isleofavalon | fifth shot ⊗ open august log

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fifth shot ⊗ open august log

🧙 WHO: Eustace and anyone
⚔️️ WHAT: all three animal mage related quests
🕒 WHEN: throughout August
🗺️ WHERE: various
⚠️ WARNINGS: none except for animal deaths for the hunt task and any potential violence that might happen in the combat oriented prompts

⊗ a: task - don't treep, man

[Near the beginning of the month, Eustace helps with the farmers, taking it as more opportunities to work on his communication with other animals. But he'll also help out with some of the physical labor aspects as well.

1. Herding. Taking the form of a black sheep dog, Eustace will run out to help corral those wayward animals, even help by communicating with any other dogs that might be around to direct them. Of course, sometimes trying to get clues to where the other members of the herd can be difficult, and there are times a dog can be seen lowly growling at a cow or sheep as he tries to make sense of what they're saying. He'll even pair up with anyone else who is out there, animal mage or not, and will be useful to get in close to the animals to drive them back. Of course he has limits to his magic, so there when not using magic, he'll ride out on a horse instead. It never really occurred to him to use his magic on it, but he does find communicating with it a lot easier.

2. Helping hand. When not out running around trying to get the animals back, Eustace will be helping repairing buildings. Mending fences, bringing in wood, sorting the feed—he'll be displaying a surprising amount of knowledge and ease working in a place like this.

Also do not mind the gratuitous fanservice as without his cloak on, the Erune fashion preference of wearing backless, sideless tops will be on full display.]

⊗ b: task - invasive species

[Knowing full well the necessity of controlling animal populations, Eustace heads out to site to help deal with it. It would be nice if they could convince the animals to move, but that could cos other problems in other ecosystems, so culling may just be the best answer here. However he's bringing a cart with him as he's not going to let this go to waste.

1. On the Hunt. Although he prefers working by himself, if there is anyone who is not as experienced he'll offer some advice or walk with them to help with the hunt. Otherwise, anyone wandering might be surprised if an animal suddenly falls and Eustace drops down from his perch in the trees, the gunshot that took out the creature silent.

2. Loading the Cart. After each kill, Eustace will carry it back to the cart he brought with him, arranging them in a certain way. And towards the end he'll even make an offer.]

All of these can be taken back and used as food or materials for goods. If you want any for your own use or to sell, go ahead. I can also prepare it if you can't.

[3. Carcinuses. Since the Carcinuses are only out because of the excess food, Eustace is less inclined to try and actually kill them. He will if there's no other choice, so he's ready to shoot down the lightning, but he'll try to help drive them back. The methods employed are to either bait them back in the water by chucking his own kills into the lake or...try and actually communicate.

This is a little tougher, but he'll try. So some might see a...very small, strange looking silvery gray crab staring up at a giant Carcinus who is just staring right back at the puny thing with some curiosity.

...Yeah he has no idea if this will work, but an attempt is being made. Or he could be mistaken as a little crab being intimidated by a big giant scorpion tailed crab when it's really probably the opposite. The claws are up, could there be a show down!?? (No, no there isn't.)]

⊗ c: task - animal mage hunt

[Eustace is not only an animal magic user, but because of his ears he can be easily mistaken as a "victim" of this ritual. So he's getting a double whammy on this one. The two options are:

1. Getting an Earful. Eustace was already used to people staring at his ears or even outright asking about it, but the past few days have been aggravating. Too many people have come up to him and either expressed pity or asked personal, invasive questions that were borderline disturbing and some outright propositioning. Some even had the audacity to try and touch them or worse—look to see if he had a tail hidden. For the most part they have more harmless so he just ignored and walked away (or smack a hand that came too close), but there's a point where the limits of his own patience is reached and he'll snap. Some might see someone fleeing from him in fear...or perhaps you might be daring enough to inquire while he's in this foul mood?

2. Targeted. There will be a few key incidents, but over the next few days Eustace will first notice he's being followed before he finds himself having to defend against sudden attacks. He'll also be on the hunt for the assailants as they are clearly a threat. For the most part he can handle it, but there are still times he could slip. Anyone who sees Eustace fighting off his assailant is free to intervene and help, perhaps even stopping one before he even realizes one is tailing him. Alternatively, anyone who wants to target and fight him is free to do so as well! Just PM so can figure out how it turns out.]

⊗ d: wildcard

[Thanks to the Animal Mage Hunt, he's going to end up suffering a severe injury later on that will limit his activity for the second half of the month, so most of the activity would be better set earlier. But if anyone wants to do a thread to check on him while he's recuperating, that's doable! If interested in anything else not included here, just hit me up on

laenavesse or discord and we can work something out!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He slows as he approaches, eyes warily looking at the subdued man and then to the younger boy holding him down. The question...

...]

