seasonsrpg | February-March catch all

[Really should look into some fireproofing spells for his clothes. Could probably stitch them into Mobei's too. It'd be good to have, especially if Linguang-Jun ever showed up (unlikely, but sometimes his luck was just that shitty). Also good for dealing with fire throwing demons like this guy!

Ducking down to try and keep himself as invisible as possible, Shang Qinghua drew up a batch of talisman papers, reminding himself to start keeping pens on him. And see if they could be used to channel qi. Because he didn't exactly have time to stop and grind ink when a surprise demon popped up to eat them.]

Try to keep it in the same spot, okay? I need to surround it!

[Which was why this kind of seal was usually done with more than one cultivator, but needs are!]

Got it!

[Has he really got it? Honestly, he isn't entirely sure, but he'll do his best! If nothing else, the demon doesn't seem to have understood his telekinesis use yet, given that it attempts to hit him with the chain weapon again, only to achieve the same result as before. This time, Hijikata hits it in the horn and forehead... and that infuriates the demon so much that it dismisses the flail and simply lunges at the samurai.]

Shit--

[So much for keeping it in one place! He has trouble evading a series of swings, more staggering than running as he attempts to stay in the invisible circle Shang Qinghua seems to need for his sealing technique to work. A strike of his sword leaves a nasty gash in the demon's palm, and it roars as it throws itself at him in a full-body lunge that he barely manages to evade - at the cost of falling on his ass.

He sends a brief glance as Shang Qinghua as he hurriedly gets back up - he better not have seen that! -, only to have to parry another claw swing with his sword, drawing more blood from the demon. The necessity to keep the battle within a small radius makes it difficult to keep any distance between himself and the hellbeast, and it's getting harder and harder to avoid being slammed to the ground by its claws. Hurry up, Mister Cultivator--!]

[Patience is a virtue~

Shang Qinghua scrambled around to place the papers, jerking with alarm when the fighting pair got a bit too close to his mostly formed circle. Shoving the talismans under his arm, he drew his sword and flung it towards them.

Instead of just smacking into one of them or falling to the ground, the spiritual blade floated and moved on its own to swing at the demon.]

Get ready to jump back when I say!

[The sword stabbed into the demon's foot as it tried to lung again, pinning it to the deck. And Shang Qinghua slammed the last talisman into place with a shout.]

And back!

[Being backed up by a sword that fights on its own is pretty nifty! Hijikata has half a mind to summon some fire swords to add to that number, little effect as the element would have, when Shang Qinghua gives the signal.

He darts away from his adversary at record speed. The last thing he needs is ending up getting sealed together with it! That arguably would be even worse than being stuck halfway in a magical door.]

[That's why spirit swords are awesome.

As soon as his friend was out of range, he shoved qi into the talismans to activate them, the circle lighting up bit by bit (like a damn loading circle, his brain helpfully noted) as Shang Qinghua watched the demon tensely to make sure it didn't get out at the last second. Snarling with rage at being caught, the demon thrashed against the sword pinning it, trying to strike out or grab the blade, but being repelled each time.]

Come on, come on...

[When the circle completed, everything happened fast, and the cultivator yelped as the demon summoned up one more fireball to fling at him before vanishing with a shriek. Leaving him to quickly have to pat out his sleeve.]

Really? You were already being banished! That was just rude! Some demons, bro.

I could've put it out!

[He can make fire harmless or call it away from its spot, after all! But with that not being necessary, he overlooks the now empty sealing site with satisfaction.]

Nice work. So where'd it disappear to? All the demons and spectres you guys exorcise have to end up somewhere, right? - Oh, and if you didn't know already, winter power holders can learn repair magic.

[So if Shang Qinghua puts his mind to it, his sleeve will be like new before long!]

I got it! Not the first time I've been on fire, no worries.

[Which is probably a worrying statement, but ah, thus is life. Shang Qinghua poked at his sleeve, watching the fibers kind of un-burn and knit themselves back together.]

