Hijikata Toshirou (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mayoninofukucho) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
isleofavalon2022-02-07 11:50 pm
mayoninofukucho) wrote in isleofavalon2022-02-07 11:50 pm
February Adventures
WHO: Hijikata and... YOU?
WHAT: Running from Maribelle's vendetta, TDM prompts, knightly questing, moping around, and werewolf time... with a twist!
WHEN: Throughout the first half-ish of February
WHERE: Forest of the Fisherking, Lands of Rot (maybe), Camelot City, Ash Mountains
WARNINGS: Depressed drinking in Prompt 4 and a burned ghost in Prompt 5!
(NOTE: Anyone wanting to avenge Maribelle's honour is welcome to hijack any prompt in this post for that! Likewise anyone is welcome to hit him with any dark web quests in whichever prompt!)
1) Trust Falls
[This time Hijikata really fucked up. Sure, what happened between him and Maribelle last month was not ideal, and yes, he should have told her about his plan to infiltrate the night club while still in her body, but she would surely have forbidden him to go ahead with it, and catching that unscrupulous would-be murderer was too important!! Regardless, his impulsive reaction to her AOL post was a big mistake, because thereby he gave unmistakable confirmation to any watching dark web denizens that it was him, the man they already consider a nuisance in his function as Commander of the ghost patrol, who meddled in one of their plots yet again.
Knowing that he has both the criminals of Camelot and some well-meaning white knight types who didn't heed (or see) his explanation and are keen on following Maribelle's call for retribution on his case he pretty much can't eat or drink at any bars or restaurants anymore - too much of a risk of people slipping stuff into his food and beverages to make him compliant with any humiliating antics -, and during the daytime hours, when his spectral subordinates aren't there to watch out for any threats alongside him, he has to be on edge wherever he goes. This sucks!! He really should just stay in his remote little hut at the outskirts of the Forest of the Felled... and he does.
But then the dreams start, and after having them for two nights in a row a swift glance at AOL shows him that he's not the only one. He reads other people's thoughts on the poem's meaning, but in the end he can't tell which place seems more likely - the Forest of the Fisherking or the Lands of Rot. Given that he still has some Archivist's Totems (he made a bunch of different totems in autumn, just before the fateful equinox) he decides to head there first. If he finds any hints that rule out the Fisher King he can still move on to the nearby Lands of Rot!
When he arrives he's alone. It feels a little weird. He's not used to going on quests on his own anymore, is he? Knowing that he won't be allowed to smoke among the Archivist's old books and manuscripts he lights himself a cigarette and recites the dream poem to himself once more, hoping to suddenly glean some new insight.]
I beckon thee to wither's tree,
Where widows often cry,
A poisoned place of death's embrace
North selkie's weary eye.
You seek the prick whose corpse makes rot,
And rot begot those life forgot,
'Fore the questing beast slips by.
Hm... would they really call the guy a prick? In a poem? Also what's the questing beast?
[It's rainy outside the rusted old train wagon, so perhaps someone who came to investigate the Forest of the Fisherking may want to seek shelter... or someone might arrive next to the totem statue on the same way he came, perhaps to research the Lands of Rot before turning that way. Whatever the reason, he wouldn't mind some company.]
2) Not Locked In
[Like all other outworlders Hijikata had received a lock with a fitting key in the post before he embarked on the expedition. After returning home he inspects it more closely and reads the attached note once again: Slice your sobriquet upon this seal, / Secure our sprouting solidarity. / Shackle it at the stockade. / Sing sayonara to the key. He's... not doing that, whatever it exactly means. He already heard enough whispers of shady ongoings at Queen Elphame's ball last month, and while it seems like those who went to the party (and stayed there) were not hit with the werewolf curse he still doesn't want to get entangled in any deeper relations with her and her people. His duty lies with Camelot and King Arthur! So he simply puts the lock and key aside.
