isleofavalon | April Adventures

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April Adventures

WHO: Hijikata and... YOU?
WHAT: Moving to summer quarters, fighting skeletons, investigating the Forest of the Fisherking and the Unnamed Marshes, and questing!
WHEN: Throughout the first half-ish of April
WHERE: Camelot City, Forest of the Fisherking, Unnamed Marshes, Red Springs
WARNINGS: Nudity and probably battle violence in Prompt 3B!

1) Back at the Campsite

[Once again it's time for CameCon... and once again Hijikata doesn't attend. He'd rather not tempt his suppressed inner otaku to come out once more! Besides he has other things to do. With winter finally completely over he decided to move back into the camp by the lakeside just east of Camelot City. It's less cosy and sturdy than the hut he's been spending the cold half of the year in, but it'll save him and his ghost subordinates the frequent totem travels between the two locations.

It's rainy and muddy, but he doesn't let that keep him from getting the camp ready for use. There's a lot to be done, and having to do it in his sun protection gear - a double-layered, high-collared black outfit and a dark-tinted visored helmet, plus gloves and boots - doesn't make it easier, but eventually he gets the place in a shape where it can be inhabited again. Riou, who originally set up the camp and lived there until he was sent back to his homeworld, could surely have done it better, but Hijikata is content.

As night falls his ghostly subordinates awaken from the tinted bottles and other small containers he wedged into branch forks and bushes - the area isn't quite forested, but the camp is somewhat hidden by foliage regardless - and assemble around their commander, who by now changed into his usual uniform and pinned his knight sigil to his chest.]

Are you guys happy to be back here?

Yes, but the rain is falling through us!

[There's laughter in the group, and Hijikata snorts a little.]

I'll see what I can do about it. Maybe I can get us one of those party tent things. I already had to reinforce my own tent too.

[He essentially put a smaller two-person tent he bought for expeditions early on last year up inside the larger campsite tent to improve the sun protection, but he'll still need to keep himself covered from head to toe during the daytime hours... this giant hogweed potion really is taking a toll on his quality of life.]

Anyway, today the Sword Lily Division stays here to train, and the White Eggplant Division has patrol duty. Everybody knows their assignment?

[Should anyone be taking an evening walk in the area around the camp they may accidentally walk into the OtoMAX perimeter alarms he set up - strategically placed music-note-shaped little systems that will play a magically amplified song (Hijikata programmed in the Wellerman sea shanty he learned from Venti, which gained enough local popularity to make it to the radio covered by a semi-famous bard) that'll knock any intruder on their butt via sound waves.]

2) Trickle Down

A ⦿ Springtime for Skeletons

[Upon hearing the reports of the Lands of Rot recovering into fertile grounds Hijikata can't help but see a pattern. First the cursed and haunted Forest of the Felled, now this... yet life returned to both areas at a questionable cost. The spectres that haunted the forest were largely devoured by the ancient stone giant, gone without hope for salvation and an afterlife, and the disappearance of the Fisherking's corpse was decidedly not in anybody's plans either.

He has half a mind to visit the Lands of Rot himself when news reach Camelot of a good number of skeletons being on the march there, so naturally he stays to defend the city. As the undead approach he's right there in the melee, again in his helmeted sun protection outfit, but with his knight cloak more visibly identifying his allegiance at least. Finally he gets to put his boosted elemental magic to the test in a real battle after the various magical malheurs that beset the outworlder population over the last months! He makes the soil break open and swallow the bony warriors, throws them against each other with wind magic so forcefully that it breaks them apart... so far he hasn't had to use his swords. He smirks with excitement.]

About time we got full control of our magic back! I've missed this.

B ⦿ The Battle of the Fisherking's Forest

[As soon as the skeleton problem is mostly taken care of the next call for help reaches Camelot: the Archivist from the Forest of the Fisherking tells of invasive species wreaking havoc on the local ecosystem. Hijikata never liked the place, having bad memories of mortifying questions from the gnome at the entrance to the archive and of the deadly animal- and plant life deeper in the forest, but he ventures out to investigate nonetheless.

Anyone who runs into him there will again find a mysterious helmeted figure (and miss out on the sight of his Magic Mask, which will hopefully protect him from the dangerous spores and took on a black colour with a golden rectangle design on either side). He's currently observing a pair of cattails that seem to be destroying a thick climbing plant growing up a moss-covered tree.]

As if there hadn't been enough monsters in these woods... what the hell brought this on?

