Video | UN: hijikata | Irregular Quest: Keep a Man out of the Sun for a Day

[mayoninofukucho]

[It's after dinnertime on another rainy evening when a new video pops up on AOL. Hijikata has never posted anything on the network before (beyond responses to other people), so he's not exactly a familiar face... but those who do know him may be surprised by the changes to his outfit and the large black wings on his back. He looks a lot more composed than usual and gives the camera a slow blink before starting to speak.]

My name is Arashi. I am the familiar of Hijikata-san, whose body I am inhabiting by means of familiar fusion to bring you this message. I am afraid that I find myself in need of some assistance.

[He seems to be in a hotel room, and attentive listeners may be able to catch the occasional high-pitched little noise in the background, as if there were guinea pigs or other small pets running around. Arashi keeps a straight face.]

It has come to my attention that Hijikata-san has been struggling to reverse the impact of the wishes that were made about two months ago. I cannot maintain the familiar fusion state for very long, so I seek the support of anyone willing and able to keep him away from the sunlight for a day.

[What the reclusive crow tengu isn't telling the viewers: due to the heavy rains he decided to check on his bond partner, only to find his hotel room full of mayonnaise mascots. When the flooding began Hijikata had fetched them in a panic from the smallholding farm the owners of which had been letting him keep them in an enclosure, and their presence immediately made it clear to Arashi that he never fixed his messed-up magic. Hijikata had just finished preparing a familiar fusion essence in his room for later use in an emergency, and ultimately it was used much sooner as a result of the ensuing fight.]

Please come to Room 306 at the main inn if you are interested. I cannot offer gold, but I am able to train users of wind magic and help awaken it for novice users of elemental magic, or otherwise I can offer some rare items.

Just as a warning, there are some... creatures here.

[The mayonnaise mascots are harmless, but kind of creepy looking in his opinion. They are unnatural, wholly unnatural. The sooner they disappear the better.]


(OOC: This is open for anyone, no dibs (after all we've got time loops happening around here!). Villains and pranksters are also welcome (after all Arashi is such an absent familiar that he wouldn't be able to tell who Hijikata's friends are, or if he has any at all). If you'd like to plot anything specific out I have my CR meme post here!)

Comments

[sulit]

[The moment that Klaudia sees a crow fly out of the smoke cloud, she activates the alchemy circle in the middle of the room. The floor almost seems to heave as numerous ankle-high pegs rise up, just far apart enough to be unbalancing to stand on, but too close together to step between them. She's hoping to trip him--though she won't feel too guilty if he twists his ankle or bruises his face in a fall. It's his own fault for charging at her, after all.]

Don't think of it as a tomb-- Think of it as a time-out~

[Regardless of how he handles that, she's slamming the door shut as soon as Arashi is though--hopefully before Hijikata can reach it. But if they manage to pull this off, and she gets the few seconds that she needs to activate the circle around the door, then she'll fuse the door into the wall around it.]

[mayoninofukucho]

[Hijikata does get tripped up immediately once the pegs shoot up from the floor. To his credit he doesn't land on his face straight away but manages to windmill his arms for balance while staggering around trying to find stable ground, but that delay is enough for the door to disappear on him. Klaudia and Arashi can hear his angry yelling from inside the room.]

You absolute bastards!! You realise that this is villain behaviour, right?! You're the bad guys-- ow!!

[There's further cursing and bitching, and Arashi uses the relative safety of the hotel hallway to revert from the diminutive crow form to his true appearance - a tall, humanoid, black-feathered birdman with a stern, beaked face. He sighs.]

If believe it would be charitable to revert the floor back to its original state now.

[If she hasn't already done so and Hijikata is just yelling because he's frustrated, that is.]

[sulit]

[Klaudia rolls her eyes as she's accused of "villain behavior". Like she hasn't heard that one before... She's very well prepared to just walk away and bring up the subject of lunch again, when Arashi mentions retracting the modification that she made to the floor. There's a very notable pause between his suggestion and her reaction--which is to press her lips together sheepishly.]

Well... See. I don't have physical access to the alchemy sigil anymore. So I... can't revert it.

[What a grievous lack of foresight... She turns back to the wall where the door used to be, and knocks on the wood to get Hijikata's attention.]

You're okay in there, right? You didn't hurt yourself? I can't change the floor back, so try to avoid that section for now. You have the rest of the room to walk around normally.

[mayoninofukucho]

[Arashi slowly closes his eyes. His face isn't as expressive as Hijikata's, having no eyebrows to furrow or mouth to emote with, but his quiet exasperation may still get across. Also icons will now roughly reflect his mood since Hijikata is out of sight.]

I see.

[Hijikata's reaction through the wall is naturally louder.]

Are you shitting me?! You turned my room into a catacomb complete with death traps! What is this, Tomb Ra*der?! Let me out, you demon bitch!

Hijikata-san, please moderate yourself. Do keep in mind that she is the one who will release you once your affliction is removed. Again, this is for your own good.

My own good, my ass!! I'll kill you!

[Despite the severity of the statement this rough behaviour is pretty standard for the Shinsengumi, and Hijikata has thrown countless death threats around as well as received them, but Arashi doesn't take kindly to it and steps away from the room, fully focusing on Klaudia now.]

I must apologise - for Hijikata-san, but also for myself, since I realise that I neglected to ask for your name.

[sulit]

[While the death threats don't seem to faze her, Klaudia's expression darkens at his name calling. She presses her lips together, and when Arashi addresses her again, she turns to him with an air of forced cheer.]

My name is Klaudia. [She raises her voice, cheerfully making sure that Hijikata can hear her.] And if he calls me that again, I really will make that his tomb~ He should keep in mind that I'm out here, and he's in there; and I don't have to come back and let him out.