mayfield_rpg | event: portal four

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!event

event: portal four | the mountain

The fourth portal, as might be expected, can be found atop the hill known as Makeout Point. The other side of the portal isn't altogether that much different from the side you're entering from, save for the thicker trees and somewhat darker lighting.

The other side of the portal is significantly colder than the Mayfield side; frost covers the ground, and although it's not quite freezing, you'll want to bundle up. A glance at the sky reveals what you might have been dreading: glitch holes, in varying size, litter the skyline. The sun is hidden behind a set of thick clouds, creating a melancholy atmosphere.

The landscape around you is relatively flat, and you can't see too far beyond the forest ahead of you. It isn't until you turn around, facing the portal that you entered from, that you see the rising slope of the ground. The mountain rises high, higher than you can see from its base. There's a rough, primitive path heading up its slope, and for now simply hiking will be sufficient. As you get further, however, simply walking won't be enough: you're going to have to climb...

Somewhere, closer than you might prefer, a single wolf howls, and is shortly joined by more.

Better get moving.

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[Heat is not good for vampires. Fire is not good for vampires. It's hot enough that Natalie's clothes are smouldering, and Natalie herself is this close to a Fear Frenzy.]

Hajimeeeee....

[She's terrified, and shaking like a leaf as she clutches onto him.]

[There's another rumble and yet more lava spews from the top of the mountain. It won't be long before the whole thing is buried.]

[By this point, he's been hit by some smaller sized pieces of molten rock. The armor's helped somewhat, but he's still hurting.

Not that it bothers him at the moment. Adrenaline is getting him far. He's too focused on flying as quickly as he can--and on Natalie. He needs to get her to safety, and he needs that now.]

It's all right--I won't let anything happen. We're almost there. Just hang on!

I... I... haaaaaaah...

[Her coat is on fire now, and so's the hem of her pants. But she's sure that if she kicks or writhes she'll fall completely and burn to a crisp far, far faster. There's a snarl in the back of her throat, as Frenzy very nearly claims her.]

F....f-f-f... fatherhelpme, Goddesshelpus, pleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleeeeease...

[In spite of it all, she hangs on.]

[The portal is coming up quickly, but so is the lava. It's a true race to get there in time...]

[That is FIRE. Fire, bad. Hajime would attempt to swat it out, but his hands are full between Natalie and the bow. He's not about to let go of either.

But he sees the portal, and he's trying to put on as much speed as he can muster. He doesn't think he can take too many more hits from flaming lava rocks, either.]

Almost there! I can see it!

[That desperate high-speed begging is now just a high, squeaky, pained sound. Her teeth are tightly gritted, so she doesn't find herself tempted to sink them into him.

Though she makes no sound of confirmation of his statement, she does give her head a little turn to see if what Hajime says is really true. The exit? The way out? ...yes. Yes! There it is!

Her grip slips for a moment, and then she squirms and grasps tighter and cries out in terrified shock.]

[He reflexively tightens his own grip when he feels her slip, and he starts to lower his altitude the closer they get to the portal.

Once he's close enough, he flies through that thing at top speed, coming to a skidding sort of landing. The bow vanishes; he's done with it. At that point, he'll start trying to put out that fire even though he's swaying with exhaustion.]

[With her feet on the ground and the heat of the volcano far behind, it's marginally easier to think. And to act. She releases her grip on Hajime and is simply shedding the smouldering jacket. It'll take patting and kicking to get her pants and socks and legs out, but out they go.]

Ha.... Haaah....

[It's extremely obvious that she's been crying. The tears have left red tracks down her face, and quite likely along poor Hajime's front. With the fire out, she can lower her head and back away and rub at her face.]

Th-thank you...

[Crying? This is not something he is equipped to deal with. He has no idea what to do. Getting thanked is also kind of strange; he usually bails before that becomes a thing.]

Are you all right?

[He sounds both concerned and exhausted as he grabs another card from his box and runs it through his belt buckle.]

SPIRIT

[He's in his human form again, looking like he's about to drop.]

[This is something that she'd rather not be dealing with, period. Tears. For fuck's sake, tears. What kind of pathetic wimp was she becoming? She rubs at her face harder, trying to keep it out of Hajime's field of vision.]

I'm fine. I-I'm fine. Just fine. Fine. I...

[She peers at him through splayed fingers, and watches sort of helplessly as he sways weakly.]

...are you?

[He gives her a nod that's probably a little quicker and shakier than it needs to be. He probably should sit down somewhere, even though he's not making any move to do so.]

I just drew a little too much power back there, I think. Nothing to worry about...

[And getting pelted with flaming rocks the whole time didn't really help matters, either.]

