sixth shot ⊗ open september log

[flamekthunder]

🧙 WHO: Eustace and anyone
⚔️️ WHAT: various quests
🕒 WHEN: throughout September
🗺️ WHERE: various
⚠️ WARNINGS: none except for any potential violence that might happen in the combat oriented prompts

⊗ a: task - shear determination

[Shearing sheep...that takes him back and although it's been a while he heads over. Even if he can't, he can at least use his magic to try and help keep them calm. So for shearers, Eustace can assist some of the nervous sheep, quietly speaking to them and stroking their heads to keep them calm. And he'll also give some advice.]

You need to get all the way down to the skin and be quick about it, so don't hesitate. Be firm or it'll just come out jagged and you'll have to do it over. The faster you are the, less time they'll be like this and remain stressed.

And watch its right side—seems like it's more sensitive there. Could be a skin irritation, but we can treat it after it's been sheared.

[He'll call out any other such problematic spots a sheep might have. Sensitive leg, ticklish belly, don't be too rough, don't be too gentle—being able to hear and understand the sheep certainly has its benefits.]

⊗ b: task - cult classic

[If it's not one set of idiots it's another...

Having recovered from his injuries from last month, Eustace will take this as a prime opportunity to "warm up" and get back into it. Although there had been no deaths, it's clear the guy is being too reckless. Except with him sticking to the rooftops in the late evenings and around the places the incidents have occurred, it wouldn't be too unusual for him to be momentarily be mistaken. Especially when he's always wearing his own cloak.]

⊗ c: tdm - the fighting badass

[Zombies and undead... Well he's used to fighting them, but carrying back their remains? Not the most pleasant thing, but a job's a job and it's something he can do. He needs the exercise, anyway.

1. Combat. Although he'll plan on going solo, he won't helping anyone who is also dealing with the zombies. And wouldn't you know, lightning is fairly effective against them. Not wanting to push himself too, he's setting himself on a high point and sniping down the zombies, shooting lightning down immobilize and down them. Should he have someone that's more close combat, he'll be careful with his shots and let them finish it off.

2. Night watch. For the journey back, Eustace will be definitely guarded and alert on the captured remains. If camping out with someone, he'll secure the bags or boxes used to hold them and eye them warily.]

It would be better if there was some kind of sealing magic... Go ahead and sleep, I'll keep watch.

⊗ d: wildcard

[Considered the Take to the Skiesish prompts but he'd need some convincing to drink the vials. Should anyone want to take that up, I'll be game for any of the other prompts (flying, catching stars, giant bats). If interested in anything else not included here, just hit me up on laenavesse or discord and we can work something out!]

Comments

[feisticuffs]

[There may have been some underestimation on both their parts. Jade reacts quickly as a number of fingers leap towards her, turning into a kick in order to deflect them and send them flying in all different directions, with one of them heading straight towards Eustace.]

Ha—!

[The visual effect is... it's quite something, really.]

[flamekthunder]

[He's still trying to keep the ones loose trapped in ice and only barely manages to catch sight of that finger flying at him. His instinct is to dodge out of the way, but unfortunately, right as he does as he swears at himself because he should have tried to catch the damn thing instead.]

I'll deal with these, don't let it escape!

[feisticuffs]

[Don't let it escape.

Alright. Not the strangest chase she's ever gone on— well, maybe it is. She nods sharply at Eustace, leaving him to handle the other bits and pieces that are trying to make their own escape but have been sufficiently slowed by their efforts, taking off at a run in the direction of the flying finger that has now landed and managed to make a break for it at surprising speed.

This is going to be one for the books, certainly.]

Get back here!

[She seems to be gaining on it, at least, but behind her, there's a lone ear that seems to be inching its way across the ground towards Eustace while he's otherwise occupied...]

[flamekthunder]

[What is that ear going to do, smack him?

Actually, that's exactly what it's going to do.

