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)
isleofavalon2022-03-09 11:50 pm
mayoninofukucho) wrote in isleofavalon2022-03-09 11:50 pm
March Adventures
WHO: Hijikata and... YOU?
WHAT: Hanging out with his ghosts (and perhaps a visitor?) and questing!
WHEN: Throughout the first half-ish of March
WHERE: Forest of the Felled, Ash Mountains, Nicnevin
WARNINGS: Past fatal injury descriptions (including that burned ghost from last time) in Prompt 1, violence against the undead in Prompt 2A, violence against anthropophagi in Prompt 2B!
1) Back Home
[After the siege last month Hijikata spent about a week at Rinea's place in Camelot City to recover from the after-effects of Augusto's curse and the draining ritual Morganna asked them all to perform, but as soon as the new month arrived he convinced her that he was well enough to head home. He knew there was much repair work to be done in the city, plus the preparation of the farms north of the city and around at least one of the new townships, but he desperately needed to get away from it all for a little while - not so much because of the people, but because he was internally grappling with his first-hand experience of the illness that killed the woman he loved back home.
Now he's back at the outskirts of the Forest of the Felled, and at least on this evening his gloomy thoughts are dispersing as he spends time with his ghost subordinates (not all of them; one division is in Camelot City while the other one has a night off). Life has been returning to the forest now that it's free of vengeful ghosts and the dark season is drawing to a close, from young plants to the colourful prism tweeter birds that migrated here. Hijikata made a small campfire halfway between the hut and the bridge, his two pet compsognathuses are running around and playing after devouring a whole lot of cat food (he can't be arsed to buy them expensive meat from the butcher anymore), and the ghosts are working on their spirit magic. Tonight is an important occasion since several of them want to implement a permanent appearance change spell after much practice.
Everybody watches as they do their best, and Hijikata feels deep satisfaction and gratitude as he sees each of them succeed. Ugly flesh wounds disappear from a young man's form, the gaping cleft between an elder spectre's neck and shoulder closes up, and the young woman Hijikata only knew as a charred, blackened body that always drew a ghostly cloud of smoke behind her gets her skin and features restored. Their comrades are happy for them and congratulate them, and Hijikata pours more beer into the fire to vaporise and raises his own mayonnaise-filled Bottomless Mug.]
Well done! You've all been working hard to protect the living here on Avalon, but don't forget to look after yourselves, too.
[Leading the currently 20 ghosts has been a veritable full-time job in which he doesn't only need to give them orders but also also listen to their concerns, complaints, worries and fears, resolve any conflicts they can't resolve among themselves, encourage and try to comfort them when they're in a crisis... that's what makes a good Commander, isn't it? He can only hope that he's been doing right by them. Seeing them happy now, floating around and mingling around the small fire, chatting and laughing and practising smaller magical feats, he feels like he has.
It's a remote area, but if anyone finds their way across the Bridge of the Pure of Heart they'll be welcome to join in, even if they can't see his subordinates.]
2) Quests
A ⦿ Our Neighbour Growboro (foritsmypower)
[2 months ago Hijikata and Shoto took care of their first official quest as knight and squire, and it was a great success - apparently they both are so adept at hiding their emotions, and so fast and brash in their way of attacking, that they easily subdued the dangerous enemy before any cognitive magic attack could be levelled at them.
This time they decided to tackle the matter of the undead creatures loitering in the ruins of the southernmost mountain and scaring off the benevolent forest spirits. By now Hijikata managed to procure some gear to protect him from the daylight, so he currently looks like a mix of a motorcyclist, a ninja, a special operations soldier, and a knight (since he's still wearing his chainmail-enforced cloak on top of the double-layered full-coverage suit). He's grateful he was able to procure the outfit; coming here at night would have made the fight much harder for him and Shoto. Naturally he filled his squire in on his predicament.]
Ugh... I think I can already smell them, even with this helmet on. It's got to be zombies, maybe skeletons too. Let's put them back in the ground where they belong.
[Unless Shoto has other ideas about that - luring the undead away from this location shouldn't be too difficult.]
B ⦿ Knight Quest (forluciing)
[Last year Hijikata and Somnus tried to investigate the mysterious anthropophagi quest and whether it resulted in any such creatures actually being summoned to Avalon, but their search left them in a dead end... until now.