His plan to stay on the down-low is nevertheless thwarted by a call from one of his subordinates who possesses enough spirit magic to manipulate phones - they're missing comrades in action again. It seems like they disappeared from their patrol route without a trace. Hijikata sees no other option than come to the ghosts' rescue, so he heads to Camelot via totem without delay. He practiced the detection of death magic traces, so hopefully he can make some headway on his own, what with the approaching dawn forcing his subordinates to retreat to Loch Manor.
Once the day awakens and the streets fill with life he can be seen out and about in the lowertown with his long black coat's hood up, trying to find any hints of the missing ghosts' whereabouts as he "scans" the area for hidden ghost-safe jars. Damn it, why are these criminals so relentless?! (Because the Yuureisengumi is relentless too, he knows, he knows). He hopes that nobody who bears him ill will will take notice of him... ugh, it's so cold too; he'd love to go for a hot soup somewhere! But it's just too risky. He takes a brief break on a bench, drinking mayonnaise (yeah) from his bottomless mug and letting out a deep sigh.]
If only it were already spring at least..!
[It would be a shame if anyone affected by the lock task's side effects side-tracked him into helping them get access to whichever public buildings, but would it really? If nothing else it'd be an opportunity to warm himself up inside.]
3) Knight Quest (forgroundzeroes)
[Of course Hijikata was going to carry out this month's knight quest, he has to earn his keep after all - but while he was still waffling over whom of his combatant friends or fellow knights he should reach out to (some of them seemed pretty sympathetic to Maribelle's complaints about him; whom can he even still trust not to try to humiliate him now?) he receives a message from none other than Rei, asking him if he'd be willing to take him along.
Well... why not? Hijikata does not trust Rei, not fully, but... somehow, at the core, he does, doesn't he? Ugh. He must, because he agrees, and at the appointed time the two of them are on their way towards the Ash Mountains. Hijikata brought his own horse Black Star, along with his shield and heavy knight's cloak. The weather is once again shitty - rainy and windy -, but he had some Dry Spells prepared to shield himself and Rei.]
So how much do you know about those I.C.E.s?
4) Frost Fairies and Ghosts (forsulit)
[A couple of days later Hijikata has a night off, so he does his shopping in Camelot during the daytime and totem-travels back home in the evening, entrusting the city to his subordinates. His death magic trace finding skill has improved at a staggering rate, if only due to his sheer determination to rescue any of his men and women as quickly as possible. They're all together again... for now.
He takes a tub of newly bought ice cream - caramel flavour -, opens it along with a kitchen window, and puts it on the windowsill. Will the frost fairies even come all the way out here? Probably not, but alas, he doesn't have a place to stay in Camelot anymore (the camp doesn't count, it has no windows!). With his subordinates all in the city he's the only person left here at the Yuureisengumi HQ... or is he?]
5) Valentine's Blues
[Hijikata stayed on guard. He really, really did. But when he visited Darin's forge for maintenance of his gear - on the 14th, as it just so happens - and found the place cold and empty he felt dread in his stomach, and one bounced text message later he knew. This is normal. It's just what happens. Still, he really wanted a drink at his favourite pub to drown out the feeling of yet another loss.
At the pub he overhears the bartender talking to another patron about how "that little bard's probably gone too", and that's another painful jab. Not Venti, right? They're not talking about Venti?! He eventually musters the nerve to ask, because nothing is worse than the uncertainty, and sure enough they are, having heard that he went missing. One more bounced text message, and Hijikata needs the drink all the more desperately... alas, the moment he took his eyes off it to speak with the others and use his phone was all the inconspicuous person who just slipped out of the pub needed to pour something into his mug from a small vial. Did anybody notice? They could warn him... or watch and see what happens. He raises his drink to whoever is next to him with the expression of someone who's been drenched in a cold downpour.]
This shitty weather would get anyone down, huh? At least we still have alcohol!