I'm fine.

[It's not a complete lie.]

...Guess I owe you one. [Though in truth he's always felt as if he's owed Gran for a lot of things.] I'll get an officer to arrest him.

[He's totally not conveniently using priority of getting the guy locked up to skirt past the question he feels Gran is really asking. Noooooooo. Course nooooot.]

[ gran has a very sneaking suspicion that no, eustace was not okay, but he wasn’t going to push it. at least, not with an assailant still underneath his arm. but danchou has an eye on you, eustace. ~~no escape.~~ ]

No, you don’t. I’m just looking out for a friend. [ gran smiles, only nodding when he says he’ll find an officer.

but while eustace is gone, the assailant tries to book an escape by flailing. fortunately, gran simply knocks him out with a lot more force than he should have used. he wasn’t hiding his anger, nooooooo. ]

[He's fine, he can move just fine! Any prior injuries have healed already.

Mostly.

Maybe one or two are still lingering, but he's fine!!!

Anyway, it won't take long before an officer jogs up alongside Eustace, the man shaking his head as he uses special magic sealing restraints. The increase in crime against animal mages is real damn mess, and everyone is overworked trying to deal with all the attacks. So he's glad for their help and after throwing the assailant into the police wagon, the officer warns them to be careful, his eyes pointedly looking at Eustace before the wagon disappears down the road.

Only after does Eustace look at Gran.]

How did you spot him?

Glint of a blade in his hand. I saw it just before he got close.

[ his voice was matter of fact, keeping his eyes trained on the vanishing police wagon. he's not about to let his guard down just in case something happened. only when its out of sight does gran look anywhere else, but it's at the ground as his fists ball up at his sides.

anger, what's that? ]

I'm just glad I got here in time.

[Eustace notices his expression and he softens a little, a hand reaching out to pat him on the shoulder.]

Thanks. Even if I had noticed—!?

[His words are cut short when he hears a faint but telltale whistling sound and immediately grabs Gran to throw them both onto the ground. A second later a knife flies through the pace they both previously occupied.

Clicking his tongue he immediately heightens his senses and looks around.]

There's more, keep your guard up!

[It's one thing if it was just himself, but with Gran here? The quiet wolf is about to turn bare his fangs, and they're already coming in the form of lightning as the magic sparks around him, ready to fly at any sign of their next assailants.]

[ the hand on his shoulder causes him to relax a little. that small show of gratitude did wonders for his emotions-- that is, until eustace throws them both to the ground and alerted him to more attackers.

he did what he was told, keeping his entire being on high alert. no, there was no time to try and calm down-- his friend was in danger, and he wasn't about to risk anything. ]

They just don't know when to give up! [ there was a lot more force in gran's voice this time. he was sick and tired of all this, and he was losing control of his anger. he scans the area, checking how many attackers there were. he keeps his voice low as he speaks.]

I count 3, maybe 4. You?

[Eustace frowns a little at Gran's rising emotions, but it reminds him that he needs to keep a cool head as well.]

Same, but there could be a fifth or more hiding. Just take out as many as you can.

[And they won't have much time to plan anything as the attackers drop in, weapons and magic immediately flying. The two will be forced to engage in what will undoubtedly be a rough, tough battle.]

[ he only nods, wanting everything to be done with. but even he can tell it'll be a rough battle, and he steels himself for all the bruises it'll come with. so fight he will.

his anger simmers down now that he's taking action, allowing him to simply knock out the assailants without too much blood on his hands. so one goes down with gran as he tackles him to the floor. but he doesn't spend much time waiting for a response-- gran hits him with a punch to the face to make sure he was out.

and he doesn't stop there, thankful that his presence is at least distracting some of them from attacking their true target. ]

[If only they were in a more open space, but they've both had to deal with difficult situations. Casting his magic, lightning and ice will fill the area, striking to either stun, paralyze, or freeze any who get too near. For any that manage to get close, he uses both his dagger and gun to fend them off, punching and kicking when necessary. And when he has an opportunity he'll try and pick off the ones hanging in the distance. There's at least one mage casting spells, but it's a mobile one and is clearly coordinated with the others on the ground.

Fortunately they're going to get a little help. Eustace's familiar, Eria, appears, tackling one that's aiming for Eustace with a deep growl. She's already been tense from previous entanglements and is ready to cut some throats. So things get a little more frosty with the snow wolf's presence.

Eventually all five are taken out, including the mage. Although a bit more battered than before, Eustace takes a deep breath to collect himself, letting Eria slowly freeze the unconscious bodies as he looks over at Gran.]

Are you injured anywhere?

[Of course he would worry about Gran's safety over his of course.]

