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)
isleofavalon2021-02-07 06:30 am
mayoninofukucho) wrote in isleofavalon2021-02-07 06:30 am
February Adventures
WHO: Hijikata and ✨YOU✨
WHAT: Practicing Magic, Observing Fairies, Gathering Medicine Ingredients, Avoiding Valentine's Day and Black Magic, Questing
WHEN: Throughout February
WHERE: White Cliffs, City of Camelot, Brocéliande, South Beach, Bridge of the Pure of Heart
WARNINGS: Probably Violence and/or NPC Death for the Quest Prompts
Training at the White Cliffs
[After two all-too-brief initial run-ins (immediately after his arrival and later at the tournament) it took Hijikata a full month to flag his familiar down again and finally get his name: Arashi. The reserved crow tengu would of course have come to his aid at any time if he had really needed him, but Hijikata is too stubborn to call for him if there's no real emergency (and honestly, even then he would first try to handle it on his own).
Since he learned during the single element knock-out competition that his fire magic can be greatly amplified by wind magic he manages to convince his familiar to meet him at the White Cliffs to practice together (after all there isn't much they could accidentally destroy on the shore). He accompanies the trek of volunteers to help collect the new arrivals on the first day of the month, but stays behind until the caravan has departed and the lakeside is deserted. Arashi soon arrives on the wind. Anyone else visiting the cliffs may overhear part of their conversation.]
There's one thing I don't understand, though: why do I have fire magic? I thought your kind specialised in only wind magic.
Your magic is given to you by Avalon, not by me. Our bond merely enables you to receive and use it. The powers at work here likely sensed that you used fire magic before and granted it to you once more. Think of it as residual pathways in your body, like a dry riverbed that was filled with new water.
Really? That stuff is traceable? But other people got completely different magic than they had before, so how does that add up?
This I cannot say. My theory may not apply to all, or even altogether. But we have no sure way of determining the truth at this moment, so shall we begin?
[Arashi clearly has no time to waste. Honestly, if he could he'd likely hand Hijikata over to a different training partner after going through the basics of element combination magic with him... if he spots any other off-worlders nearby chances are he will invite them to participate and dump his bond partner on them before long.]
Frost Fairies (forbakudan_bambino)
[Anyone who regularly peruses the free breakfast buffet at the hotel housing the off-worlders in Camelot will have gotten used to the sight of Hijikata devouring two big plates of protein-rich food drowning in mayonnaise every morning before shamelessly grabbing a dozen bread rolls and sausages and making sandwiches for the rest of the day, pretty much taking up the whole two-seater table with his pile of food. Yes, he has a halfway steady income now; no, he has no money left to spare on food once he has taken care of his cigarette and mayonnaise supplies (he easily goes through three bottles of the latter every day, and that's already under strict self-discipline).
This morning, though, something has him distracted in the middle of his sandwich-making activities. He's kneeling on his chair like a kid, facing the window so intently that his nose is almost pressed against the glass along with both his palms. To anyone passing through the breakfast area there's nothing readily visible out there; no one is walking by or anything... there's only slush in the street and ice crystals growing in the corners of the window.]
It's beautiful...
Medical Emagicy
A ⦿ Deez Nuts
[Like many other off-worlders Hijikata volunteers to help gather medicine ingredients to help the ailing Avalonians. By the time he has himself freed up for it he hears reports that by now the cinnabar paper bush at the Red Springs resort has already been mostly harvested by other helpful people, and all the better. He has the impression that sprites are much like pixies, so he'd rather avoid dealing with them. Being made to dance until he drops is just about the last thing he needs, just short of pollen-induced future visions. He's had enough of those in that goddamn cave last month, so no thanks!! Head into the Brocéliande forest to harvest nuts, though? He can do that.
He heard the warnings of the bear firs, but he's not worried. If magical fire is the only thing that can destroy them, then he's the right man for the job. Nonetheless he also has his trusty sword at his belt to fight off any lesser animals that would steal his harvest. He hasn't actually visited this forest before, so he wanders around a little lost. If his cloak were red instead of black and if he were smaller and cuter he might make a fine Little Red Riding Hood impression wandering through the forest with his basket, but since none of this is the case he doesn't. He's smoking, too.]