6) Amnesia Attack
[The night after Valentine's Day someone manages to hit Hijikata with a memory loss spell. She carefully stays hidden in the shadows, having no intention of pushing him into a bar fight as the dark web quest demands, all the more because there's none going on right now, despite it being late and the mood getting wilder in the pubs. Another reason she's refraining from even trying - and also the reason he's out and about in the streets so confidently - lies in the upright black wolf ears (dog ears, really... still nobody told him) on top of his head. She won't take the risk of being mauled!! Just getting this annoying-ass knight off track will already be a great service to her group. Now they'll be able to do their business without being interrupted!
Hijikata walks on, though his expression goes increasingly blank and confused. Where is he? What is he doing? The animalistic instincts brought out by the moon really don't help. He starts following any interesting scent in hopes of gleaning some information about his whereabouts, and for a while he simply wonders about practically everything he sees... until he notices something approaching him from the corner of his eyes.
A second later a scream of pure terror rings through the night. Whoever runs to investigate will find Hijikata shaking with fear in a corner, dog ears flat against his head and tail between his legs as he shields his face.]
GO AWAAAAAY!!! HELP!! THERE'S A HORRIBLE BURNED GHOST!!!
[His poor subordinate, visible only to other death mages (or anyone with a nifty device as some people seem to be manufacturing) as she hovers in the air in front of him, is very dismayed. She only wanted to make her report..! Sure, he sometimes still jumps at the sight of her - her spirit magic isn't advanced enough yet to change her appearance from what she looked like the moment she met her end in Celliwig -, but for him to react like this?!]
[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.]
WHAT: Running from Maribelle's vendetta, TDM prompts, knightly questing, moping around, and werewolf time... with a twist!
WHEN: Throughout the first half-ish of February
WHERE: Forest of the Fisherking, Lands of Rot (maybe), Camelot City, Ash Mountains
WARNINGS: Depressed drinking in Prompt 4 and a burned ghost in Prompt 5!
(NOTE: Anyone wanting to avenge Maribelle's honour is welcome to hijack any prompt in this post for that! Likewise anyone is welcome to hit him with any dark web quests in whichever prompt!)
1) Trust Falls
[This time Hijikata really fucked up. Sure, what happened between him and Maribelle last month was not ideal, and yes, he should have told her about his plan to infiltrate the night club while still in her body, but she would surely have forbidden him to go ahead with it, and catching that unscrupulous would-be murderer was too important!! Regardless, his impulsive reaction to her AOL post was a big mistake, because thereby he gave unmistakable confirmation to any watching dark web denizens that it was him, the man they already consider a nuisance in his function as Commander of the ghost patrol, who meddled in one of their plots yet again.
Knowing that he has both the criminals of Camelot and some well-meaning white knight types who didn't heed (or see) his explanation and are keen on following Maribelle's call for retribution on his case he pretty much can't eat or drink at any bars or restaurants anymore - too much of a risk of people slipping stuff into his food and beverages to make him compliant with any humiliating antics -, and during the daytime hours, when his spectral subordinates aren't there to watch out for any threats alongside him, he has to be on edge wherever he goes. This sucks!! He really should just stay in his remote little hut at the outskirts of the Forest of the Felled... and he does.
But then the dreams start, and after having them for two nights in a row a swift glance at AOL shows him that he's not the only one. He reads other people's thoughts on the poem's meaning, but in the end he can't tell which place seems more likely - the Forest of the Fisherking or the Lands of Rot. Given that he still has some Archivist's Totems (he made a bunch of different totems in autumn, just before the fateful equinox) he decides to head there first. If he finds any hints that rule out the Fisher King he can still move on to the nearby Lands of Rot!
When he arrives he's alone. It feels a little weird. He's not used to going on quests on his own anymore, is he? Knowing that he won't be allowed to smoke among the Archivist's old books and manuscripts he lights himself a cigarette and recites the dream poem to himself once more, hoping to suddenly glean some new insight.]
