrooms, and a few of them try some... here's hoping the 50/50 odds are in their favour, otherwise the Island of Dreams may shortly turn into the Island of Screams.]

[mushroomaficionado]

I help out in my friend's restaurant back home, so I have acquired some skills. I also do a lot of camping, so I know how to prepare what I find.

[The odds are in their favor it seems as not on are the mushrooms edible, but have the bonus side effect of instant euphoria. The power of imagination indeed.]