C ⦿ The Unnamed Marshes (for

silvergarden)

[As it becomes clear that the intruders in the Fisherking's Forest are all natives to the Unnamed Marshes the loosely organised expedition naturally moves north to investigate what happened there. Given the recent events it seems pretty clear to Hijikata what (or rather: who) caused this great migration, and he hopes to capture the culprit sooner rather than later. However that doesn't appear to be an easy task: the swamps are a hazy, foggy maze.

When he meets Rinea in the eerily lifeless marshlands he immediately feels obligated to escort her, so before long they're on a raft together, slowly gliding through thick fog while animal(?) calls and other noises that sound positively prehistoric waft over from the unseen shores. Hijikata honestly isn't surely which direction they came from anymore, but his helmet hides the frown on his face. He's about to suggest turning around when he spots a faint light, like from a lantern, ghosting across the dark water.]

...

Lady Rinea, do you see that too?

[He's on high alert. He's heard stories of will'o'wisps leading people to their deaths in the swamps, and also of gases causing hallucinations... that's about the last thing they need right now.]

3) Quests

A ⦿ Garrrrr! Goyles (for

rustyhoney)

[It's always something in Camelot City. Having seen the quest asking for help with the overly mischievous gargoyles Hijikata liaised with fellow knight Jean, and they soon devised a plan to tackle the matter. Jean worked during the daytime, collected information from eyewitnesses, compiled descriptions of the gargoyles in question, and mapped known gargoyle locations throughout the city; Hijikata worked at night, compared gargoyle movements with Jean's map (to exclude stationary protective gargoyles from their target group), spoke with as many gargoyles as he could, and narrowed the perpetrators' identities down as much as possible.

Soon they have enough information to know which gargoyles are the troublemakers and where they'll be able to find them the coming night. Time to go over the plan one more! Half of Hijikata's ghost subordinates will also come along - Jean may not be able to see them, but they'll play an important role, depending on how things go.]

Alright, we're giving those stone assholes one chance to book it out of here. I heard they can't be harmed at night, but this warhammer from the armoury better impress them, 'cause if they don't play along I'll seriously smash the bastards come morning. I don't see why we should arrange a transport to cart them off to some ruin or whatnot, especially since there's a good chance they'd come back for revenge if we did that.

B ⦿ The Missing Mindful (for

groundzeroes)

[After successfully partnering up with Rei to take out the I.C.E. robots blocking the mountain path to the Unnamed Marshes a couple of months ago Hijikata contacts him again to investigate the Realm of Restoration & Relaxation in the Red Springs Resort. It's been the last known location of multiple missing people, and Hijikata is goddamn sure that that isn't a coincidence - however espionage isn't his strong suit, so he's glad for any help.

He and Rei check in individually, given that apparently the missing individuals all visited the establishment on their own, with the plan to "coincidentally hit off" once inside... only as soon as Hijikata enters the doors to the spa proper his sun protection suit, helmet and all, plus his swords and his bag full of magical items disappear. Luckily he isn't in an area with windows but an ~atmospheric~ lounge with mood lighting, but he screams nonetheless.]

What the--!! Shit! I'm-- my clothes..!!

[Yeah, he isn't taking this well.]

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

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[Rei was quite pleased to be contacted again! The last time he did an espionage attempt was with Izumi back in that knight abducting strip club... and while this spa isn't quite as much of a frog-on-a-lilypad tier environment for Rei to blend in at, he's still pretty comfortable. Way more so than Hijikata is, apparently... though really Rei is just lucky Hijikata wasn't there to see his own surprise at being suddenly disrobed.

Checking in separately means they're supposed to act like strangers. But that doesn't stop Rei from laughing at the poor man from where he's reclined on a chaise lounge.]

What's the matter? Too much breeze for you?

[Hijikata is so angry and flabbergasted, he just sputters for a moment. He makes a half-motion to cover himself up (they don't even have censor mosaics here!), but Rei looks so relaxed and self-assured that he abandons the move halfway through and instead just half-heartedly pushes his hair back (naturally it immediately falls back into its V shape).]

What the hell kind of bullshit is this?! Where are our things?! Did they put them in some hammerspace compartment, or what? Couldn't they have told us that beforehand?!

[If nothing else this only highlights how shady this business is!! And now he definitely has an excuse to talk to this "stranger", after all misery loves company! He turns around himself in a circle as if to try and see if his belongings aren't still somewhere within sight (they aren't), then resignedly slumps on the next lounge chair over. He's lowering his voice, but the scowl on his face would make any observer assume that he's continuing to bitch about the sudden disrobement.]

