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avalaughs2022-03-17 02:25 am
EVENT ✨ Nightmare on Elph Street
QUICK NAV: LOGS ⚔️️ NETWORK ⚔️️ MEMES ⚔️️ OOC ⚔️️ NAVIGATION This is the event log for IC comments only! Ask questions in response to this comment HERE or use the FAQ for general questions. Click here to view top-level comments only. |
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| The ritual-wiping ritual wasn't the best news for Avalon and magic has been wacky for everyone since it was performed. However, if there was a time for it to happen, it happening before the Spring Equinox was just about the best time it could happen. The Spring Equinox, after all, is a time of renewal and rebirth. It's what you'd call a silver lining. As long as enough people participate in the Spring Equinox rituals, it should be fine... right? |
CONTENT WARNINGS:
- 1st Prompt: --
- 2nd Prompt: --
- 3rd Prompt: --
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This part of the event takes place on March 20th.
Though there is no Spring Masquerade this year as there had bene the last, there is a much smaller token of appreciation from the castle of Camelot to all of those who live within its borders: a gift basket with a salad of edible flowers, eggs, breakfast sausages, and a small bottle of champagne (or sparkling seltzer for those underage) and a bottle of orange juice to make mimosas with. Those of the vegetarian through vegan persuasions will receive vegan white chocolate eggs filled with coconut cream frosting and a mango puree 'yolk' and Avalon's best plant-based sausages. It's not quite a feast, but no one should go hungry on this day of celebration! Brownies will help to deliver these overnight, so you'll find them on your doorstep in the morning with a special spell to keep everything fresh through most of the early afternoon. |
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Those who saw it last year or locals who are normally residents of Avalon will tell you not to fear, this happens every spring. The plants grow around and not through structures, the buildings still safe and sound beneath large vines and leaves and pools and flowers. Most notably, huge beds of vines, open seed pools, and giantic flowers large enough to take a bath in have started cropping up around town, and they all seem to be filled with a vibrant, glowing liquid of some kind. Each of these floral wonders, locals will tell you, is called a vernal soul pool. Upon entering one, you'll enter a lucid sleep state that connects you to everyone else in Avalon and the island itself. Doing so will cause your magic to be amplified and grow and stabilize, but also allow you to be cleansed and refreshed as a person. How much detail the person you're talking to gives is up to you (in case your characters would back off of it if they had the following details but you still want to experience it). Once someone enters, they will immediately feel as if they are at home and the pod will close over them gently, leaving them in a pool of that mysterious glowing substance-- vines grow further to encase, the pool closes, flowers close into buds instead of open blossoms. Under normal circumstances, the pools would remain closed and in this state until the witching hour and slowly and gently awaken those within. However, even the magics of the spring aren't stable right now, and what ends up happening is the pools suddenly spill open before anyone's dream sharing can truly get underway, dumping their passengers out onto the ground into a state of jarring awakeness. With them, they will find they are unable to access their Avalon magics but instead have one of the following:
 This part of the event takes place late night on March 20th through slightly past midnight on March 21st. | ||
| The fairy queen's envoy, Princess Bluebell, sends out a panicked emergency message (complete with the obnoxious alarm that sets off phones even on silent) after a couple of hours of this, and casts a mirror-travel spell to Nicnevin so that any may quickly arrive just outside of its borders, next to the river. The message states that the dream world and reality have melted together due to the majority of magic being funneled into the time freeze spell or the equinox ritual, which uses Queen Mab as a vessel through which the vernal soul pools channel everyone's magic. The Spring Equinox renewal did NOT go as planned, needless to say. Otherworlders must head to Mab's Cavern to locate Queen Mab and absorb some of her energy by touching her to stabilize their magics and drain the spring equinox's out of her before even bigger disaster strikes! | |