I beckon thee to wither's tree,
Where widows often cry,
A poisoned place of death's embrace
North selkie's weary eye.
You seek the prick whose corpse makes rot,
And rot begot those life forgot,
'Fore the questing beast slips by.
Hm... would they really call the guy a prick? In a poem? Also what's the questing beast?
[It's rainy outside the rusted old train wagon, so perhaps someone who came to investigate the Forest of the Fisherking may want to seek shelter... or someone might arrive next to the totem statue on the same way he came, perhaps to research the Lands of Rot before turning that way. Whatever the reason, he wouldn't mind some company.]
2) Not Locked In
[Like all other outworlders Hijikata had received a lock with a fitting key in the post before he embarked on the expedition. After returning home he inspects it more closely and reads the attached note once again: Slice your sobriquet upon this seal, / Secure our sprouting solidarity. / Shackle it at the stockade. / Sing sayonara to the key. He's... not doing that, whatever it exactly means. He already heard enough whispers of shady ongoings at Queen Elphame's ball last month, and while it seems like those who went to the party (and stayed there) were not hit with the werewolf curse he still doesn't want to get entangled in any deeper relations with her and her people. His duty lies with Camelot and King Arthur! So he simply puts the lock and key aside.
His plan to stay on the down-low is nevertheless thwarted by a call from one of his subordinates who possesses enough spirit magic to manipulate phones - they're missing comrades in action again. It seems like they disappeared from their patrol route without a trace. Hijikata sees no other option than come to the ghosts' rescue, so he heads to Camelot via totem without delay. He practiced the detection of death magic traces, so hopefully he can make some headway on his own, what with the approaching dawn forcing his subordinates to retreat to Loch Manor.
Once the day awakens and the streets fill with life he can be seen out and about in the lowertown with his long black coat's hood up, trying to find any hints of the missing ghosts' whereabouts as he "scans" the area for hidden ghost-safe jars. Damn it, why are these criminals so relentless?! (Because the Yuureisengumi is relentless too, he knows, he knows). He hopes that nobody who bears him ill will will take notice of him... ugh, it's so cold too; he'd love to go for a hot soup somewhere! But it's just too risky. He takes a brief break on a bench, drinking mayonnaise (yeah) from his bottomless mug and letting out a deep sigh.]
If only it were already spring at least..!
[It would be a shame if anyone affected by the lock task's side effects side-tracked him into helping them get access to whichever public buildings, but would it really? If nothing else it'd be an opportunity to warm himself up inside.]
3) Knight Quest (for
groundzeroes) [Of course Hijikata was going to carry out this month's knight quest, he has to earn his keep after all - but while he was still waffling over whom of his combatant friends or fellow knights he should reach out to (some of them seemed pretty sympathetic to Maribelle's complaints about him; whom can he even still trust not to try to humiliate him now?) he receives a message from none other than Rei, asking him if he'd be willing to take him along.
Well... why not? Hijikata does not trust Rei, not fully, but... somehow, at the core, he does, doesn't he? Ugh. He must, because he agrees, and at the appointed time the two of them are on their way towards the Ash Mountains. Hijikata brought his own horse Black Star, along with his shield and heavy knight's cloak. The weather is once again shitty - rainy and windy -, but he had some Dry Spells prepared to shield himself and Rei.]
So how much do you know about those I.C.E.s?
4) Frost Fairies and Ghosts (for
sulit)[A couple of days later Hijikata has a night off, so he does his shopping in Camelot during the daytime and totem-travels back home in the evening, entrusting the city to his subordinates. His death magic trace finding skill has improved at a staggering rate, if only due to his sheer determination to rescue any of his men and women as quickly as possible. They're all together again... for now.