So where's that tree..? With so many people on the mission you'd think there'd be some trails.
B ⦿ Wait, isn't that a Pokémon?
[Frankly, the hill trolls sound like the most unpleasant company imaginable, but the doctors need the poliwag grass, and Hijikata is just about as well prepared for this mission as one can be, given that the people of Edo are also extremely rude in every way. Soon after entering the heartland of the hills he meets a troll woman who seems to have been just waiting for an off-worlder to come in search of the bluegrass. It's no wonder, word must have gone around by now.
After a quick confirmation of his intentions she demands that he herd her geese while she attends an important appointment (she's actually just visiting her best friend to exchange the latest gossip, but he doesn't need to know that). Her whole overall conundrum is that the geese's enclosure got damaged when some troll children were too rowdy throwing boulders, so someone must watch the geese while someone else repairs the fence. Who? Well, whoever Hijikata can rope into it.]
Hey! Over here! You're also looking for the bluegrass, right? The troll who owns these geese said she'll help if I fix the fence, but I've got to watch the damn birds at the same time, so can you give me a hand with either? We'll split the reward.
Sync or Swim
[Even if Hijikata knew more about Morganna than "evil sorceress" (much like all he really knows about Arthur and Merlin is "good king" and "wise mage", respectively), he ultimately trusts his gut instinct above all else. After getting to speak with Arthur during his AMA he has the impression that the king is genuinely doing his best with the situation he's been thrown into, whereas Morganna's entire demeanour so far has done nothing to improve his opinion of her. As such he doesn't open the attachment in her message and decides to avoid any entanglement with the synchronic magic she offers, enticing as the power it promises is.
But when he sees the glow of the huge bonfire in the evening after having heard the music and general buzz of activity from the park each time he passed it by he can't help but feel... well, not "left out" since it was his own decision to not participate, but it's a slightly lonely feeling. Surely it won't hurt if he heads over there - not to join in (the spell practice should have mostly concluded anyway), but just to keep an eye on things? It's a fire after all! It might go out of control. So he makes his way through the tent village and stands among the others.
Looking at the shimmering, colourful flames makes him think of Prismatica with its crystals everywhere... it must be those memories that suddenly make him want to moonlace with somebody. But this is Avalon, and he can't very well just ask someone to hold hands or sit back to back with him when it doesn't generate chroma or anything else, so he simply wraps his arms around himself - and that's when he observes a couple of disembodied shadows walking around until they each reach a person and disappear. He stares for a moment longer before turning to the person next to him.]
Did you see that just now? Those shadows?
[Please tell him he isn't the only one who saw that. This probably isn't good at all.]
Quests
A ⦿ Save a Beast, Kill a Man (forheartlessswordsman)
[QuestBoard has some interesting tasks on offer again this month, however Hijikata is being choosy (pretty bold for someone who struggles to finance his addictions!). Sure, he could help the elves with their little height rivalry, but what is he, a mule? He's pretty confident that they'll have enough takers without him making a tool out of himself at the beach. That person who wants the library investigated promptly gets stamped as a conspiracy theorist by him. He's not going to get in trouble with the librarian over wild speculations! And he definitely wants nothing to do with Cupid's arrows. He knows the truth about Valentine's Day, after all!
That quest posted by the selkie woman, though, immediately fills him with righteous indignation. Who the hell does that man think he is?! First he forces her into marriage, then he heads out to kill an innocent kraken?! Not on Hijikata's watch. He loses no time in making his way to the area where the kraken was sighted, and he isn't the only one. On the way he sees Zelgadis' distinctive figure ahead of him and jogs a little to catch up to his first tournament duel opponent.]
Hey! You're after that bastard too?
[If he is there won't be much need for a further explanation, and if he just happens to be walking in the same direction he may well want to join Hijikata once he hears what's been going on.]
B ⦿ A Quest for the Pure of Heart
[When Hijikata sees Morganna's quest he does a double take. Like hell is he going to get involved in that!! He has half a mind to make a post on AOL to caution others as well, but honestly, this is so damn sketchy, surely no one with a halfway functional moral compass is going to entertain the idea in the first place... however 1,000,000G is a lot of money. It's certainly tempting. An online post won't effectively keep anyone from carrying out the quest, so Hijikata decides to take action.