We made it out in one piece. That's the important thing.

[He looks like he's about to topple. How much effort had it taken to fly down an erupting mountainside?]

That's... the important thing, right.

[Aside from being a bit mentally rattled, she's feeling physically fine. So she gives her face one last wipe, then brushes her hands off on her pants... then awkwardly approaches Hajime and puts a hand on his upper arm.]

You... we.... you should go home. If you've used too much power.

[Considering that he usually only uses that card to get a bit of altitude to drop down for a kick, usually doesn't carry passengers, and had to do all that while lava was being thrown at him, it had taken quite a bit of effort.

He nods and doesn't seem to mind the hand on his arm.]

I'll get you home first.

[He's trying to act like he's perfectly okay but probably failing miserably at this point.]

[She shakes her head, reaching out with her other hand for his forearm. His efforts to be all stoic and tough are just making her want to dote on him more right now.

...it's purely practical, yes. What if something else horrible were to happen, and Hajime were to be out of commission? Yes. Purely practical.]

I can still walk. You carried me down, hmm? Back to your place first.

[He finds himself oddly pleased at the way she's taken his arm, which actually confuses him a little.

...and really, he's too tired to put up much of an argument, as much as he might want to just to show how not-tired and perfectly okay he is.]

If that's how you want to do it, all right, then.

That's how I want to do it. Hmmph.

[She huffs and puts on airs of knowing exactly what she's doing. Because she does. She knows exactly what's going on. She's tending to her resources. Nothing more than that. And that's what she'll tell herself for the entire walk back to Hajime's place. Maybe she'll believe it once they get there...

If he needs something to lean on, she's a fairly sturdy support. And she's consciously trying to match his pace.]

[Well, it's good that one of them knows what they're doing, because he's still somewhat confused by those pesky emotions of his. After what just happened and with how exhausted he's feeling, he shouldn't be this content with things. Bizarre.

His pace is good, all things considered, and he's still determined to put on a show of being perfectly fine. It's probably painfully obvious that if she weren't there he'd fall over, decide getting up was too much trouble, and go to sleep in a shrubbery somewhere.]

[Shrubbery is no place to put a Kamen Rider! That's where you hide the dead bodies.

....ahem.]

I'm... still a little surprised that we made it out safely. I knew that you were powerful, but... not like that. I've never seen something quite like that.

[Conversation would possibly make the trip seem faster? And it might help keep Hajime engaged in the moment and on his feet until she can get him home. Hopefully.]

[Best not to get those two things confused, really...]

I take the power of the other Undead I seal--

[He breaks off in a yawn in the middle of the sentence. Such a good sign. Keeping him talking is probably a good idea.]

--and that one could fly. I could've taken its form instead, but I didn't think it would handle the damage as well as Chalice...and I would've lost the use of my bow...

[Because you never know when you'll need to shoot something while fleeing from lava, after all.]

Ohh... so that's how it works? That's interesting. [That's alarmingly like diablerie. Maybe she shouldn't mention that, though...]

Mm, keep going. We're getting closer, Hajime... are you hurt at all? Bruised, even?

[She... she actually sounds concerned. In a genuinely human kind of way, not in the usual half-hearted way she states these things.]

That's...what I do, yes...

[There's a somewhat weary nod.]

I'm fine...I think the armor caught the worst of it. I might be a little bruised where it was weaker, but I've had worse.

[Even if it was worse, he wouldn't want to worry her, same as when he'd been insisting he was fine earlier. He's not exactly used to hearing people sound so concerned for his well-being, especially not here in Mayfield...it's kind of nice.]

What about you? Are you all right? Burns, anything like that?

So it's just exhaustion? Nothing broken, just some bruises? Good... that's good.

Hmm? I think my clothes took the worst of it. And my ankles. I've spent blood, it's not really bothering me...

[Although she's glad that his pace isn't very quick. He was concerned? ...he was often concerned about her, wasn't he? It was touching. Or she wanted it to be touching. She wanted to trust that it was genuine. But... not yet.]

[He nods.]

I'll be fine after a little rest.

[There's a pause as he tries not to put so much weight on her. "Tries" being the operative word there; he's pretty worn out.]

You're sure you're good to walk back to my place? We can stop at the butcher's if you need to...

Likewise. A good day's sleep or two, and I'll be good as new. [She laughs softly.] You should probably get right to bed, once we've gotten you home...

[She can tell that he's trying not to lean so heavily. Though she's tempted to object... well. So much the better for her. She'll be glad when she can get off her feet.]

Mm, no... I don't think it would help much. I've drank plenty. It's the rest I need.

event: portal four | the mountain

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Done with a busy weekend!

Woohoo!

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