Okay, that's cool. Wish I'd had that one back home. Would have saved so much work. Especially if I could have taught my students.

[Clothing fixed, he stepped into the empty circle to pry his sword out of the wood.]

And, ah, that's a good question. But I've never seen a demon banished with that set-up ever show up again, so I don't think we need to worry about it.

[That is concerning!! But at this point, Hijikata isn't entirely surprised. Shang Qinghua seems to have a penchant for getting into messy situations. On the upside, he already has the repair magic down! That's actually impressive. Hijikata usually leverages his winter-aligned mentee and (capital-S) Servant for that, but don't think he'll hold back from asking his newest questmate if he's ever the nearest person at hand!

He's happy enough with the demon being gone, its new location being secondary... but he frowns when he sees the old lady returning from wherever she's been hiding out. He stands tall and puts his hands on his hips.]

Ma'am, I'm afraid we'll have to charge you a hazard allowance for this stunt! That thing could've reduced the whole station to ashes!

[Of course, the woman immediately starts wringing her hands over only having such meagre savings, apologising profuselyin between, and offers some rare potion ingredients instead.]

I don't really brew potions... do you, Shang Qinghua?

[He's head of logistics for a very large cultivation sect. Of course he practiced a repair spell first thing upon finding out what winter users could do! Wants to see if he can make the fix buildings thing work on qi for when he goes home!

Shang Qinghua pondered the question.]

I don't do a lot, but if you have something for cooling or fireproofing, I could accept that. And a recipe! One that doesn't summon demons. I have enough of those in my daily life already.

[Oh, she has just the thing for him! Before she rummages through her stockpiles of ingredients, she makes them all some tea... a meagre appeasement, but it works; Hijikata at least pipes down with his complaints. As she chatters about her recipes to Shang Qinghua, the samurai exhales and mutters under his breath.]

Of course the guilds aren't going to pay us extra for this either... we better find a big shark so we can at least pocket that reward.

[In front of the client, Shang Qinghua kept his response to a small snort. Of course they wouldn't pay extra. If there'd been a danger clause, it'd have been written in the briefing. No danger clause, so anything that happened was their problem.

Scratching down the recipe, he hurried through the cup of tea and all but pushed his mission partner out the door as soon as he had the promised potion ingredients tucked away. Before anything else could happen.]

In the future, how about we don't hang around after finishing deliveries to weird old ladies?

[Hijikata lights himself a cigarette as soon as they're out of the door. The old lady waves after them among more expressions of gratitude, regret over the incident, and well-wishes for the shark hunt, but he only raises a hand to give a half-assed wave in return without so much as turning back around.]

Deal. Better yet, next time we just dump the stuff at the door and leave.

[Without even knocking before running, because who knows if the old lady - whichever one - won't be lurking right behind the door!]

Ah, tempting as that is you risk them claiming it wasn't delivered.

[Trade and logistics is what this guy does. He's too familiar with the shenanigans that can happen.]

But no reason to go inside! I say a policy of not passing the threshold is an excellent one.

Good point. Getting bad quest feedback is about the last thing I need! No more stepping inside from now on, then.

[Some tea and getting their ear talked off really isn't worth the risk of another home-made disaster!]

Exactly. We faced the same kind of bullshit sometimes back at the sect too. Disciple fails to get a delivery receipt, customer tries to say it never arrived and refuses to pay. Ha! Not on my watch.

So! Where are these sharks?

[Hijikata snorts. It's the same shit everywhere, isn't it? At the question, he surveys the area, then points at the undisturbed white expanse at the bottom of the rocky outcropping that serves as the base for the airship station.]

They can only live in dense fields of snow from what I gathered, so let's try our luck over there.

[However this will go, it can't be a bigger shitshow than the accidental demon summoning! (~~Famous last words...~~)]

February-March catch all

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject