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!]

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[One day, he'll come around. Surely!

She is a little stunned that he even agreed to her help with the stretches, but doesn't say anything of the sort, she'll just be silently glad that he's accepting it at all. But first... she whips out her phone and refers to the small brochure in the DVD case, punching in a URL and some numbers in.]

Figured we might as well get a head start on the movie while we do. Come on.

[Beckoning him away from the table, Tifa leads them to the couch in the living room (there's a couch, right???) where she sets the phone down.]

It'll be a little tight, but we'll manage.

[Yes there is a couch and it's a nice one, too.

He looks at the setup for a moment before he hums a bit.]

Hang on, I have something that could make this easier to watch.

[He has to get a few things anyway, so he quickly leaves the sitting room and goes to his room. A few minutes later he returns with a bundle under his arm and something in his hand.

Tossing the bundle down as he sits next to her, the item in his hand is revealed to be a stand to set her phone on. He manages to unfold it with his right hand before setting it down on the table.]

Here. Put your phone on it.

[That's all he says as he begins to undo the bundle to reveal a few things he uses for his exercises: a grip ball, wrist weights, a few stretching straps. He'll then start undoing his sling, which is somewhat of an annoyance.]

[Oh, would you look at that? It's like he was prepared for this from the start!

With the movie on pause and ready to go, Tifa quickly sets it down and scurries over when she sees him struggling with his sling, and her hands immediately move in where his are, taking over the work.]

Let me.

[No sense in making it harder for himself. She slides behind him, making sure that her tugs are gentle enough that she doesn't jerk him around, and she makes quick work of it when... There's a sinking feeling, a dread that burns in her chest and in the pit of her stomach when she slides his shirt aside to undo the sling around the back, moving it just so until she sees it. There are scars there... Had those always been there? No, these look like fresh wounds—ones that are working on healing. She's no expert in weaponry or the kinds of marks they would leave behind, but... these look like arrow wounds?

At some point, her breathing stops completely along with her hands, and a dark realization is quick to sink in, making it all the more jarring. Why here, if it's his arm that was paralyzed? If not his arm then what were they aiming for? Surely not his heart...?

There's a stretch of silence that goes on for far too long...]

[It's not like he used it to watch dog videos or anything—!!]

Hey—I can handle it—

[He tries to protest, but his maneuverability is limited and she's already sliding her way behind him. And, admittedly, it is a bit of a pain. Even if he can do it himself it takes some time given the positioning of things as well as needing to not aggravate the wounds. So he just stops his protest and let's her have her way...

...

Until he notices her hands had stopped and she's grown rather silent. A quick glance over his shoulder reveals the reason and he slowly looks back forward before he quietly addresses her.]

It's fine.

[No, it's not fine, and he needs to stop telling her that it is.

After a few beats of silence and her giving him the "it's not fine" sort of stare, Tifa finally removes the sling from his shoulders and sets it aside. She knew that the attacks posed a danger to people, but she had no idea that they had intentions of... killing the animal mages. Whoever clipped Eustace with those arrows, they had only just missed his heart, and if they had landed a bullseye...? ~~Where was this attacker now...? She'd like to have some words with him.~~

Without thinking, her fingers reach up to graze the skin near the scars, but her touch is so light and fleeting that it will only feel like a tickle from her breath before she withdraws her hand.

... ]

Right... [Her tone has shifted, heavy and weighed down by the news, but she shakes her head and tries to smile for him.] Uh, let's get started on those stretches, shall we? I'll start the movie, too.

[He's alive that's all that matters. And he just kind of ignores that stare, remaining silent until she finally removes his sling. Something like this...it may have been one of his worse injuries, but he's beyond the point of being shaken by it. At least he can now feel things so as light and fleeting as it was, he notices that touch and it sends an odd prickly feeling.

Probably because it's a bit more sensitive.

So he just ignores it and starts strapping on the wrist weights.]

Go ahead.

[Tifa scurries to the table and hits play—

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Episode I: THE RETURN OF THE HOPE."

—and then shuffles back to Eustace, urging him to move to the couch and take a seat. They can do their stretches like this, and it'll be a little easier to watch the movie on the smaller screen if they're closer. And while the song plays and the opening crawl begins, she positions herself closely behind him and grabs hold of his arm. Her hand lingers there, but she doesn't move it yet.]

Tell me if it's too much, okay?

[Then slowly, she starts to lift it by the elbow, taking a deep breath in and hoping that he'll follow suit with it.]

[...

.....

Okay this is. Admittedly a little weird for him. It's not like he's never had to work closely with someone, but maybe it's the fact there's a movie playing on the small screen in front of him and they're on the couch... ...For some reason it just feels weird???

But he quickly brushes it aside. It's more likely it just goes back to him preferring his personal space, and being a little cramped on the couch like this doesn't give them the usual space a more professional setting would give. So after shaking off that slight feeling of unease, he just glances back at her before wordlessly following along to try and use those weakened and semi-paralyzed muscles. There's a slight grimace when he has to stretch it a little higher, but he doesn't say anything. If anything he needs to feel that pain as it is a sign that he's getting more feeling back in his muscles.

So he'll just quietly follow Tifa's lead, no longer conscious of her behind him as he focuses on the exercises. Occasionally he'll take in a sharper breath, his brows furrowing a bit. But that's pretty much it.]

[His sharper breaths have her pausing her movements, checking up on him to make sure he's okay with the amount of force she's putting on his arm, but if he says he's fine, then she won't question it. Instead, she'll keep pushing until he tells her otherwise... He needs to feel a little bit of pain. It's the only way either of them will know that it's working.