Mab's Cavern is typically a place forbidden to enter under normal circumstances. It is the world of dreams and nightmares takes from our subconscious what we most desire and what we most fear and our memories and turns them into reality. This is what your character will have to face without their Avalonian magic and the above either unstable or beginner-level powers. Mab normally goes into a slumber and connects herself to the whole of Avalon during the Spring Equinox to allow the vernal soul pools to utilize her magic, so she cannot let everyone in or help anyone navigate her realm. Mab's Cavern looks like a normal mountain from the outside, covered from head to toe in pink cherry and plum blossoms trees, shrouded in a fog that's pink itself from reflecting the petals. The entrance to the inside of the cavern is an ancient door, carved from white marble and enchanted to be impassible without an offering and engraved says: "Offer me your most secret dream and enter this forbidden realm. Dream with me for eternity." The offering, in this case, is simple: speak your most secret dream out loud for the door. The open door will allow one person to pass through per offering, and leads into a hall entirely coated in flowers of a variety of colors. These flowers speak, and will ask you how you are, warn you to turn back, tell you and whoever you're walking with that you make a cute couple, sing the national anthem of their people, whatever. They seem to get more and more chatterbox-y as you head inward and the lights grow dimmer until there is no light left. Even if you light one, it seems as if you are in a black space where nothing exists but you and whoever you walk with (if anyone), and voices. | ||
This portion of the event contains a FOURTH WALL EVENT element and takes place on March 21st.
That is, until you hear a new voice and the chatterbox flowers hush. Anyone from any canon can appear and team up with you within Mab's Cavern as this is a fourth wall event. Guest characters will have access to their canon abilities, but cannot leave Mab's Cavern or affect the environment outside of it. |
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interpretation again, but be sure to ask permission if it involves another character who is in the game or a part of the fourth wall) and their new party member may need to convince them to leave instead of staying in the dream world forever. If you've trusted the flowers, you'll find yourself in trouble. These are actually souls who crossed Queen Mab and attempted to steal their desires away from her cavern and bring them into reality. Their curse? They can escape if they trade another soul for theirs. Now would be a good time for a partner to help pull you out because as soon as you touch one of the flowers, they will turn into vines and attempt to wrap around you to pull you under the water and drown you! The "water" itself is the same liquid used within the vernal soul pools, so you'll find your life literally flashing before your eyes as this happens, making it very difficult to escape without someone else's help. If you die in the water, the flowers who did it will transform back into their original selves and flee, and you will be transformed into a talking flower yourself. If you make it to Queen Mab, you'll need to place a hand on her and all dreams and reality will sort themselves out within you-- that is, your broken powers will disappear and your Avalonian magics will return. As you head out again, the guest character brought in to help you will begin to fade away slowly enough that you can say your goodbye before they are gone. There is no way to stop this. All memories of fourth wall visitors will be retained as part of game canon. After enough people have come to take Mab's powers enough to deplete the effects of the Vernal Pools, the Fairy Queen herself will come to Mab and run a strange-looking dagger through her heart. All of the Spring Equinox magic that was being filtered through her will be released into the land and stabilize magic for everyone, and a flower will blossom out of Mab's heart around the dagger. Within the center of the bud glows a small child version of Mab, and anyone still in the cavern will find themself just wandering around in a dark cave. The Fairy Queen glows in the dark and will lead them out with little magic glow bubbles that try to make them follow if they get separated from her vicinity, but is still not speaking to anyone. She will also transport anyone who has been turned into a talking flower out of the cave via some kind of levitation spell and give them to someone they know-- whether they know them in a positive or negative light is up to you, she can only register connection on sight with magic, not emotion.
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3C 8)
However, she's thrown for a little loop as she awakens herself in... Prismatica again? But no... something seemed immediately off to her. Of course, the change of clothes (to suit whatever preference Hijikata had) was one hint, but something on the biological level too. Was it the chroma? She had long since been used to the feeling of it that she could definitely tell when she was lacking it.
Walking through the street though, she's soon greeted by a sight that pushes the vague worry to the back of her head for the time being. A vague smile spreads on her lips as she watches Hijikata blissfully eat - well, she's not certain what he was eating, just because he predictably covered the entirety of it with mayo.