Some of those who accepted the quest (he's dedicated, but he can't logistically intercept everybody) will find him waiting on the other side of the bridge, standing there with a cigarette glowing between his lips, scrutinising them like a reverse bridge knight who judges people after letting them cross.]
So you took that witch up on her offer? I hope you're not planning to do her that little extra favour.
[Anyone who just wants to collect a crystal for Morganna and not poison that innocent man (because what else could possibly be going on here?) will be left alone by him, but those who either lie without being seasoned professionals at it (he has good intuition) or outright state their intentions to go ahead with it will have to face off against him. (Users of cognitive magic may well be able to change his mind, though!)]
[OOC: I forgot to add this initially, but please check out my permissions - I'm good with pretty much anything, however you may want to opt out of fourth-walling (I'll check your permissions for this too, though) and/or threadjumping (tagging back the starter tag to avoid the thread's readability getting compromised as it gets compressed after reaching a certain length).]
WHAT: Practicing Magic, Observing Fairies, Gathering Medicine Ingredients, Avoiding Valentine's Day and Black Magic, Questing
WHEN: Throughout February
WHERE: White Cliffs, City of Camelot, Brocéliande, South Beach, Bridge of the Pure of Heart
WARNINGS: Probably Violence and/or NPC Death for the Quest Prompts
Training at the White Cliffs
[After two all-too-brief initial run-ins (immediately after his arrival and later at the tournament) it took Hijikata a full month to flag his familiar down again and finally get his name: Arashi. The reserved crow tengu would of course have come to his aid at any time if he had really needed him, but Hijikata is too stubborn to call for him if there's no real emergency (and honestly, even then he would first try to handle it on his own).
Since he learned during the single element knock-out competition that his fire magic can be greatly amplified by wind magic he manages to convince his familiar to meet him at the White Cliffs to practice together (after all there isn't much they could accidentally destroy on the shore). He accompanies the trek of volunteers to help collect the new arrivals on the first day of the month, but stays behind until the caravan has departed and the lakeside is deserted. Arashi soon arrives on the wind. Anyone else visiting the cliffs may overhear part of their conversation.]
There's one thing I don't understand, though: why do I have fire magic? I thought your kind specialised in only wind magic.
Your magic is given to you by Avalon, not by me. Our bond merely enables you to receive and use it. The powers at work here likely sensed that you used fire magic before and granted it to you once more. Think of it as residual pathways in your body, like a dry riverbed that was filled with new water.
Really? That stuff is traceable? But other people got completely different magic than they had before, so how does that add up?
This I cannot say. My theory may not apply to all, or even altogether. But we have no sure way of determining the truth at this moment, so shall we begin?
[Arashi clearly has no time to waste. Honestly, if he could he'd likely hand Hijikata over to a different training partner after going through the basics of element combination magic with him... if he spots any other off-worlders nearby chances are he will invite them to participate and dump his bond partner on them before long.]
Frost Fairies (for
bakudan_bambino) [Anyone who regularly peruses the free breakfast buffet at the hotel housing the off-worlders in Camelot will have gotten used to the sight of Hijikata devouring two big plates of protein-rich food drowning in mayonnaise every morning before shamelessly grabbing a dozen bread rolls and sausages and making sandwiches for the rest of the day, pretty much taking up the whole two-seater table with his pile of food. Yes, he has a halfway steady income now; no, he has no money left to spare on food once he has taken care of his cigarette and mayonnaise supplies (he easily goes through three bottles of the latter every day, and that's already under strict self-discipline).
This morning, though, something has him distracted in the middle of his sandwich-making activities. He's kneeling on his chair like a kid, facing the window so intently that his nose is almost pressed against the glass along with both his palms. To anyone passing through the breakfast area there's nothing readily visible out there; no one is walking by or anything... there's only slush in the street and ice crystals growing in the corners of the window.]
It's beautiful...