As soon as Hijikata learns what the latest knight quest entails he loses no time contacting Somnus. He's very relieved to find the other man back among the living after he perished during the siege - it seems that he found a competent necromancer. Part of Hijikata thinks that he really should start studying up on that discipline of death magic, but another part of him simply doesn't want to meddle in reviving the dead and puppeteering corpses around. It feels like a slippery slope, somehow.
With Somnus' agreement to come along on the quest the two of them soon find themselves on the way to the mountains. It's a two-day journey, so Hijikata provided a horse for Somnus (he brought his Black Star for himself) and brought camping gear in his huge inventory-slot-enhanced backpack. Again he's totally sun-protected behind layers of black specialty clothing, plus the helmet with a dark-tinted face shield. He disclosed his predicament to his companion, of course; this kind of outfit begs an explanation.
After the long journey they dismount at the foot of the Lotus Pod Mountain. Hijikata unfolds the map he's been given of the devastated settlement's location.]
It shouldn't be too hard to find. At least it's not inside one of the caves. Now we can only hope that those bastards haven't moved on to the next place yet. I'd say we first try to confirm that, then we can decide when and how we want to attack.
[He already let Somnus know of his other predicament, too - his weredog affliction. Last night when they slept in their tent the moon wasn't quite full enough yet, but this coming night it will be. Whether they wait until then, attack in two waves, or use the night to hunt down any escapees, his enhanced strength and speed might come in handy.]
C ⦿ Secret Knight Quest (for positive CR - please see note at the bottom!)
[It's been a long time - just over a year - since Hijikata last spoke with King Arthur one-to-one, but he's been acting as a knight in his service ever since he gained the title, loyally protecting his kingdom, enforcing his orders, and looking after his people to the best of his abilities (... okay, so he meddled with some sketchy business here and there, but only to stop it!) And now the king has entrusted him with a special task.
Usually Hijikata is happy to work with just about anyone going on the same quest as him, but this time he had to carefully choose his companion - and even this trusted person wasn't allowed to learn the truth behind this mission. Hijikata found it hard to lie, but there's just too much at stake, for everyone involved. If nothing else he'll be the only one who can be held accountable if they are caught (which, naturally, he's hoping to avoid). Nicnevin Castle lies before them in the moonlight.]
Alright. Should we go over the plan once more?
[OOC: If you'd like any additional prompts and/or would like to do the secret knight quest with Hijikata please feel free to hit me up on my plotting post (in the latter case it's because he'll tailor a different lie depending on who goes with him)! PMing me is fine too. If more than one person would like to do the secret knight quest please be aware that only one mission will have a chance of succeeding! Also here are Hijikata's permissions.]
WHAT: Hanging out with his ghosts (and perhaps a visitor?) and questing!
WHEN: Throughout the first half-ish of March
WHERE: Forest of the Felled, Ash Mountains, Nicnevin
WARNINGS: Past fatal injury descriptions (including that burned ghost from last time) in Prompt 1, violence against the undead in Prompt 2A, violence against anthropophagi in Prompt 2B!
1) Back Home
[After the siege last month Hijikata spent about a week at Rinea's place in Camelot City to recover from the after-effects of Augusto's curse and the draining ritual Morganna asked them all to perform, but as soon as the new month arrived he convinced her that he was well enough to head home. He knew there was much repair work to be done in the city, plus the preparation of the farms north of the city and around at least one of the new townships, but he desperately needed to get away from it all for a little while - not so much because of the people, but because he was internally grappling with his first-hand experience of the illness that killed the woman he loved back home.
Now he's back at the outskirts of the Forest of the Felled, and at least on this evening his gloomy thoughts are dispersing as he spends time with his ghost subordinates (not all of them; one division is in Camelot City while the other one has a night off). Life has been returning to the forest now that it's free of vengeful ghosts and the dark season is drawing to a close, from young plants to the colourful prism tweeter birds that migrated here. Hijikata made a small campfire halfway between the hut and the bridge, his two pet compsognathuses are running around and playing after devouring a whole lot of cat food (he can't be arsed to buy them expensive meat from the butcher anymore), and the ghosts are working on their spirit magic. Tonight is an important occasion since several of them want to implement a permanent appearance change spell after much practice.