Her brows furrow a bit as she hears his remark, though the look on her face is still a little amused more than anything.]
You're acting as if you haven't eaten it in years, heeheehee! I'm almost a little envious - you look so happy eating.
♡
This time, though, it's really her, he can tell. The twinkle in her eyes, the warmth in her voice, every nuance in the way she moves in her sleek dress. She looks just as he left her. He wants to greet her, but his mouth is full, so he hastily swallows, sets his snack down and wipes his mouth and fingers on the napkin before hasting towards her.]
I finally see you again, and I'm stuffing my face..! I didn't imagine it like that!
[It's her, it's really her... the woman who accepted him from the first time they met, who was always patient with him, who never mocked his strange little habits, who fought at his side, who trusted him to help her face her nightmares, who let him sleep by her side when he got upgraded to not needing to sleep anymore and was going crazy over it. He, who turned back into a somewhat reserved and distant man during his time on Avalon (physically, that is; his temper is fierce as ever) can't help but want to hold her, so he does, wrapping both arms around her and pulling her close.]
How have you been?
[Feeling her warmth, smelling her scent... it's something he's been missing for a long time.]
no subject
It was a small mercy in that through the multiverse freezing, LB really didn't realize how much time had passed for Hijikata - it only seemed like about the space of the usual absence for her. So while seeing him again made her as elated as usual, it's perhaps not quite as significant for her as it was for him.]
I can't believe you went to go out to eat before coming to seeing me, wow. Haha!
[She's not actually upset about it - if he was that hungry, she wasn't cruel enough to expect him to forgo his needs for her - and still looks amused as he hastily swallows his food. LB did still wonder why this Prismatican street seemed different from anything that she could remember, but she keeps that in the back of her mind as he goes in for the embrace, warmly reciprocating the motion, sighing happily as she leans her chin on one of his shoulders.]
It hasn't been that long, has it? Ahaha? I've been... okay, I think. Better now that you're here, though.
And you, Toshirou? Is everything okay with you?
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[Hearing her tease him, even just say his name, fills him with so much warm fondness, it's hard to hold it all in. He runs his hands over her back, then steps back a little to look at her and cup her cheek in one hand. He wonders... is this her dream too? Can she dream, frozen in time? Of course she can't know what happened; he didn't know either until he got dropped into Avalon's bay. He doesn't want to scare her by telling her. Maybe for her everything feels normal.]
I'm sorry, this visit was a little... unplanned. I didn't even bring you any present! I'll have to bring you two next time.
[All he has in his bag right now are strange magical trinkets, spell rolls, totems and whatnot; all things she can't use since she doesn't have Avalon's magic. At least he's wearing his usual uniform, the one from Edo that he also wore to the ball where he first her her.]
Or can I treat you to something now? How about we have a proper sit-down meal, for a start?
[He's supposed to find Queen Mab, but look, this is important!!]
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"Unplanned"? Ahaha? [Her brows crease in thought, trying to figure how coming back to Prismatica could possibly be on accident.] Did you get drawn back here again?
[Could that have something to do with why things felt... off? Perhaps they needed to bring people back to fix something wrong with the planet again? But right, she had to continue to put that to the back of her mind as she addressed the rest of what he had to say to her.
Scrambling, she forces a smile.]
Oh, don't worry about any presents, really. I didn't know you were coming back either, so I couldn't get you anything either. I'm - eheh - I'm really just happy to see you again.
[And that much was true, at least. She didn't care that much for material possessions - valuing the thoughts behind them more than the thing itself. There's another brief look of amusement as he once again brings up food, however she still can't ignore the obvious lack of chroma within her as he mentions treating her.
Was it the same for him? In that case, they wouldn't be able to eat anywhere. She really didn't want to bring down the mood, but she should probably mention something.]
You really want to eat again so soon? Ahaha? [Her expression dampens just mildly, as she adds.] Um... I'm not sure what happened, but I don't think I can sense my chroma. It's... not the same for you, is it?
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It is the same for me, yeah. I hoped it wouldn't be the same for you.