Medical Emagicy
A ⦿ Deez Nuts
[Like many other off-worlders Hijikata volunteers to help gather medicine ingredients to help the ailing Avalonians. By the time he has himself freed up for it he hears reports that by now the cinnabar paper bush at the Red Springs resort has already been mostly harvested by other helpful people, and all the better. He has the impression that sprites are much like pixies, so he'd rather avoid dealing with them. Being made to dance until he drops is just about the last thing he needs, just short of pollen-induced future visions. He's had enough of those in that goddamn cave last month, so no thanks!! Head into the Brocéliande forest to harvest nuts, though? He can do that.
He heard the warnings of the bear firs, but he's not worried. If magical fire is the only thing that can destroy them, then he's the right man for the job. Nonetheless he also has his trusty sword at his belt to fight off any lesser animals that would steal his harvest. He hasn't actually visited this forest before, so he wanders around a little lost. If his cloak were red instead of black and if he were smaller and cuter he might make a fine Little Red Riding Hood impression wandering through the forest with his basket, but since none of this is the case he doesn't. He's smoking, too.]
So where's that tree..? With so many people on the mission you'd think there'd be some trails.
B ⦿ Wait, isn't that a Pokémon?
[Frankly, the hill trolls sound like the most unpleasant company imaginable, but the doctors need the poliwag grass, and Hijikata is just about as well prepared for this mission as one can be, given that the people of Edo are also extremely rude in every way. Soon after entering the heartland of the hills he meets a troll woman who seems to have been just waiting for an off-worlder to come in search of the bluegrass. It's no wonder, word must have gone around by now.
After a quick confirmation of his intentions she demands that he herd her geese while she attends an important appointment (she's actually just visiting her best friend to exchange the latest gossip, but he doesn't need to know that). Her whole overall conundrum is that the geese's enclosure got damaged when some troll children were too rowdy throwing boulders, so someone must watch the geese while someone else repairs the fence. Who? Well, whoever Hijikata can rope into it.]
Hey! Over here! You're also looking for the bluegrass, right? The troll who owns these geese said she'll help if I fix the fence, but I've got to watch the damn birds at the same time, so can you give me a hand with either? We'll split the reward.
Sync or Swim
[Even if Hijikata knew more about Morganna than "evil sorceress" (much like all he really knows about Arthur and Merlin is "good king" and "wise mage", respectively), he ultimately trusts his gut instinct above all else. After getting to speak with Arthur during his AMA he has the impression that the king is genuinely doing his best with the situation he's been thrown into, whereas Morganna's entire demeanour so far has done nothing to improve his opinion of her. As such he doesn't open the attachment in her message and decides to avoid any entanglement with the synchronic magic she offers, enticing as the power it promises is.
But when he sees the glow of the huge bonfire in the evening after having heard the music and general buzz of activity from the park each time he passed it by he can't help but feel... well, not "left out" since it was his own decision to not participate, but it's a slightly lonely feeling. Surely it won't hurt if he heads over there - not to join in (the spell practice should have mostly concluded anyway), but just to keep an eye on things? It's a fire after all! It might go out of control. So he makes his way through the tent village and stands among the others.
Looking at the shimmering, colourful flames makes him think of Prismatica with its crystals everywhere... it must be those memories that suddenly make him want to moonlace with somebody. But this is Avalon, and he can't very well just ask someone to hold hands or sit back to back with him when it doesn't generate chroma or anything else, so he simply wraps his arms around himself - and that's when he observes a couple of disembodied shadows walking around until they each reach a person and disappear. He stares for a moment longer before turning to the person next to him.]
Did you see that just now? Those shadows?
[Please tell him he isn't the only one who saw that. This probably isn't good at all.]
Quests
A ⦿ Save a Beast, Kill a Man (for
heartlessswordsman)[QuestBoard has some interesting tasks on offer again this month, however Hijikata is being choosy (pretty bold for someone who struggles to finance his addictions!). Sure, he could help the elves with their little height rivalry, but what is he, a mule? He's pretty confident that they'll have enough takers without him making a tool out of himself at the beach. That person who wants the library investigated promptly gets stamped as a conspiracy theorist by him. He's not going to get in trouble with the librarian over wild speculations! And he definitely wants nothing to do with Cupid's arrows. He knows the truth about Valentine's Day, after all!