Everybody watches as they do their best, and Hijikata feels deep satisfaction and gratitude as he sees each of them succeed. Ugly flesh wounds disappear from a young man's form, the gaping cleft between an elder spectre's neck and shoulder closes up, and the young woman Hijikata only knew as a charred, blackened body that always drew a ghostly cloud of smoke behind her gets her skin and features restored. Their comrades are happy for them and congratulate them, and Hijikata pours more beer into the fire to vaporise and raises his own mayonnaise-filled Bottomless Mug.]
Well done! You've all been working hard to protect the living here on Avalon, but don't forget to look after yourselves, too.
[Leading the currently 20 ghosts has been a veritable full-time job in which he doesn't only need to give them orders but also also listen to their concerns, complaints, worries and fears, resolve any conflicts they can't resolve among themselves, encourage and try to comfort them when they're in a crisis... that's what makes a good Commander, isn't it? He can only hope that he's been doing right by them. Seeing them happy now, floating around and mingling around the small fire, chatting and laughing and practising smaller magical feats, he feels like he has.
It's a remote area, but if anyone finds their way across the Bridge of the Pure of Heart they'll be welcome to join in, even if they can't see his subordinates.]
2) Quests
A ⦿ Our Neighbour Growboro (for
itsmypower)[2 months ago Hijikata and Shoto took care of their first official quest as knight and squire, and it was a great success - apparently they both are so adept at hiding their emotions, and so fast and brash in their way of attacking, that they easily subdued the dangerous enemy before any cognitive magic attack could be levelled at them.
This time they decided to tackle the matter of the undead creatures loitering in the ruins of the southernmost mountain and scaring off the benevolent forest spirits. By now Hijikata managed to procure some gear to protect him from the daylight, so he currently looks like a mix of a motorcyclist, a ninja, a special operations soldier, and a knight (since he's still wearing his chainmail-enforced cloak on top of the double-layered full-coverage suit). He's grateful he was able to procure the outfit; coming here at night would have made the fight much harder for him and Shoto. Naturally he filled his squire in on his predicament.]
Ugh... I think I can already smell them, even with this helmet on. It's got to be zombies, maybe skeletons too. Let's put them back in the ground where they belong.
[Unless Shoto has other ideas about that - luring the undead away from this location shouldn't be too difficult.]
B ⦿ Knight Quest (for
luciing) [Last year Hijikata and Somnus tried to investigate the mysterious anthropophagi quest and whether it resulted in any such creatures actually being summoned to Avalon, but their search left them in a dead end... until now.
As soon as Hijikata learns what the latest knight quest entails he loses no time contacting Somnus. He's very relieved to find the other man back among the living after he perished during the siege - it seems that he found a competent necromancer. Part of Hijikata thinks that he really should start studying up on that discipline of death magic, but another part of him simply doesn't want to meddle in reviving the dead and puppeteering corpses around. It feels like a slippery slope, somehow.
With Somnus' agreement to come along on the quest the two of them soon find themselves on the way to the mountains. It's a two-day journey, so Hijikata provided a horse for Somnus (he brought his Black Star for himself) and brought camping gear in his huge inventory-slot-enhanced backpack. Again he's totally sun-protected behind layers of black specialty clothing, plus the helmet with a dark-tinted face shield. He disclosed his predicament to his companion, of course; this kind of outfit begs an explanation.
After the long journey they dismount at the foot of the Lotus Pod Mountain. Hijikata unfolds the map he's been given of the devastated settlement's location.]
It shouldn't be too hard to find. At least it's not inside one of the caves. Now we can only hope that those bastards haven't moved on to the next place yet. I'd say we first try to confirm that, then we can decide when and how we want to attack.
[He already let Somnus know of his other predicament, too - his weredog affliction. Last night when they slept in their tent the moon wasn't quite full enough yet, but this coming night it will be. Whether they wait until then, attack in two waves, or use the night to hunt down any escapees, his enhanced strength and speed might come in handy.]
C ⦿ Secret Knight Quest (for positive CR - please see note at the bottom!)
[It's been a long time - just over a year - since Hijikata last spoke with King Arthur one-to-one, but he's been acting as a knight in his service ever since he gained the title, loyally protecting his kingdom, enforcing his orders, and looking after his people to the best of his abilities (... okay, so he meddled with some sketchy business here and there, but only to stop it!) And now the king has entrusted him with a special task.
