oo-de-lally (OPEN-CATCHALL)

[inroad]

CHARACTERS: open to all night wood wanderers.

DATE: from this network post up to just before the the order of the chimera meeting event

WARNINGS: gintoki is in here somewhere.

SUMMARY: just a catchall log for threads in the woods with anyone who wants to wander around in the forest. even if they weren't planning to go with Masamune and Muneshige, by all means feel free to jump in. If you change your mind or even want to make a top-level totally unrelated to exploring with them if yor own character (or small group of characters) are wandering around during this time and you don't want to make a completely separate log for it, please feel okay to use this, too.

Any prompts/starts will be in top levels.

---

"" (Watch on YouTube)

[ but pretend it's dark and make a top level... or feel free to reply to any of the ones unless it's for some reason marked closed o7 ]

Comments

Forest >> (sequence 1)

[inroad]

[ it really is darker than black out here. Masamune stands on a trunk of a tree that's made itself into a makeshift bridge over a river cutting through the lightless forest. He really can barely see, the lantern he was carrying having blown out and he's not bothered to light another. Hopefully one of his companions is more resourceful on this for a little bit of vision power.

The warlord himself is taking the opportunity to complain for the moment, however. ]

'Ceh, it's almost creepy but it's lacking any thrill or sense of danger.

[ he apparently has no imagination. Also pls do not bump into him and push him off his tree trunk, he isn't prepared to get wet but he's also doing a fantastic job of not helping anyone see where he is, too, too... so.

Finding a red thing is going to be hard. ]

My kingdom for a goddamn flashlight, though. [ cue the 'kur plunk' sound as something breaks the surface of the river and descends. Yes he just dropped his lantern out of spite for it. ]

[tachiboner]

That sounds like a failure of imagination more than a failure of the forest, no?

[Because of course Muneshige would be ready and waiting to note that out loud. Whiners get good-natured ribbing, it's the first law of camping trips.

(Whiners might get worse, in some cases, but he's not going to put a snake in the bedroll of the guy who has six swords to whip out on him.)]

[capital_asset]

[Their inability to see their surroundings can be easily fixed by one of Raidou's demons, although Raidou's slightly hesitant to potentially bring attention to their group. Thankfully, Great Kohryu isn't his only Volt demon, because a flying dragon the size of a freight train would definitely bring attention to them.]

I... might be able to do something about the lack of light.

wow sorry guys I thought I totally replied to this

[inroad]

Yes, the forest's imagination is definitely the failure here. [ Is he even fully listening?

Well, at least enough to answer the light potential. ] If you got an idea, go for it. [ light is a good thing. ]

[tachiboner]

[A slight shake of his head and click of his tongue is the only response Masamune's getting to that.]

I doubt a light will attract any more attention than this griping already has. We may as well.

[capital_asset]

All right.

[He's still hesitant to do this; he's not sure how either of them will react to the demon he's going to summon. But they can't just sit here in the dark, either, so he reaches for the appropriate containment tube and whispers the necessary incantation.

For a second or two, nothing happens. And then the tube begins to open, an unearthly green glow emanating from it, the light growing stronger and brighter as it resolves into a specific shape before abruptly vanishing.

But it leaves something behind.

Barong is one of his stranger demons, prone to odd soliloquies about almost anything - and not always in a language Raidou can understand. But he's ferocious in battle and highly intelligent, if a little overfond of exclaiming "Zappo!" at completely inappropriate moments. Barong takes another few seconds to evaluate their surroundings before giving Raidou a questioning look. At Raidou's nod, he casts the illumination spell inherent to all Volt-order demons, bathing the group's immediate surroundings in light. Which also gives their companions a clear view of him.]

[inroad]

[ Masamune squints a little at the light when it first flares up but hey this is way better and more convenient than lanterns—not to mention just look at that thing...!! ]

Ahh, man, I know what it feels like when you just can't decide what pair of pants you want to wear today but you stll showed up, anyway!

[ ...yes he's talking to the demon. he's referring to the fact its appearance suggests (to him) that it couldn't make up its mind on how to match things...or body parts. Animals... just pick one, friend. it's cute in a weird way he guesses?? but fashion police is date masamune's alter ego.

Masamune glances up to Raidou now, flashing a grin. ] Thanks.

if this isn't cool, lemme know

[digophelia]

Well, throwing things won't help, at all.