That quest posted by the selkie woman, though, immediately fills him with righteous indignation. Who the hell does that man think he is?! First he forces her into marriage, then he heads out to kill an innocent kraken?! Not on Hijikata's watch. He loses no time in making his way to the area where the kraken was sighted, and he isn't the only one. On the way he sees Zelgadis' distinctive figure ahead of him and jogs a little to catch up to his first tournament duel opponent.]
Hey! You're after that bastard too?
[If he is there won't be much need for a further explanation, and if he just happens to be walking in the same direction he may well want to join Hijikata once he hears what's been going on.]
B ⦿ A Quest for the Pure of Heart
[When Hijikata sees Morganna's quest he does a double take. Like hell is he going to get involved in that!! He has half a mind to make a post on AOL to caution others as well, but honestly, this is so damn sketchy, surely no one with a halfway functional moral compass is going to entertain the idea in the first place... however 1,000,000G is a lot of money. It's certainly tempting. An online post won't effectively keep anyone from carrying out the quest, so Hijikata decides to take action.
Some of those who accepted the quest (
So you took that witch up on her offer? I hope you're not planning to do her that little extra favour.
[Anyone who just wants to collect a crystal for Morganna and not poison that innocent man (because what else could possibly be going on here?) will be left alone by him, but those who either lie without being seasoned professionals at it (he has good intuition) or outright state their intentions to go ahead with it will have to face off against him. (Users of cognitive magic may well be able to change his mind, though!)]
[OOC: I forgot to add this initially, but please check out my permissions - I'm good with pretty much anything, however you may want to opt out of fourth-walling (I'll check your permissions for this too, though) and/or threadjumping (tagging back the starter tag to avoid the thread's readability getting compromised as it gets compressed after reaching a certain length).]
no subject
There are some of your schoolmates here.
[That much is true, though most of them only just arrived.]
I overheard a couple of them mention you when I was helping getting people onshore earlier.
[This isn't true, but it's plausible... some of the other kids could well have spotted Shoto and pointed him out to each other, unless he outright hid somewhere until the caravan took off for Camelot, or used a totem to get here only after if left.]
Sorry for startling you. I don't know anything more about you than your name and that in your world people have Quirks. I should introduce myself too, shouldn't I? Toshirou Hijikata.
[Sure, Arashi already did that for him earlier, but now it's coming from him! He adapted to the local western name order, but Shoto as a fellow Japanese is unlikely to get confused.]
So things are difficult back home... you don't have to tell me anything more, unless you'd like to. I wanted to understand what you're training for, but I don't really need to know for us to practice together.
no subject
Lies were smoother with the truth mixed in, and at least, he seems honest. 1-A was all volume; it wasn't a stretch to assume he's heard them: Yaoyorozu, or Ururaka; someone somewhere shouting "half and half", though he'd crossed alone weeks ago.
But the startled eyes soften. He tucks his head.]
No. It's fine.
[Starting in cautiously,] There's no point in telling you everything. [It's not bitter. Someday, he'll leave for battle, and his telling him won't make a difference.] There's just something I need to do.
[More than "nothing".]
You overheard them, right? About my Quirk? Well, mine had a limit. [His "flaw of overheating", where his ice creates balance.] If I didn't use the ice, eventually, the heat caught up. But it's different with magic... I don't feel it like I used to. So there's no limit to what I can do here.
[He straightens.]
So I'm output training.
no subject
[Apparently Shoto did buy his white lie; that's a relief. The boy's explanation about how he's struggling to adapt to his elemental magic with its differences to the Quirk he's used to makes sense, too. Hijikata doesn't need to hear any details of what troubles him; it was just an offer on his part. Everyone has a right to keep such things to themselves if they want to. Arashi opens his wings, chiming back into the conversation.]
Hijikata-san does not yet have control of his fire magic as strong as yours, Shoto-san. So I would suggest that the two of us begin by combining my wind with your fire. Would you provide me a flame?
[Hijikata feels just a tiny bit sidelined, but it's true that he has no idea how to get quite as comfortable with the fire as Shoto seems to be. His ambition is spurred now, though, if only so his familiar shows him a little more approval. But for the moment he'll simply observe.]
When spoilers age, he'll tell him a lot...
Igniting himself as if to say, you'll find no one better to train with.
He wants to help, too.]
Is this enough?
[Uncertainty seeking approval.]