Okay, this makes things way more difficult! You'll have to take the outdoors- and outdoors-adjacent areas I'll cover the windowless parts. Again, we're looking for any hidden pathways, compartments, and the like.

Wa ha ha! [Hijikata is so cute and fussy! It cracks Rei up. He does rise from his reclining position, at least, to listen to the poor guy properly; but there's no attempt made to be modest, manspreading and all. Losing whatever gear they'd prepared is a shame, but Rei's obnoxiously-overflowing self confidence is clearly high enough that he might even be enjoying himself.]

You've got elemental magic, don't you. [Rei doesn't know many people with it (Ichiro has it, but lol Ichiro), but it's got wind control, right?] Any leads you can sense from the airflow?

[Rei's carefree laughter makes an angry vein pop up at Hijikata's temple, but he does manage to keep calm. He lives with 300 other men back home; he can deal with this! Rei's question, though, makes him deadpan.]

Sense leads from the air flow? What do you think I am, a magician?

[Wait...]

Never mind. No. I'm not that fine-tuned, sorry.

[Now that Rei has said it he tries at least, but there's no suspicious draft to be felt... it looks like they'll actually have to peruse the different relaxation options and inspect each as thoroughly as possible.

What neither of them could possible be aware of right now is that the employees are already debating if both or at least one of them might still be a virgin and appease the spa's valued downstairs neighbour... but then again said neighbour might appreciate a little snack, too. It's been a while. Or perhaps someone else will mysteriously disappear on their watch...]

[Rei's eyebrows raise, though his grin only gets bigger. Hijikata setting up and falling for his own punchlines is advanced humor...]

Right. Well, I want to try the sauna. [Rei stands up from his seat, stretching an arm over his head. The unconcerned ease with which he comports himself might be annoying, but at least it makes their vacation premise convincing.] You coming?

[Meanwhile, the employees are conferring. Rei, being visibly old and visibly nonchalant about nudity, clocks his chance of virginity in at a rapidly diminishing percentage... and he probably doesn't taste good, either. Hijikata, though! That youth! That shame and embarrassment! Surely he could be a blushing virgin bride!!!! (Wrong.) Maybe they can catch him with the sauna's false wall if Rei leaves before him? If the old man gets caught and dies in the process, well... that's business!]

[Normally Hijikata would probably have taken Rei up on the offer (and there's a 50% chance he'd also have turned it into a stupid competition of who can hold out in the heat the longest, despite this being a reconnaissance mission), but he shakes his head.]

No. They probably won't take any risks and will only strike if we're alone. Let's meet up here after each service we use, though, so we'll know where the other one went missing if that does happen.

[He grabs a small laminated overview of the various offers from the little side table and reads through his options.]

I guess I'll go for a deep tissue massage. I could actually use one.

[He's not a big fan of being vulnerable under a stranger's hands, but frankly, all the training and fighting of the last... damn, it's been over a year... has left his muscles in dire need of being loosened up a little. So in the best case he'll be able to accomplish both objectives in one go!

Little does he know that the employees would totally have been reckless enough to just kidnap him from the sauna once Rei would have left, and little do the employees know that their esteemed downstairs neighbour would probably raise a hefty complaint about Hijikata's taste if he ate him - he brings lean flesh to the table, but also he's a chain smoker.]

[While Rei gets to enjoy a very nice classic sauna Hijikata is soon seen by a masseuse who, however, calls a male colleague to take over after getting a first understanding of how bad the situation is. This man's muscles need a powerhouse to knead into relaxation!

At first he's tense and alert lying down on his stomach, but soon the employee's hands work their wonders on his back, and he gets all mellowed out... maybe this spa is really just that and all the disappearances are an unfortunate coincidence? But no, that's bullshit. He needs to keep a sharp mind! Don't get sleepy now--

And just as he thinks that the masseur pushes a hidden button embedded into the side design of the massage table (which is suspiciously solid, really, an enclosed square from the surface to the floor), and the top slides open. Hijikata barely manages a yelp, and already he's gone and the cushioned surface slides closed again. The employee diligently wipes it off, like normal, then wanders off.

Rei help!!]

Edited 2022-04-21 22:50 (UTC)

Suit yourself, [Rei replies, and watches Hijikata leave with a half-cocked smile.

He's totally going to get kidnapped, isn't he.

Welllll, Hijikata is the knight and technically the expert here, so Rei will follow his example for now. He ambles to the sauna, fully intending to enjoy himself.