[ Here is where Alice's fear of fire becomes too irrational and inhibiting. Logic would dictate that one needs a lantern in the darkness and of course, Alice would like to see. A dull glow of a lantern keeps her further from anyone, who may have a lantern. At times like this, she wishes she could find a source of light that didn't involve fire.

At a good distance, Alice slowly trudges up and comes to a stop when she sees that he's dropped his lantern. Deep breath. It isn't as if the tormenting thought of a falling lantern has lurked in her head for 10 years. ]

Is 1000% cool!

[inroad]

[ if he had any idea of her fear, this probably wouldn't even be happening right now. Alas...

He does peer in the direction Alice's voice comes from. ] it makes me feel better sometimes. [ sometimes magical things happen like whatever he threw works better. This doesn't seem to be a case where either applies.

She's right, though ... however that lantern is toast even if he did go retrieve it from the river. But still, he considers. ]

I'm too used to moving through the forests at night with no lights. Even so, is there anything better than fire? [ usually dense areas of forest like this don't suffer dry enough conditions to be a real concern of fire, but... well this place has been pretty weird do who are they to say?

He sighs. ] If it was warmer we could catch fireflies. [ it's not quite as random as it sounds, but still it is pretty random. ]

[digophelia]

[ If there's anything better than fire, Alice would certainly like to hear it. Even more tight lipped than before, she stops short of approaching him when he asks that. ]

If there is anything better than fire, I have yet to hear about it, unfortunately. As a matter of fact, I welcome it. I can't say I care for fire. Wouldn't it be a little cruel to the fireflies to carry them in a jar like that?

[ Which is a gracious way of saying she's absolutely terrified of it. Once she knows that it's fallen into the river, Alice feels more comfortable to approach.

Sort of. Her usual game of "stop and go" resumes, stopping as soon as she manages to catch sight of
the river. She's feeling a little guilty for being pleased with it falling in the river. ]

Good evening, Mr. Masamune.

[inroad]

placholder where i write the start of getting out of the forest part and stuff there. specifically needs squirrels.

[inroad]

placeholder for unicorn hunting start because the only possibility is something stupid to keep them preoccupied...

that's all i got.

closed to riza-chaaaaan

[naturallywavy]

<sub>[ After this discussion, he's not sure what kind of miracle in heaven got her to say 'yeah, I'll go with you' especially after the few conversations they have had. Look, he isn't going to complain, and he really honestly feels like something could be out here in the wilderness. Whether it be more clues about their task at hand or perhaps the culprit himself, he's ready to face anything! Well, kind of.

Gintoki wasn't one to jump into things with a lot of preparation unlike one of his good friends who could easily be mistaken for Lupin the III. No, a simple little bag slung around his torso and shoulder— a beautiful, leather looking manpurse is the only thing he thought was needed for this expedition.. along with his bokuto. This is all he needed. It really was.

A lantern was held in his hand as they went further and further into the forest— they had been walking for some time now, occasionally stopping to investigate a clearing or something curious without finding much.
Alright, he would be lying if he said that he didn't feel a little bit nervous out here— it was with good reason, too. Gintoki hadn't really picked a side to divide on, even with the riots that happened during their stay here; he didn't fully trust anyone unless they were members of ALASTAIR.

It was worldhoppers he wanted to protect and devote himself to until they went their separate ways.

He doesn't wear it on his face. He keeps it cool (for now.) ]</sub>

Oi, oi. Sorry. This isn't my ideal walk on the beach either.
_{[ Gintoki. Don't you even start. Don't you invite this lady on a mission and go and start. ]}

swoons into gin-san's manly arms?! also you get the dog too, congrats

[strictdiscipline]

[For her part, Riza treats the whole thing as another extension of their main mission - snoop around in the woods for lingering evidence they might've missed having confined themselves to only staying in the town prior. After all, the fairies had been a new discovery to her. Who knew what other strange things might be lurking out here?

At the moment though, she's stumbled across nothing except for a well-hidden tree root (and saved from falling flat onto her face by the comforting trunk of the same tree the root had belonged to). It hasn't been a bad trip of exploration so far and she can't really see the need for Gintoki to apologize.]

We're here to search for evidence, not sit around having a picnic. [She knew what she was getting into!! Or at least chose to pretend she knew what she was getting into.] There's no need for an apology.