[He misses it, the moonlacing sensation. It's always been so affirming, a tangible proof of how much they want to be with each other, a way to boost each other's energy and wellbeing with any small gesture of affection... and now it's just gone.]
Honestly, I know why I'm here, but it's a really confusing story, and a scary one too. Let's find a place where I can tell you about it.
[Caihong is always busy and bustling, but maybe they can find a bench near the water in a more quiet bend of the waterways, or a place by one of the smaller, older temples. He worries about how the bad news will affect her, but he can't keep her in the dark now that she already noticed the distortion in this scenario they're in.]
no subject
She looks momentarily relieved at his remark, but her expression turns more somber just because she wasn't certain if what he was going to tell her was truly going to damper the reunion between the two of them or not.]
I see... that's unfortunate, but at least we're on the same level, then?
[She forms a brief hint of a hopeful smile, though his next remark just leaves her more confused. How was it that he knew before her, when she was the one who stayed on the planet? Was it a Moon Knight privilege? And why did they need to go somewhere private to discuss this?
She keeps her worries to herself, though, nodding before looking around.]
Let's go find somewhere to sit, then. [She takes a step or two ahead, but pauses for a moment. She glances down long enough to get a visual for Hijikata's hand and reaches for it before continuing forward. Whether or not she could feel the lacing or not, LB was simply just too accustomed to wanting the contact to deny it completely.]
You're sure you're okay?
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How do I even start..? Well, the bad news first, I guess: there's a new calamity. But the good news is that it's been stopped. The other bad news, though, is that in order to do that the whole multiverse had to be frozen in time. This is still the case right now.
[That's already so goddamn much to take in, but he knows that LB will let him continue.]
What actually happened in detail is that one of the Earths - I don't know which one - some cultists unearthed the sword Excalibur - you know, the one from old England. It's a powerful magical artifact, and they somehow managed to pour all of its energy into a black hole they generated. In response the people of Avalon, the place where Excalibur was created and which pretty much exists in its own timeless bubble, stopped time everywhere else to prevent the destruction of every world out there.
[He takes a long drag and exhales a thick waft of smoke, never letting go of LB's hand.]
Avalon's magic was pretty much depleted from that feat, so they devised an idea to pull in people from the time-frozen worlds so they could help restore it - pretty much like we restored the chroma here. You can see where this is going, right? I was pulled in there. I'm not sure how it can be that we're able to meet here now, but I think it has to be a dream.
[It feels much too real for that, though. He knows that she's really here with him. He also knows that he isn't truly on Prismatica. He'll tell LB about the messed-up spring equinox and Queen Mab, but now she first deserves a break from the flood of startling information.]
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Cultists really do have a way of fucking things up. [There's some bitterness to her tone, because even if it was a very long time ago, she still had memories of her youth involving different cultists. Not to mention the cultists in Prismatica didn't hold any fond memories for her either. If she knew that any effects of the nicotine in the cigarettes wouldn't immediately be neutralized by her nanomachines, she might reach for one too. But alas, she was left to deal with the thoughts on her own.
But as far as everything else went, the biggest takeaway she got was that it was him who got pulled away? The question forms as to how they were meeting like this, then, but that's quickly answered before she had a chance to verbalize it.
The funny thing was that having dreams that seemed very real was another thing she had ran into a few times on Prismatica. But even in the dreams, having access to her chroma was possible, which meant... she was in his dream, then?]
It's at least nice to know that even across planets, I would still appear in your dreams. [LB isn't even certain how that much is possible, but still... she's glad for it.] Unless I'm the one having a very strange dream instead.
[But even so... something told her that the Hijikata she was talking to now was something more than what her subconscious desired.]
But, um... if every other world was frozen, then that would include Prismatica too, correct? So then I'd have no way of knowing how long you've actually been gone.
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The whole thing happened over a year ago - almost a year and half now -, so that's how long Prismatica and every other world have been frozen. I was frozen in time for just a couple of months on my Earth before I ended up on Avalon.