He takes a tub of newly bought ice cream - caramel flavour -, opens it along with a kitchen window, and puts it on the windowsill. Will the frost fairies even come all the way out here? Probably not, but alas, he doesn't have a place to stay in Camelot anymore (the camp doesn't count, it has no windows!). With his subordinates all in the city he's the only person left here at the Yuureisengumi HQ... or is he?]
5) Valentine's Blues
[Hijikata stayed on guard. He really, really did. But when he visited Darin's forge for maintenance of his gear - on the 14th, as it just so happens - and found the place cold and empty he felt dread in his stomach, and one bounced text message later he knew. This is normal. It's just what happens. Still, he really wanted a drink at his favourite pub to drown out the feeling of yet another loss.
At the pub he overhears the bartender talking to another patron about how "that little bard's probably gone too", and that's another painful jab. Not Venti, right? They're not talking about Venti?! He eventually musters the nerve to ask, because nothing is worse than the uncertainty, and sure enough they are, having heard that he went missing. One more bounced text message, and Hijikata needs the drink all the more desperately... alas, the moment he took his eyes off it to speak with the others and use his phone was all the inconspicuous person who just slipped out of the pub needed to pour something into his mug from a small vial. Did anybody notice? They could warn him... or watch and see what happens. He raises his drink to whoever is next to him with the expression of someone who's been drenched in a cold downpour.]
This shitty weather would get anyone down, huh? At least we still have alcohol!
6) Amnesia Attack
[The night after Valentine's Day someone manages to hit Hijikata with a memory loss spell. She carefully stays hidden in the shadows, having no intention of pushing him into a bar fight as the dark web quest demands, all the more because there's none going on right now, despite it being late and the mood getting wilder in the pubs. Another reason she's refraining from even trying - and also the reason he's out and about in the streets so confidently - lies in the upright black wolf ears (dog ears, really... still nobody told him) on top of his head. She won't take the risk of being mauled!! Just getting this annoying-ass knight off track will already be a great service to her group. Now they'll be able to do their business without being interrupted!
Hijikata walks on, though his expression goes increasingly blank and confused. Where is he? What is he doing? The animalistic instincts brought out by the moon really don't help. He starts following any interesting scent in hopes of gleaning some information about his whereabouts, and for a while he simply wonders about practically everything he sees... until he notices something approaching him from the corner of his eyes.
A second later a scream of pure terror rings through the night. Whoever runs to investigate will find Hijikata shaking with fear in a corner, dog ears flat against his head and tail between his legs as he shields his face.]
GO AWAAAAAY!!! HELP!! THERE'S A HORRIBLE BURNED GHOST!!!
[His poor subordinate, visible only to other death mages (or anyone with a nifty device as some people seem to be manufacturing) as she hovers in the air in front of him, is very dismayed. She only wanted to make her report..! Sure, he sometimes still jumps at the sight of her - her spirit magic isn't advanced enough yet to change her appearance from what she looked like the moment she met her end in Celliwig -, but for him to react like this?!]
[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.]
no subject
I'm a knight? Is that why I've got this sword?
[He pats it at his hip.]
I'm sorry, I'm really out of the loop...
[His wandering gaze lands squarely on Adalhard.]
Is he a knight too?
[He looks scary as well, but if he's with this lady it's probably okay... if nothing else he smells of her, at least partly, that's reassuring!]
no subject
[UH OH. HIJIKATA'S SUPER FUCKED, ISNT HE. At the same time, he's so sweetly helpless. No!!!! Her heartstrings are activating!!!!!!!!]
Yes, you are a knight in the service of King Arthur here. You don't remember? You've helped me once before. Adalhard-- he is no knight, but he is my escort-- was there as well.
[Adalhard might be constructed out of knight parts, but that's neither here nor there. ANYWAY! Rinea's worried smile twists into something more like a frown, ashamed.]
I'm, I'm sorry. I never did get your name when we last met. [Unless you remember your own name, Hijikata, you're going to remain "Sir Knight" for the entirety of this encounter... or until Arashi picks your sorry ass up.] But I would be very happy to return the kindness you showed me. Where were you heading before you... [...got a ghost report...] ...were accosted?
no subject
Adalhard... I'm sorry, I don't remember.