[Next to her, a small black and white dog yips happily.]

oh cool just what he wanted

[naturallywavy]

_{[ Having an animal companion with them was an excellent idea, even if Gintoki put up some complaining about it. One thing everybody needs to know about Gintoki, is that it is all tough-love or nothing coming from him. If he's paying you any attention, even negative attention, it means he cares.
Gintoki stops when they reach a fork in the path they're walking on and allows Riza to catch up to him. ]}

It's nothin' but woods. It's been woods for awhile now.
_{[ Even with his negative sounding tone of voice (really, he was getting frustrated they hadn't found anything— this was his idea), he still had hope something useful could be discovered here. ]}

It's weird.
_{[ It is, especially after the fairies that they did come across. ]}
What does your dog think? <sub>[ If her dog is anything like Sadaharu, usually there is some way to get the message across by mannerisms or behavior to communicate with it.
Then again, the difference between Sadaharu and Riza's dog is the fact that Sadaharu is a fucking inugami.

He looks at the fork for awhile, hoping maybe this dog could sense a direction that is good to go to. ]</sub>

[strictdiscipline]

That's usually what forests are like.

[What else was he expecting.....

A swarm of mischievous fairies, probably. Some new variety of goblin? Either way, it is something of a disappointment after the rather sudden reveal of their new fairy friends in the woods. Then again, maybe there are strange and unfamiliar creatures in the woods, just well-concealed by the cover of magic. None of them here are really great at sensing that.

Except for perhaps Hayate, trotting around the fork with his nose pressed firmly against the ground. After a few seconds of sniffing, he bounds over to the path on their left, tag wagging high.

Too bad the path on the left looks super ominous and dark.]

[naturallywavy]

It couldn't hurt to somehow stumble across grandma's house and get some cookies! <sub>Oh. That sounds really good..
[ A pause as Hayate seems eager to go to the left side. Why was it always the ominous side? Do dogs even think about this stuff? Gintoki looks exasperated at Hayate's choice but walks ahead to the left path.

When Riza also walks with them, Gintoki begins to walk slower: ]</sub>
Your dog isn't screwy in the head or anything right? _{[ slower, slower.. ]} Usually they sense danger and, you know, run away.. _{[ slower, slower.. ]} It's a military dog though, right? It's supposed to go to danger. <sub>[ slower, slower.. ]

[ Now Gintoki is standing behind Riza, but is holding the lantern high in the air. His slowing down has been so gradual, maybe she doesn't notice.
His logic.

As he walks along, he analyzes the trees surrounding him and the darkness that is engulfing the forest. Gintoki wasn't afraid of the dark, no, it's what could possibly be in the darkness he was afraid of. ]</sub>

[strictdiscipline]

[By now, Riza's accustomed herself to Gintoki's nonsensical turns of phrase and seemingly random outbursts. She'd toyed briefly with writing each down and finding someone to explain them to her (Nico, perhaps?) but they'd amassing at too rapid a pace for her to remember and she'd abandoned that idea as quickly as it had come to her. They don't seem to be particularly important at the moment anyway, so she lets them pass by, turning her attention instead to their surroundings while keeping up the thread of conversation.]

Actually, we picked him up off the street. But he's a smart dog, smarter than most people I've met. [Is that supposed to mean something....?] He's saved my life a few times.

[Her voice is warm as she looks towards her dog; if Gintoki were to assume that she liked her dog better than she liked most people, he wouldn't be far from the mark.

She's about two steps ahead when she finally notices that Gintoki is neither in front of her nor beside her but instead a pace or two behind. Pausing, she turns her head to look at him.]

Did you see something?

[Why else would he be behind her....]

[naturallywavy]

People can be like an old NES system: bump them and their brain just freezes.

<sub>[ He believes that statement about her dog being smart. Really, he does. Sadaharu always recognized and remembered Gin when nobody else did.

He didn't see anything— no— but Riza may not understand his predicament. There were a lot of different kinds of villagers of both species that shunned him after the dividing riots because of the pain he caused both sides. He was doing what he could to protect the worldhoppers, regardless of who they sided on. One could say that Gintoki was still undecided with who was right during this entire mess.. they would be right.

He couldn't trust anyone unless they were those that were employed by ALASTAIR.

There was also the thing about ghosts, and his mind is riddled with all sorts of Japanese folklore that revolve around woods and darkness. Once he is called out, though, he replies quickly: ]</sub>

Oi, it's always best to have somebody watch your back; that's what I'm doing. _{[ literally watching your back.
Though, once they pick up the pace again, Gintoki hears a very clear snap that is behind them (so closer to him) that echoes in the forest. He whirls around with his lantern and sees... absolutely nothing but more darkness and woods. ]}

...