[In other words, he's been without a chance to return to her for over a year already. He always wears his crystal around his neck under his clothes, but travelling to Prismatica would have left him frozen too, unable to so much as look for her.]
Honestly, it's been difficult. The person we outworlders have been gathering around is King Arthur of Camelot, who's trying to lead the efforts to reverse this whole disaster, but he was also only recently revived, and the fae who rule the other half of Avalon and have a deeper understanding of the magic involved have complicated politics with us. They're not like the Prismals; they're deceptive and dangerous.
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She squeezes his hands with a sigh, leaning against his side as she continued.] I vaguely remember tales of Avalon and King Arthur, but to think that there was some truth in it. Even if what you're telling me sounds nothing like the legends. I'm sorry that you've been trapped in service here for so long, though.
[She smiles faintly, recalling the fond memories of the kinder Prismals. They were certainly a part of why she had warmed up to the planet so quickly - it might not have been as easy if she had to deal with more unpleasant natives.]
You know, I recall there being fairies on Prismatica - they were assholes too. So, I suppose at least that much is universal.
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[He sighs as he puts an arm around LB. Some things never change!]
There are plenty of different beings, fae and elves and other types of otherworldy folk, including some really creepy ones, gnomes and sprites and weather fairies... and that's without going into all the strange animals! I tamed an archaeopteryx, imagine that.
[He has so many stories to tell her, and honestly, he wants to do just that. There's a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he should get back on track with the expedition, but didn't enough other people come along? Surely they can manage without him for once. He's still not sure if this is his dream, LB's dream, or one shared by them both, but it feels real, and he wants to hold on to it for as long as he can.]
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[At the very least, she's very good at linguistics, so she's able to copy what he tells her, even if LB wouldn't have the faintest idea of how it's supposed to be spelled if she had to put it to paper.
As much as she was enjoying just sitting here with him, LB did perhaps share the smallest regret in that it was just a dream. If it weren't, she'd be able to do a lot more things with him now, and she craved for the feeling of moonlacing with him (even if just regular contact like this served as a decent substitute).]
I almost wish I could stay with you like this forever. But I don't even know if we'd be able to get to the place we share together here. [Even if she was the one mostly maintaining it when he was gone.] I'm happy I'm here, but... why am I here? Is there something I can assist you with?
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That's a good question.
[He exhales more smoke. Ugh, why can't the moonlacing work? This dream, if it is one, could at least have given them that! But if anything this may just prove that it's more than a dream. If Queen Mab's power made it so that this chunk of Caihong truly exists on Avalon for the time being, then that would explain why there's no chroma flow.]
On Avalon it's the beginning of spring now. Each year the locals, and we outworlders too, celebrate it by sleeping in huge flowers that connect everybody's minds and strengthen the magic inside of us. Last year I got a whole new type of magic by doing this! This yeah, though... something went wrong; the flowers washed us out. Last year we could visit each other's dreams in our sleep, but this time it seems like the dreams manifested here instead.
[This is better and more valuable to him than any new magic upgrade could be, honestly.]
I'm not leaving here if I can help it. We can see if we can go home-- [up to Lunatia's 2nd level]--, or we can just stay here.
["As long as we can", a small nagging voice inside his mind adds, because part of him knows that it won't be forever.]
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If all you have to do is sleep in a flower, that doesn't sound bad at all, heehee! I'm glad you could become stronger, too. But, I'm sorry that it seems like the same won't happen again this year.
[Even if she is still happy she could see him like this. However, LB felt perhaps just a small bit of guilt in that perhaps it was disadvantageous to him in some way - though she suspected Hijikata didn't see it in that way.
Nevertheless, LB didn't know if she was on Avalon forever, or if she'd go back to Prismatica as soon as his dream ended. So when he states that he didn't want to go back, she's a little relieved since she wasn't certain of when he'd be able to return. Even if she did still dread the thought of eventually having to leave.
She was just going to push that to the back of her mind, though, for now.]
I don't know how how true this version of Prismatica is, in this dream world, but I'm down to explore if you are.