[ gran sighs when it's all over for the time being, watching eria freeze the bodies. well, that was one way to make sure they wouldn't get up. he won't complain at that, given that she was doing them both a favor. when asked if he was alright, gran gave the erune a wry smile. ]

I should be asking that to you, but yeah, I'm fine. [ nothing a little first aid won't fix. he still keeps an eye out, just in case someone else tries to start something.

something tells him that they're missing one, and it's eating away at him for not finding the attacker sooner. ]

[Eustace feels the same, and he can't help but still be guarded, occasionally glancing around them for anything he might have missed. He crouches down to investigate one of the men, frowning as he notices them wearing similar bands as if indicating them as part of a group.]

...Let's do one final sweep—!

[He's just starting to stand when out of nowhere from a place neither of them could have seen, three arrows fly out and strike Eustace on the back with a sickening tearing thud: two around his left shoulder and the third on his right.

It surprises him at first, but then he lets out a pained yell as he clutches his chest, collapsing to the ground as intense pain seizes him and he starts gasping for air. He can barely think straight but he knows—he was poisoned and he was already losing feeling on his left side.]

[ he was about to voice his agreement when the arrows met their target. gran's eyes widened, frozen to the core. his gut feeling was right, and gran was almost helpless to stop it. almost. ]

Eustace!!

[ gran immediately rushes to his side, starting on first aid as much as he could. he's lucky he's made joy carry around materials, as they were certainly coming in handy now. but even as he attended to eustace, he was scanning the area for the last assailant. he knew he was there, and they would have hell to pay. the anger was far too visible on his face for him to hide it anymore.

luckily he didn't have to look too far. ]

Joy, keep an eye on Eustace- I know where they are!

[ the little bell does exactly as he's told with a salute, as gran takes off to subdue the assailant. however, this one doesn't get the same treatment as the others-- this one, in particular, faces all of gran's wrath. ]

[The moment Eustace is hit, Eria also feels it and staggers before she's at his side in a flash, joining Joy in watching over him. There may have been the smallest of whines as she bumps her head against his. Of course she'd rather rip some throats, but she'll leave that to Gran. For now she focuses on channeling her magic to slow the spread of poison, though it's limited, and numbing the wounds from the arrows. She wants to pull them out, but...she doesn't know if it would make things worse and when her teeth grab onto one Eustace just shakes his head. He has no idea if they'd come out cleanly or not so he reaches up with a trembling hand to hold onto Eria's neck, trying to pull himself up.

Which she of course growls in protest, but he just holds onto her. Eustace himself is just struggling to stay conscious, the relief Eria manages to bring brief. By the time Gran returns, he's still holding onto Eria, trying to fight through the paralysis, but it's already spread down to his lower arm and he can barely move his left hand.

Dammit, how could he have been careless...!]

Edited 2021-08-28 05:07 (UTC)

[ and rip throats is exactly what gran does. no one harms his crew and gets away with it. there was even some blood on his armor and clothes, indicating that the captain did not pull his punches. as he comes back, he's already called the authorities as well as any medical professionals through his phone to help as he rushes back to eustace, not wanting to waste more precious time. what takes priority now is making sure his friend makes it out alright.

he skids to a stop once he makes it back, helping eustace up as gently as possible without stressing his injuries. ]

Thank you, Joy, Eria. [ he's at least rational enough to thank the familiars for their work. ] Hang in there, Eustace. Help's coming.

[He only releases a strained breath as Gran helps him before there's another strangled cry of pain. Of all the injuries he's ever sustained, this is definitely high up there. But he keeps trying to fight it, keeps trying to stay conscious. His back is so numb he can't feel anything or notice the blood seeping through the wounds. Should they be grateful that because it's a piercing wound and he forced Eria to keep them in that he's not losing too much? ...Yet.]

...Gran...

[He struggles to speak, wanting to apologize or say it was his mistake, but he ends up coughing up blood instead.]

[ gran resists the urge to flinch at eustace's cry of pain, especially because he doesn't know if it'll agitate the wounds. he doesn't even dare try to remove the arrows, lest he risk heavy bleeding. he keeps an eye out for medics, praying, hoping they come sooner rather than later.

when the erune speaks and subsequently coughs out blood, gran is quick to shush him. ]

Save your energy for living, Eustace. You can tell me everything later-- I'm sure they won't be bothering you again.

[ it sounded less like a threat and more like a promise. gran was ready to raise hell, but had to make sure eustace didn't die on him. but how much longer would he have to wait...? ]

[There's just a heavy, sharp intake of breath as it all becomes too much. Despite his best efforts, his vision blurs and darkens and the ground spins as he collapses forward.

He'll be completely unconscious for the rest of the time.]

Eustace!! Hang in there, okay?!