[He forgot everything about himself, including all of his relationships. But at least he easily rolls with the information that he works for King Arthur! That's pretty exciting, actually!]
I don't know where I was going. I can't remember where I live either... but maybe I have papers on me? Adalhard, could you open your hands?
[If Rinea's familiar complies (whether it takes her reiteration of the request or not) Hijikata simply starts putting everything in his bag and pockets in the large open palms: a whole bunch of magical items, spell cards, recipes etc., his bottomless mug, a mayonnaise bottle (in case anything happens to the bottomless mug, which is also filled with mayonnaise), his phone, his Shinsengumi ID-- aha! He picks it up and reads (mercifully aided by Avalon's universal translation spell).]
Family name: Hijikata. Given name: Toshirou.
[It's really weird how the name doesn't ring a bell despite his photo next to it... he stares at the ID for a moment longer, then gives it to Rinea, as if she could glean any further information from it, while he starts putting his other belongings back to where he took them from.]
Now we know who I am, but could you tell me your name too?
no subject
Oh-- of course. My apologies for the late re-introduction! I am Rinea of Rigel. [She curtsies hurriedly, still half-distracted by the ID in her hand.] And I am glad to have found you when you were lost, Sir Hijikata!
But... [She wilts again, perplexed, as she studies him.] I do not know where you reside, so I cannot return you to your abode. And the inn is so far away... I could alchemize a dowsing tool with your belongings, but I'd need to find a cognitive mage. And we ought to take you to a healer, but non-emergency clinics are closed at this hour...
[HMmhmmMM... DISTRESS.....]
...Well. [She gives up.] Would you care to lodge in my residence's guest chambers? More avenues will be open to us in the morning, I think. And perhaps whatever curse has befallen your memory will abate over time.
[Waiting probably won't do any damage, at least. He didn't even know his own name, so what else could it take????]
no subject
[She'll take him home with her! That means he'll be OK for sure. His tail starts wagging again... congratulations, Rinea. This is a mix of Hijikata with no memories of the violence that shaped him and, well, a dog's instincts. While the company of Elza, a werewolf, made him first territorial and then amendable to going on the hunt during the last full(ish) moon Rina firmly registers as a human with him... and a good one at that!
Owner material!He gently takes the ID from her hand to put it away and is about to ask what he should call her - if she calls him 'Sir' he should probably he call her 'Lady' - when he spots a whole bunch of ghosts floating their way. He tenses up, ears flattening back down, and halfway hides behind Adalhard, tugging Rinea's sleeve to do the same.]
Ghosts!! So many..!! Oh no, the burned one is there too! Can you see them?
[Well, interestingly enough she can, this time - a couple of them at least, namely those who have been dead for a long time and whose spirit magic is strong enough that they can make themselves visible and audible to wielders of any magic. They're transparent and emit a faint blue-greenish glow, one of them appearing as a large man with spiraled horns, and the other as a middle-aged woman in entirely foreign clothes who has two tentacle-like organs falling back from her head instead of hair. The dead pass through Avalon from all worlds, after all, and many of Hijikata's subordinates are not native to the island. He protectively pulls Rinea close, not sure if she and Adalhard can see the spectres, when the tall horned man addresses them with appeasingly raised hands.]
Please do not fear us. Commander, you do not recognise us?
I-- I'm not your Commander!! I'm a knight, I work for the king! You have the wrong person!
[He's really scared again; Rinea can probably feel his heart hammer against her back. Unseen to her several of the ghosts look hurt and dejected, but the two old ones just exchange a concerned glance before the woman addresses only her.]
Dear lady, would you please hear what we have to say? We can step away for a moment.
No!!
[He holds Rinea more closely, trying to look brave and not like he's about to faint from fear.]