Usually Hijikata is happy to work with just about anyone going on the same quest as him, but this time he had to carefully choose his companion - and even this trusted person wasn't allowed to learn the truth behind this mission. Hijikata found it hard to lie, but there's just too much at stake, for everyone involved. If nothing else he'll be the only one who can be held accountable if they are caught (which, naturally, he's hoping to avoid). Nicnevin Castle lies before them in the moonlight.]
Alright. Should we go over the plan once more?
[OOC: If you'd like any additional prompts and/or would like to do the secret knight quest with Hijikata please feel free to hit me up on my plotting post (in the latter case it's because he'll tailor a different lie depending on who goes with him)! PMing me is fine too. If more than one person would like to do the secret knight quest please be aware that only one mission will have a chance of succeeding! Also here are Hijikata's permissions.]
no subject
I'm fine, not least thanks to you having my back the whole time! I don't need any healing. I was worried that maybe your magic was going out of control to the point of turning against you, so I'm glad it didn't. You still look cold, though.
[He looks him over... yeah, this boy needs to be warmed up with a proper meal and given an opportunity to rest in a decent location. Hijikata brought enough totems to easily get them back to civilisation.]
I wanted to ask if you'd like to stay a little longer and see if the forest spirits appear, now that we've cleaned the place up, but who knows when they'll come back... I'd have to leave you alone, too, since they're shy of adults.
[Sure, he could leave Shoto with a totem, but ollying out and leaving him alone feels wrong, even if he could potentially see some wondrous magical creatures! What if more undead appear? Shoto surely wouldn't even entertain the idea in a reverse scenario either. Hijikata clasps his shoulder with a gloved hand, hoping to convey his appreciation.]
Let's head back to Camelot, shall we? Or do you want to go to the Red Springs? I'd say we've earned a stay at the resort!
no subject
"We risk it all when it matters". [Just as All Might would.] Even it'd turned on me, we'd have finished our jobs here. [And this mattered! But Shoto softens now, eases a little with the other's confirmation, his slow relief washing over him when he speaks again.] But I'm so glad you're alright, sensei.
[I'm fine, what he takes from this. ...All he's cared to.
But they're alright, aren't they? Even the boy, who sighs his cloud-frost, touch to shoulder bringing him back to all his half-frozen senses, still strengthens automatically once the man's voiced concerns for him. For all their moments together, here the small realization that they've rarely made contact, don't try, boy's life of detachments knotting its hard sort of coldness in him. Heart close, but stance distanced. And, though he blinks at first—barely feels beneath this lingering numbness—he still straightens as though it's his next proudest moment, smiling sweetly at him.
It'd been worth it.]
But I don't need to see the spirits. [Then, gently,] Can we really go to the Springs?
[All sudden wonder, his asking him bright-eyed as if it's the moon he's suggesting; not quite believing yet. (A real resort with real rest there!) Though he'd go anywhere, really. And here, only one—just one of the little creatures peeking out from its distance; though the boy doesn't mention this, barely motions with hand raised slightly, leaving it signal with somehow warm-still expression; letting his eyes stray over.
It's alright now.
Separate worlds here. He's trading his youth for more weapons, wonder for swords when childish wants don't exist for him; can't. He's still in his war back at home. But Hijikata understands; he must; this squire would not leave his shadow. If you can't, then I can't, he thinks. All his choice; I choose YOU clear as wording, boldly obvious with smiling eyes turning back again, then, quiet-made request this time:]
I think I want a bath there. [Up to his chin, then.] We should get going now.
[Together!]
no subject
[Once more he swallows down what else he wants to say - that he doesn't want Shoto to push himself to the limit when there's no deadly urgency - because, in fairness, it really wouldn't have done them any good to dawdle here. The undead might actually have overran them then.
He's relieved that his squire's eyes are looking more lively and focused again now. Shoto really is excited for the springs, huh? That cinches it; Hijikata will make sure he gets a relaxing bath, a good filling dinner, and a long night's sleep! He gives his shoulder one more squeeze, then lets go to search a totem in his bag, missing out on Shoto's sighting of the forest spirit - but if he had turned around the shy creature would have disappeared in a blink, anyway.]
You'll get the best soak you can imagine.
[He lights the totem on fire, then sets it on the ground and steps back, waiting for the smoke to develop so they can walk through. At the Red Springs Resort they'll first clean their swords in the training grounds complex - a samurai's sword always comes first -, then their own turn in the showers and hot springs afterwards will feel all the more rewarding.]