[ gran very easily loses cool when he collapses, and is starting to panic. he knows eustace was a strong guy, but who knows what those arrows were laced with. gran starts frantically looking everywhere, to find when the medics were coming, and when he finally sees them approach, he lets himself sigh in relief.

but even so, he doesn't stop helping out by creating the needed materials to bandage everything up. gran, of course, is more concerned about eustace than his own bumps and scratches, so when the medic asks if he needed help, he brushes them off. ]

[Eria only whines and sticks close to Eustace's body, at first actually growling at the medics that approach before finally easing up for them to tend to him.

It's definitely bad, and they move him onto the stretcher and into the ambulance—or well, the special carriage wagons they use—applying heal magic and other treatments they can. The arrows are left in as one of them sees that they are barbed and would be too dangerous to pull them out here without proper equipment to help stem the inevitable blood loss.

While they tend to Eustace, the medics will be insistent on getting Gran looked at, at least to have some healing magic applied along with bandages. If Gran is still stubborn they can allow him on the wagon and will perform his treatment there.

Once at the hospital Eustace will be rushed into an operating room and it'll be quite a long wait as they treat him.]

[ gran is extremely pushy, as he doesn't want to let his crewmate out of his sight for even a second.

of course, it meant letting the medics patch him up and raising a stink but it was eustace. a precious friend and crewmate. but he's not about to complain if it meant staying by his side. gran has a heart too big for his chest sometimes, and it shows.

as they head to the hospital, gran's got a tight grip on joy, seeking some sort of comfort, and hoping that eria is alright. he doubts it, but he tries to at least pet her head to comfort her. ]

[It's very rare for the usually proud and haughty wolf to appear so meek and defenseless as Eria just remains as close to Eustace as she can, her whines mixing in with the ominous beeps of machines and words of the medics as they work to keep the erune's body stable. But even if she doesn't show it, she does appreciate the pets. And she'll be joining them in the operating room whether they want her there or not. Gran, however, will be forced to stay outside and will have to endure the grueling wait.

But eventually it's over and the doctor will come up to Gran to explain the situation. Although barbed, the arrows alone were not much issue and they were able to remove them safely. The problem had been the poison they were imbued with as it had a fast acting paralytic agent. Had they been just a little closer to his heart, it's quite possible it could have stopped it and caused a heart attack, so they were very lucky in that regard as it was clear that was what they were aiming for. They were able to administer an antidote, but since it's more like a curse it would take weeks before the poison is completely removed. Thus his left arm will be paralyzed for a while before it's able to function normally again.

After some more explanation, he doctor guides Gran to the room where Eustace remains unconscious, set on his stomach since the wounds on his back still need to heal. Eria had hopped onto the bed and curled up next to him, not caring about whatever protocols she's breaking. But his condition is stable so it's only a matter of time before he awakens.]

[ gran spent the time pacing back and forth, unable to keep calm while they were working on eustace. he wanted to know when he would be coming out, every single little detail. he's annoyed at the fact that his presence doesn't have enough sway in this world, but he'll comply so he doesn't get kicked out.

but once he hears the state of how his friend was doing, he's relieved to hear that eustace is alright. it could have been worse, and the attacker got his just desserts for hurting his friend, so everything was right in the world. when allowed to finally see him, he just sighs in relief. telling him is one thing, seeing is another, and that is when gran finally lets himself relax. out of the danger zone.

guilt still festered within the captain, and he couldn't help but voice it. ]

Normally I'm not that careless... I'm sorry, Eustace. Should've done more.

...Who's the one who was careless.

[A low, groggy voice responds as Eustace awakens not long before the boy spoke, as if he had sensed Gran's presence. At first he starts to rise but then swears under his breath because that was a mistake.]

Hey, don't push it! Lay back down before you undo anything.

[ gran would've done so by using his hands, but he doesn't know if that would be allowed by both the hospital and the erune. he gets the idea to pet his ears to ease him into resting, but tucks it away for the time being. maybe when they have this much needed talk. ]

I was. I should've been more thorough-- and you got hurt in the process. What kind of captain am I if I get someone hurt...?

[ it was eating at him a lot more than he let on. ]

[Whether he wants to or not, down the Erune goes as he lies back—or rather forward—on the bed and tries to catch his breath. It's now he can really feel the effects of that paralysis, his right side throbbing in pain while his left...is nothing. Nothing at all. Just some visages from his lower rib cage down to his abdomen, but mostly his chest and arm he can't feel a thing let alone move it.

It's...disconcerting to say the least, but Gran's words takes his attention away from his condition. If he could he would reach up and thwap him on the forehead, but as it is he can only narrow his eyes and frown at him with a hard glare.]

If you're going to say that, then the same could be said for me—what kind of contractor and crew member am I if I allowed myself to get hurt and not be able to protect my captain?

Don't blame yourself, Gran. Injuries happen even to the best of us. All it takes is one moment of opportunity and they took it.

fifth shot ⊗ open august log

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