Hijikata will be patient! He remembers what it's like to be a troubled teenager.
[The crow tengu spreads one wing, slightly raised upwards, and there's a gust of air that brightens Karma's flame, making it blaze on all sides, before twisting it into a spiral that twirls around his arm like a snake.]
Allow me to demonstrate further.
[The air pulls the fire off Karma's hand (though new flames may immediately replace it if he keeps it up), turns it into a ball shape, then makes the fireball shoot up into the sky and zoom around above their heads like a comet.]
I find that most fire magic users cannot change the direction of their attacks. Hijikata-san, would you agree?
Yeah. If I want to use it as a long-range weapon I pretty much just fire it off and hope it hits. Only I let it go it's out of my control.
This is where the wind magic is a helpful addition. By changing the flow of air I can redirect the flames, if only I keep them fed.
[He stops the fireball far above their heads, then makes it burst into several smaller ones that spiral around in a circle before combining back into one.]
Karma-san may have greater control of his fire, given that it is innate to him, but for those who do not the combination with wind is a valuable asset. Would you like me to bring your flames back down to you now, Karma-san? Or do you not need them anymore?
He's too kind! (and sorry I'm late! It's midterms month)
To him, it holds an answer.
Shoto's monster's less verbal. Shaking wails and roaring sparks as words, and pleased response without language. "More" in flames, and indirectly, force.]
This is what you meant...? [It's slow, the realization.] All this time, I'd been fighting it. [A shift in course; the wind's resistance. He could laugh.
He'd been working against its strengths.]
Kasha's- [Fishing for words, distracted,] we don't need them. [The flames back.
His eyes are on Hijikata.]
Hijikata-san. You can use it too, right? [A fire-based something?] Can you add your flames here?
[His asking borders insistence.]
Arashi-san?
No worries at all (and best of luck)!
[The crow tengu nods his agreement, so Hijikata effortlessly summons a flame in each palm and sends them upwards with an unusually gentle lift of his hands, banking on his familiar to guide them with the wind, which he indeed does until they meet and melt into the hovering orb of flames above. It immediately expands in size, flaring out all over like a little sun.]
Hm. That makes a difference alright.
Yes. If you two combine your strength it will greatly amplify the result.
[Both of them are quiet for a moment, and Hijikata, at least, ponders how much damage and destruction he and Shoto could cause with just their joint fire magic alone... for better or worse.]
Can we learn to control the direction of our fire missiles - or any other elements, for that matter?
[Arashi thoughtfully inclines his head.]
Some elements are easier to control in their flow than others, with wind lending itself to it the most. Water, in my experience, would be the next malleable. Wind carries fire well, whereas water carries electricity and, perhaps, soil in the form of mudslides. But in theory it ought to be possible to achieve flow control for all elements, given sufficient mastery of your magic.
Well, that sounds promising. I'd really feel better about tossing a fireball if I can change its course if need be.
The luck helped, thank you!
He takes a strange comfort.]
All elements...
[His mind returns, curious. If winds appeared the way his flames evolved, could he master those, too? Siphon them out the way he'd done with frost, under his own, continuous efforts?
He wonders.] If you can change the wind, your position won't matter.
[But... what an advantage to have lean on. He envies their pairing, a little.]
You make a good team. [His smile's warm, albeit exhausted.] Hijikata-san's perfect for you.
[Speaking the last with admiration, as though his own familiar's a burden.]
You'd make pretty quick work of anything...
Awesome!! 💪
Indeed. Right, Arashi?
[The crow tengu fluffs up his feathers, briefly appearing a little more plush around the collar, and closes his eyes. Hijikata can practically hear his internal sigh.]
I suppose so. Shoto-san, I you like this combination I suggest teaming up with a wind magic user, at least until you learn to master it on your own.
[Hijikata thinks that's easier said than done. Partnering up with someone requires a degree of compatibility beyond just magic types, after all. Arashi lets the fireball sink down slowly, apparently gradually withdrawing air from it to let it shrink down to a less dangerous size. Eventually it sets down on the sand in between them, and with nothing to sustain itself on it gradually burns out.]
Will the two of you be content to practice some more among yourselves for the time being? I am afraid I have some other items on my schedule today that I need to attend to.