Alice Liddell | Open | stop crawling into holes, alice

[digophelia]

[ Wandering through the dark was becoming second nature at this point. Alice, who was so prone to wandering off from others, actually wouldn't this time. The idea of using a lantern would send panic through her body, so the next best option was sticking to the dull glow of other lanterns, from others nearby.

To make it worse, naturally, Alice was seeing things that weren't exactly there. Dim glows of Wonderland's mushrooms and remnants were leaking through and by this time, they had become so commonplace, all Alice could do was heave a sigh. There wouldn't be any indication of it, other than Alice awkwardly leaning forward to, yes, reaffirm that whatever giant mushroom was there wasn't actually real.

So Wonderland was starting to bleed through again and Alice can be seen leaning forward, patting nothing but space. She's content with this. Moving on, Alice's eyes land on a wild, tawny rabbit. Admittedly, she does a double take, her frown growing on her face. ]

I certainly hope that I'm not seeing you. I don't follow rabbits anymore.

[ Rabbits don't talk, they only wiggle their noses and run off. It scurries quickly under a branch, leaving Alice standing there, looking a little annoyed with herself. The irony. Her inclination to go a bit further, weaseling herself under branches and the like. She decides not to crawl and further the irony of seeing the wild rabbit running through forest.

At some point, she doesn't even see the twisting roots of trees, eager to see what was beyond what she could find. Creepy forests didn't phase Alice, they encouraged her to wander. She nearly slides through trees, ignoring the branches catching on her long hair, easily squirming through tight spots, up until Alice manages to get her ankle caught in between the forest's natural formation of boulders and thick tree roots, taking a tumble with a yelp. ]

Just my luck...! Really, I could stand not to crawl into holes.

[ She never learns and still continues to talk to herself, even at this age. ]

let me know if this isn't okay?

[capital_asset]

[It's not so much the talking to herself that bothers Raidou - well, it does, from a tactical standpoint, but if anyone's close enough to hear her talking, then they're close enough to see the light Barong is emitting - as what she's saying. Raidou knows what it's like to doubt what you're seeing before you, although in his case, it had been demons rather than any of the local wildlife.

(The fact that it's a rabbit reminds him a little too closely of one of the other occupants of his tubes, but that's a topic for another time.)

If the sight of a mere rabbit has her unsure whether to trust her own eyes, then it seems unlikely that Barong's presence will help with that. He debates for a moment, exchanging a glance with the the demon, before deliberately placing a hand on Barong's head. It's not a thing he would normally do; Barong is a demon, not a pet, and a gesture like this is normally rude at best (and honestly, he's not sure if confirming Barong's existence will help or hurt matters). But she'll likely be able to see Barong regardless, and he hopes he and Barong can at least provide some reassurance.]

Is something the matter?

we cool!

[digophelia]

[ Try as she might, the more she wiggled her foot in between the rock and the root, her foot wasn't going to budge. Alice was in an awkward position, almost laying sideways, in between branches and rocks, that when she moved, she was more concerned about her dress yanking upwards and her foot being pulled into the opposite direction when she moved. Sure, it hurt, but her concern focused more on her modesty. Grabbing one side of a branch, she tried to push herself up.

Shuffling upward, Alice gripped a thicker branch to bring herself back to an upright position at the sound of a voice

Wasn't that one of the people from outside of the jail? A with a breath, Alice was debating mentioning the fact she was caught and couldn't get out. Being stubborn as she was, she was reluctant to ask for help. Still muttering to herself, Alice decided to assure him that she could get out of her spot.

Only, not really, getting herself tangled up like that didn't help, at all. ]

I'm fine, I just took a wrong turn.

[ Haha. A beat afterwards, and Alice using her free hand to brush hair out of her face. ]

I can get out, no harm done.

:)

[capital_asset]

[...Right.]

Are you sure? I don't mind helping, if you need assistance.

[Which is perhaps not the most diplomatic way to put it, but he'd rather not have to leave her behind to fend for herself.]

[digophelia]

[ This is, unfortunately, a situation she can't really get out of, knowing that there's a rock on her foot. She's small, but she's not that small enough to weasel out of it. Though, if she has the boulder off her foot, she'll be fine.

Alice takes a while to respond. ]

Do you see that rock? If you can, can you please get it off of my foot?

[capital_asset]

Of course.

[This would be much more difficult if he didn't have Barong with him to cast his light, although Barong hangs back a bit to give Raidou room to work. He hopes she's just temporarily stuck and not seriously injured; he could summon Inugami to heal her, but given what he'd overheard, he's hesitant to do so.]