The stretches themselves are ones straight from Zangan's guidance. He always reminded Tifa that stretches and meditation were as important as physical strength and martial arts. It was a part of it all—Tifa-Ryu as she liked to call it these days. The practice that encompasses all of it. These are the same ones she practiced after her surgery to help rebuild the muscle mass and strength she had lost from it, so she's confident that they'll work for him too.

As for the movie, Tifa's attention is half on that, half on him, with most of her focus falling on the scars she can still see on his back. Worry continues to turn her stomach over and over each time his shirt flutters far enough back that she can see them, and when she does, she tries to peel her eyes away back to the phone... How did this happen and she had no idea...? And why wasn't she here to help him sooner...?

Questions she'll ask herself again and again.

At the twenty minute mark, she'll hit pause.]

... How are you feeling?

[He's only half paying attention to the movie, more focused on how much he's able to feel during the exercises, so he doesn't mind too much when she suddenly pauses it. He just looks back at her before feeling his arm and shoulder a bit.]

The fact that I can feel more than yesterday is already an improvement, no matter how painful it is. But it's fine, I'd tell you if it was more than I can handle.

[Of course, there could be a problem in that he might push what he can "handle," but she probably can guess that.]

These stretches, though... I'm not really familiar with them. They might be more effective than what's been suggested so far.

Really...?

[She knew they would be effective, but hearing it come from him is an entirely different feeling. Knowing that she could help him in some way makes her feel a little better about the whole thing. And while the movie is in the middle of a spaceship chase, she takes the opportunity to explain.]

I call it Tifa-Ryu. [She laughs, quiet under a breath while she adds a little pressure at his elbow again before extending his wrist out as far as he'll let her.] Originally, it was called Zangan-Ryu after my teacher, but I adopted it and made it my own after I left the village.

[She takes in a deep breath, and then exhales it with her motions.]

These stretches helped me back in the day too.

Tifa-Ryu...

[A bit of an odd name, but he'll remember it properly.]

You'll have to teach me so I can continue after you leave. [Because he's not expecting her to come back, at least not for a few days.]

But why did you... [His voice fades as he starts answering his own question. If these stretches are to help build back muscle loss, then it can only mean that Tifa had suffered a severe injure that forced her to use them. So he stops himself from completing that question and glances away.] ...Nevermind.

[Every day until he likes it.

She worries for a moment that she'd said too much. It was meant to be reassurance that the stretches do work, so when he starts his question, her fingers tense under his muscles. It's a bit of a sensitive subject, and although it's easy to guess where that came from, she does appreciate him for not finishing the thought.]

Honestly? It's not all that hard to learn. It mostly focuses on breathing and centering the mind. A lot of what's going on is all up there.

[He'll feel a light tap at the back of his head.

But then she's turning her attention back to the movie, where the Princess is being... kidnapped by Marth Zader?]

Oh, he was already the bad guy right at the start...

[Tifa please don't be like the stalker.

There's a low hum when she taps the back of his head and he considers her words. So is it more of a meditation thing...? Meditation and stretching, hmm...]

I thought it was obvious given the way he was dressed and his behavior.

Sure, but...

[Tifa tilts her head and continues to add a little pressure to his arms. She'll only stop these when he says so, and although she's paying a little more attention to the movie now, she's still observing his reactions—his breaths and the ripples of tension in his muscles—for any signs of resistance.]

You can't judge a book by its cover, can you? You think he was an okay guy once? He is the main character's dad, after all.

Being related to the main character doesn't automatically make them a good person. If anything they can be the most suspect for the plot line. Given their fight later and his hidden identity, that only calls him into more suspect.

[He winces a bit after a particular stretch and he glances at the time. Stretching is good and all, but too much can be just as detrimental.]

Let's break here.

[She lets his arm down carefully the second she notices him wince. Stretching is good, but there always is a limit, and she doesn't want to push him past it. She'll help him get back into his sling too, sliding it up and securing it over his shoulders once his arm is back in place before she allows herself to get more comfortable on the couch, slumping against the back of it and giving her legs a small stretch.]

You don't think something happened to make him this way though?

[For a fleeting moment, Tifa thinks back to Sephiroth—how he was once a revered war hero all across Gaia, and how... something had turned him into the monster that he is. Or had he always been that way? She'd like to think not, but her faith in humanity has wavered on more than one occasion.]

[With the sling replaced, Eustace let's out a breath before he gets up to get his water.]

It's more than likely. Since he doesn't seem like a flat villain he likely had some traumatic past involving the mother and some other reason that made him seek out so much power.

Do you want anything, by the way?

[If she wants a snack or drink, might as well get it while he's up. Eustace is also probably proving himself to be the least fun person to talk about plot lines because he goes at it like a critique.]

Just water's fine. I ate before I got here.

[Because she's smart and she knew that she'd be here a while. In hindsight, she really should have brought some popcorn along, because is a movie really complete without it?

With the soup and the stretches out of the way, they can now watch the movie in peace on this small couch. She doesn't mind though—it's just two people watching a movie, right?—and makes herself much more comfortable, bringing her legs up and taking up half of the couch for herself.

With the context of the first film now under her belt, the second makes a lot more sense now, although she does have questions about this supposed villain and his origin story. Maybe they'll release a prequel later down the line, and hopefully it doesn't suck... At any rate, she still enjoys the story for what it is: a sci-fi action movie with a dash of romance sprinkled in. It's not her favourite, and she thinks she likes the second one better, but... now they're going to have to see the last film when it's out...! :)]

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fifth shot ⊗ open august log

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wrapping!! 🎀