Within the warm, dry heat of the sauna Rei takes his time, sitting comfortably with the provided towel on his head, leaning back on the wall and closing his eyes. Sure, they're here to scout, but he can multitask!

If he's truthful, Rei didn't pick the sauna just because he liked it. A sauna's classic wooden design and high temperatures mean there's little room for technology... and that means the presence of any technology still in there is that much more noticeable. He's used technomancy enough by now to have a pretty good grasp on sensing the presence of circuits he can manipulate... and sure enough, there's something behind the wall there: a door sealed tightly shut with a remote-controlled release.

Of course, when Rei returns and there's no sign of his little paladin friend, he almost has to laugh.]

Ah, forgot my towel.

[oh~ so~ casually~ back to the sauna he goes!]

[Behind the sauna's secret trapdoor is a chute with steep, smooth sides, its tunnel disappearing into the dark below. Looks like it was intended to catch its victims by surprise, thus preventing them from stopping their own fall. Rei has the advantage of not being dropped into the thing, but that doesn't mean he's going to be able to get down it with any manner of decorum... especially while naked. Frankly, he's glad Hijikata isn't here to watch him awkwardly brace himself against the sides to get down there!

Even as he gets further from the sauna, Rei notices that the temperature isn't getting any cooler. Hmm. That's not a great sign, is it. In fact, as the chute levels out and Rei sidesteps its intended right-into-a-mudpit trajectory, the reason for that becomes extremely clear.

That... is a fuckin' fire snake. Oh boy. Luckily it hasn't noticed Rei yet, what with Hijikata having been dumped into People Containment slightly earlier and giving it a hard time. How are you doing over there, buddy????!!!!]

[Hijikata landed softly, if nothing else - broken virgins don't make good brides, after all! But he really did raise hell the moment the wyrm arrived to inspect the newest addition to its collection, to the point where Rei could probably heard his yelling halfway up the secret staircase.

Right now he's being restrained by no less than four guards (maybe spa staff members, or contractors hired by them), with two others lying on the ground unconscious, and still they're struggling to keep his arms behind his back. Honestly, this is likely all the staff there is down here; Hijikata is just that much of a handful. The faint occasional crackling sound indicates that he's been using lightning magic and is trying to continue to do so, but also took some damage himself, going by how the tips of his hair are smoldering. He's glaring daggers at the wyrm.]

Oh yeah?! You know what this is?! Abduction, imprisonment, and harassment!! You'll rot in the deepest depths of the banyan tree prison, crammed into a cell like a freakshow creature, I'll make sure of that!

[He spots Rei, but doesn't keep his eyes on him, instead quickly focusing on the wyrm again to not give his companion away. The snake-like creature uses the opportunity to get a word in.]

Aren't you a feisty one? Wait until you've had some time to cool down... or heat up, because maybe you'll play a little nicer and learn your place after going without water for a while?

Moron, I can make my own water!!

[The wyrm's self-satisfied chuckling dies down at that. It doesn't seem to like that.]

I think you won't make a suitable courtesan for me after all...

No shit I won't!!

[The wyrm turns to its guards, now in a notably less playful tone.]

This one will cause us problems if we keep him alive.

[Oops. Perhaps he should have kept his water magic as a little surprise trump card, but now the cat is out of the bag! The wyrm advances towards Hijikata... whatever Rei does, it probably won't make the situation worse.]

[sdsdlsdfsdfk wow, Hijikata using his lawful arrest talk AND threatening them is hysterical. It's a little difficult to tell who the good guy is supposed to be here! (Just kidding.)

Rei wishes he had his Mic, but he'll have to make do. At least Hijikata has bought him some time: significant hexes like energy drains take a bit to set in.]

Goodbye, human. Your attitude tires me.

Oh, I don't think that's quite it.

[Underground caves don't have the best of lighting to begin with, but its shadows already look deeper, darker, heavier. The guards' silhouettes rise up their ankles, taking advantage of their surprise to grab and wrench them away from Hijikata.

The wyrm is too strong to be pinned, and its body too bright with its internal flame. But it whips its head around to Rei, leaving Hijikata unwatched.]

Another intruder--?!

[Well, he never claimed to be a good cop, did he? He hasn't seen Rei's dark magic in action before, given that their joint ventures so far primarily asked for his technomancy, but he's very pleased with the perfectly timed support. Immediately he uses the moment of surprise to forcefully break free, elbow one guard in the head and electrocute another, making the latter crumple to the ground, then he dashes forward and douses the wyrm in a water magic attack.]