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I wish I could show you Avalon proper, but you'd need a familiar to stay... those are mystical creatures that pass between Avalon and all other worlds and bond with people to pull them in and channel the magic for them to use.
[He wonders what kind of creature might choose her to bond with. Perhaps a monstrous kraken? Avalon's magical rules would probably shrink it down, if so. Or a huldra? If that were the case he can only hope that she'd prefer to live in the wilderness, like his own crow tengu, and not third-wheel him and LB... ugh, why is he daydreaming about this already?!]
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[She takes his arm in hers, her heart sinking a little at the response. She didn't want to leave Prismatica, but it really did seem like they would likely have to part whenever this dream were to end. But, it just simply meant that it was necessary to cherish whatever time she did have with him.
Though LB was certain there weren't any familiars for her, she is curious about his. It was hard to know now what were truly mystical creatures and what was fiction at this point, so she can't even begin to hazard a guess of what Hijikata was drawing his power from.]
I'm not surprised that even some sort of special beast would be drawn to you - heheh - what kind of creature are you bonded with, then?
1/2
You'd think it'd be an oni, but it's a crow tengu. They're bird people, essentially, with strong wind magic. Back home they also live in the mountains... or so the stories say.
[Just as they're about to reach the path they most frequently took up to Level 2 when walking on foot instead of taking the sky train he suddenly hears the approaching sound of trumpets high above.]
..?
2/2
Hijikata tries to hold on to LB's hand as they run for cover, knowing from experience that they can't fight this enemy, but other panicked people stampede in between them, and before he knows it he can't see her anymore. He frantically searches for her, never looking up and avoiding stores with screens that livestream that trance-inducing many-eyed stare, hoping that she hid somewhere to avoid re-experiencing that harrowing despair.
Unexpectedly there are others in this place, though, people neither from Prismatica not Avalon, and they're much stronger than those who got sapped of their powers on these foreign worlds. Somehow King Majestas gets defeated by a spectacular display of power before he can even break the locals to the point of turning them into his minions.
Hijikata is barely able to let the relief sink in, still high-strung as he resumes his search for LB among the people coming back to their senses. How long did the chaos take? Minutes? Hours?]
LB!! Sarina!
[Hopefully she didn't look at the Calamity Beast!! Back on Prismatica they never spoke of what each of them experienced - as a matter of fact he isn't even completely sure to which degree she was affected -, but he's rattled as hell. With over 2 years of multiverse travelling experience under his belt he's now well-braced for mental tricks and emotional snares, but Majestas' attack on Lunatia was the first of that kind he experienced, and it hit him terribly hard.]
no subject
Now...?!
[Why couldn't this have happened when she had her Octopus suit? While it wasn't even the most destructive suit within her former Beauty and the Beast unit, the mobility of it could have at least been useful here! Before she can ask Hijikata what he wanted to do, though, they're soon separated by the chaos that surrounds them.
At the very least, LB knew from experience that there was no way in hell that she could go against the king, so she takes to her natural knowledge of taking to the shadows and finding the best areas to hide. However, even if she knows that she could keep herself safe in this way, she wasn't going to just let Hijikata loose either - while she knew he would likely do his best to avoid any confrontation, LB couldn't risk the off-chance that he could have gotten caught somehow.
While her panic rises the longer she can't find him, eventually she finds the threat dealt with after what seems like hours, but is likely a considerably shorter time. That does little to calm her nerves though, as she traverses what seems to be a version of Prismatica, but in limbo.
At the very least, though, she knows voices so well in that she's eventually able to pick up Hijikata's worried voice amongst the crowd. Not certain if the threat was gone for certain, she keeps to the alleyways, keeping her voice down as she calls out to him.]
Toshirou, over here! Eheheh... [At the very least, she seems unharmed, evern if she still looked spooked from her position.] Is he... really gone?
no subject
[He checks her over and exhales in relief at her being unharmed.]
I think he's done for, yeah. Again.