I-- I'm not letting her go with you!
no subject
Adalhard, hilariously enough, is unmoved. It's anyone's game on whether he can see the ghosts or not.]
Sir Hijikata.... [Rinea does feel badly for him, but she also hasn't ever been yanked around like this before in her life and the experience is a bit rattling. She gently untangles herself from his hold again, peering into his face with sympathy but stubbornness, as if she's already made her decision.]
I don't think there is any harm in merely speaking with these people. [Probably. Maybe. She's reasonably sure.] I shall stay within your view when I converse with them and then return very shortly. Is this acceptable?
[Adalhard puts out one large hand for Hijikata to hold. Lmfao....]
no subject
The ghosts float over to a nearby fountain, just out of his earshot (probably; who knows how much those dog ears can catch?) and turn to Rinea. The woman takes the word again, her voice sounding like an echo from far away.]
Thank you for your willingness to hear us out. We are members of the Yuureisengumi ghost patrol. We do not know what happened to our Commander, but it seems like he has no recollection of anyone he knows.
[There's a concerned frown on her transparent face, but her otherworldly voice is firm and calm.]
Yesterday night, less that twenty-four hours ago, he informed us that he was poisoned with a potion that made him unable to withstand daylight anymore. Since he will not listen to us in his current state we hope that you may be able to impart our warning to him. If he does not hide from the sun before dawn it will burn him.
[That's not exactly great news, and both ghosts (as well as the others) look uncomfortable and chagrined at having to dump such information on an innocent civilian, but given Hijikata's behaviour they saw no other way to ensure he wouldn't get himself charred to a crisp come morning.]
no subject
Such a thing... [Hijikata's life is so hard, wtf????!!!!!!!] Thank you for informing me. H-How awful...!
[Still, Rinea at least knows something about potions-- maybe this is something she can assuage, if not outright fix. She's all the more resolved to assist this poor little meow meow of a man, now!!
She dips into a curtsy, looking determined.]
It seems unlikely that he will consent to return home with you while his memories are lost. Please trust me with his care until then. I will do my utmost to protect Sir Hijikata while his... condition... ails him.
no subject
What did they want from you?! They should have left you alone! You look upset!
[He's still terribly scared, but he's also angry now! Rinea is the bravest person he knows (not that he... knows many other people right now, but!), and those horrible ghosts left her all spooked! He hugs her to comfort her.]
no subject
There is no immediate danger. You may be at ease. [That much is true, at least. Rinea wants to explain fully, but Hijikata may not take the news very well when he's this amped up about the ghosts... better to talk about it somewhere that isn't the middle of a street at night.
When he releases her, Rinea smiles and holds out her arm to be escorted.]
Shall we return home? I put on a stew in the slow cooker before I left.
no subject
Stew? Yes! Let's go!
[He still worries about the spectres, though...]
The ghosts won't be coming back, right?
no subject
They shan't. [Not while his amnesia is around, anyway... Rinea hopes that Future-Hijikata-with-Memories will forgive her this white lie.] But, they did tell me something that concerns me. I want to keep you out of harm's way while you are afflicted, so...
[As they walk Rinea relays the Sunlight Bad curse the ghosts had explained, worry again marring her expression as she finishes. Hijikata accepts directions form her, sure. But his poor subordinates?.. Well, let's see.]
...and I understand you may not want to trust the word of such specters. Still, I do worry. It does not seem the type of claim that can be safely contested.
no subject
...
The person who poisoned me must really hate me.
no subject
I do find such assault quite ghastly. But rather... Rather than proof of being hated, perhaps it is proof of how dangerous Sir Hijikata's knightly efforts are considered to wrongdoers. [It's some real reverse logic, but it kind of makes sense, right?!] Aren't you proud, then, to be such a fine man?
no subject
You're right, Lady Rinea. If someone wanted to kill me so they could commit evil deeds here I'll stand against them all the more strongly!