Who's cooling down now?!

[The creature screeches and thrashes as its flames are extinguished with loud hissing sounds, and Hijikata clearly only plans to double down, keeping the water coming to drive the wyrm into a corner. It tries to spew fire, but he simply envelopes its head in a floating bubble of water. It desperately seeks to get rid of it, almost rolling over itself in the process (and hopefully not crushing Rei).]

You hate water yet moved under a spa?! You know what they say about playing stupid games, don't you?

[The guard he knocked down grabs his ankle, but he simply stomps on his hand, leaving him and the others to Rei for the moment. He'll fry the big fish! Or, well, not fry, but, you know!]

Whoa, there.

[The wyrm's wild thrashing churns the mud into a foam. It would have crushed Rei, but thankfully that fairy blessing from last winter granted him the ability to pass through shadows. His voice comes from behind Hijikata now as he leans one heavy knee on the sprawled guard, "borrowing" the man's captive equipment to keep him subdued like he tried to do to Hijikata just moments earlier.]

Here I thought we'd need at least some backup, but look at you.

[As the large creature's throes begin to slow from the combination of water, hex, and lack of air, a thought occurs to Rei that makes him chuckle. Now that he thinks about it, how the fuck do you arrest a wyrm?]

[Hijikata is briefly startled to hear Rei behind him so suddenly, but all the better that he got out of the wyrm's way, however he accomplished that. He smirks; it's so great when battles go his team's way and the enemies are reduced to running around like headless chickens!]

Don't sell yourself short now; that was a perfect entry!

[He ruthlessly keeps the wyrm deprived of oxygen, both for its lungs and for its flames, until its movements slack, at which point he dismisses the water bubble and swivels around to help Rei take care of the remaining guards - if they're not already subdued by the shadows or more inclined to give up at this point.

Arresting the wyrm really will be a problem (it has no hands to cuff, for a start... and Hijikata's handcuffs were whisked away), but given the unexpected number of adversaries (plus the spa employees still upstairs) Hijikata is already making other arrangements in his mind. He takes Rei aside to quietly conspire with him (while keeping everyone else in view).]

There's no way we can lug this fat worm out of here, so you've got to either go get the police involved or buy a shrinking potion. I know Polydegmon's Lapidary and Brew sells a 'Mini' potion, but if you have other sources, go for it. I'll keep an eye on these clowns in the meantime.

[Right now he intends to simply stay right here and watch them, but he and Rei haven't even looked for the abduction victims yet! If they do they may just find that they're locked in a separate section of the underground cave system, a grotto filled with even more diamonds than the walls in the area they're currently in - a grotto that'll make a convenient containment space for the guards at least, and maybe for the wyrm too if it wakes up and Hijikata can herd it in at watermagicpoint.]

What, go out like this? No way. I'm more likely to get arrested myself.

[He sounds more amused that anything else, though. Ah yes, the evening news headline.... elderly streaker apprehended in west camelot........ wa ha ha]

If I stay nearby, that thing shouldn't be able to move for an hour at least. [Rei's dark magic is almost exclusively short range, but given time it's pretty effective.] Let's at least do a walkthrough and see if we can't get decent.

[They COULD steal the guards' clothes... but that can be Plan B.]

[After another glance at the incapacitated enemies Hijkata nods and gets going with Rei. They should look around, not least to make sure they haven't overlooked any guards who somehow managed to not overhear the loud commotion, and to hopefully find some hints about the abductees' whereabouts... though given his interaction with the wyrm Hijikata is trying to lower his expectations. That monster probably crushed them all on the wedding bed and that's why it keeps demanding more!]

I didn't mean you should just strut out of here ass-naked. The guys upstairs don't know that you're down here, do they? You could just check out. They'll probably give you back your clothes then.

[Right? They better! What kind of spa strips its customers and then also just leaves them like that?! Then again the overall bar is already on the ground for this establishment... and what's more, the longer Rei stays down here the more likely it is that the employees notice him missing from the wellness areas. But further considerations are cut short as they end up at a very conspicuous heavy iron gate sectioning off a large grotto, and on the other side is about a dozen naked people, mostly young and visibly relieved at the sight of the two men.]

Or we can just overwhelm the upstairs guys and use the phone at the reception to call in help. Now we've got the numbers.

[Maybe he should reconsider roping innocent civilians into the fight?! But being all exposed here him getting reckless. He wants his clothes back!]

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April Adventures

3B

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i probably should have put this on my first comment CW: ITT THEYRE NAKED LOL

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