[He's still confused at how someone with powers strong enough to take down a Calamity Beast could have entered this place, but at this point he's not going to question it.]
I can't believe this happened!! I should've known, though; getting to see you again here was too good to be true. Of course they had to throw something awful into the mix!
[He decisively takes her hand and pulls her along with him.]
Let's try to find a way out before the damn Oracle of the Sinless show up next.
[If there is a way out... he can only hope that there is. He doesn't know it, but he just barely managed to pass Queen Mab's trials by proving that he learned from his first encounter with Majestas and didn't try to fight the overbearing enemy again, and now by being willing to leave the nostalgic and sorely missed location (albeit with LB). So when they approach the sloped walkway he remembers taking with her after their first not-date over some drinks there's an unfamiliar door at its narrowing end.]
...
Okay, this isn't right.
[He turns back, looking at the Caihong scenery in which the people are gradually recovering their bearings after the attack. He's worried. What is LB can't go through this door? What if they're separated again after such a painfully short time together? But if they stay together his presence might invite more horrors - he assumes that simply because the fae are wicked and he expects the worst of them.]
no subject
Good. [She forces a smile at seeing how upset he was over the ordeal, though, doing her best to look reassuring.] But ah, eheheh - it was awful, but at least someone was able to take him down here!
[She's about to suggest that perhaps they could resume their search through the dream to find something more pleasant, but soon finds herself hastening her pace to keep up with his sudden bold charge ahead.]
O-oh, yeah, sure. If that's what you want, maybe it would be better to get away from the familiarity of the bad parts?
[At the very least, the familiarity of the scenery eases the anxiety in her mind, indeed recalling the not-date in which she definitely wanted to take him home - even if he did politely turn her down that particular night. LB does have to pause upon seeing a door that was most certainly not there before, though.]
No, it's not. [She confirms, turning to watch Hijikata glance over the scenery of Caihong. LB imagined that he must miss it after being away for so long and just figures that he was hesitant to return back to Avalon. So she figures it's on her to try to convince him to go through - even if there was a chance that she might not be able to follow.] But, I think it's where you're meant to go - ahaha - we should go through it before something worse happens.
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If this really is the way back to Avalon it better show itself from its best side for you!
[He holds on to her hand firmly as he opens the door, which easily gives way, and steps through with her, feeling relief flood him all over again to see her still next to him on the other side. They're in a cavern alright, and it's as dark as it was before he saw the lights of Caihong... almost. There's a faint glow coming from behind some bends in the rock tunnel.]
We're in the cave of Queen Mab. She's the one whose magic conducts the spring equinox flower ritual every year, but I only learned about that today when the fae explained to us what went wrong with that. They only tell us what they think we need to know.
[He lets out a small derisive snort, but nevertheless starts leading them toward the dim light.
no subject
[She's half expecting to be stuck somewhere else as they go through the doors, but it's a welcome relief to instead find herself staring into the darkness, the warmth of Hijikata's hand still clasping her own. Not knowing where else to go, LB begins to follow the glow around the bends.]
That seems rather inconvenient. If they would just tell you these things, they probably wouldn't run into this trouble in the first place, hmm?
Continued from above (to avoid page-stretching)!
He can't help a happy grin from spreading on his face as her words mirror his own feelings. He squeezes her hand. If anyone he first met on Avalon came across them now he'd still hold on to it, regardless of any reputation he may have as a hardass knight! But they don't encounter anybody as they follow the bends of the cavern to the source of the light, which turns out to be a pond.]
I wonder if the light comes from algae..?
[His attention is quickly taken off that question, though, when he notices the large rock rising from the water like an island, on which a lone figure is resting on a big bed, with convenient smaller stone steps leading a path up to it.]
Well! I think we've found our queen. I'm supposed to go touch her so my magic will return to me; do you want to come along?
[Part of him knows that it's a futile hope, but maybe some Avalon magic can be given to LB that way. Perhaps then she, too, will be anchored to this magical island for the time being so she can stay with him. She hasn't disappeared on him yet, so he dares to nourish his hope!]