Having to focus his concentration on either freezing or making the earth rise up to try and capture the loose body parts (he is honestly regretting not realizing how many these things were—granted all the boxes and bags were filled with a number of limbs, so is this better than a sack full of hands, feet, or other limbs???), he doesn't notice that lone ear inching towards him. So with his back turned to it, he's caught completely unaware when it jumps up high and slaps hard against his ass head.

That is one high jumping ear. Or...maybe it's trying to attach to his head?? Again, the weirdness continues because that's exactly what it's trying to do, which is really comical given that Eustace doesn't even have human ears. Either way, it's gross and Eustace makes a sound of surprise as he swats at it, stepping around in reflex. This of course means his concentration is completely broken and while most of the spell holds, the more recently cast is weakened break free.]

Shit—!

[JUST RIPPING THE EAR RIGHT OFF TO TRY AND FIX THIS HURRY BACK JADE.]

I knew you wouldn't let me down

[feisticuffs]

[It's just as Jade makes a running leap for the rogue finger that she hears Eustace cry out behind her. She lands on the ground, capturing the finger between two cupped hands and remaining hunched over it long enough to ensure she really had managed the catch— the digit is fighting against her now, wiggling and flicking against the palms of her hands to try and escape, but she closes her own fingers tight around it as she quickly pushes herself back to her feet.]

Hold on tight, I'm coming!

[What sort of danger Eustace is in, she doesn't quite know, but she turns sharply on one heel and proceeds to hurry back towards him only to find—

Well. She's not sure what she's looking at?]

What happened?!

[DID HE HAVE THREE EARS FOR A MOMENT OR—]

i would never~

[flamekthunder]

[HE'S GONNA HAVE MORE AND HER TOO AS MORE DIGITS START SCRAMBLING FREE.

The only good news is that although they might have broken free from the earth and ice, some of the spell is still on them so their movements are slowed.]

Just keep them off me! I'm going to finish this once and for all.

[Oh he's pissed. There's actually some lightning crackling around him.]

[feisticuffs]

[Heavens above, they're everywhere.]

I'm on it!

[No time to ask for explanations, no time to ask what he intends to do— Jade throws herself back into the fray, knocking a few digits that are attempting to make a leap towards Eustace out of commission with one fist before dropping down to sweep another attempted assault away with a low kick.

Whatever he intends to do with that electricity, she hopes he does it fast. They're so small and numerous that her usual methods will only hold up for so long.]

Whatever you're going to do, do it now!

[flamekthunder]

[He just needed enough time to gather up enough mana before he unleash his fury—well okay, maybe not fury. Well. Maybe a little.

Thanks to Jade's attacks, the little hooligans are all gathered up and small enough area that would be covered by the spell he's about to cast. And it's a doozy. A storm of small lightning bolts suddenly descends down on everything, the ground immediately frosting over to capture those that manage to avoid it. The storm is almost instantaneous and lasts for just a few seconds, but it's enough to strike down most of digits, rendering them immobile to be then frozen over.

Of course, that took a lot of energy as it's not often he has to cast different elements at once. Rather than a simultaneous cast he had to immediately cast the ice spell after releasing the lightning one. So he'll be taking a deep breath and pressing a hand to his head as he feels a throbbing headache coming on.]

...I won't be able to use anything after that, so we need to gather them fast.

[feisticuffs]

[It's quite something to watch, all in all, but there's no time to stand around admiring Eustace's handiwork at the moment. She nods quickly in response, taking only half a moment to catch her breath before she starts to round up every piece within reach.

Thankfully, what had been quite a distance for all those little severed digits wasn't too far from the crate they'd come in.]

Fast, I can do!

[He can take a moment if he needs to— that whole display looks like it had knocked the wind out of him— but she'll quickly set about snatching up every digit and broken bit that's been caught by the ice. It's a shame her own magic had done more harm than good in this situation, but she's grateful that they hadn't been entirely without options.]

Check over there, make sure none stay loose!

[flamekthunder]

[He is definitely going to need to take that moment. As impressive as it was, elemental magic is still his secondary so it takes a lot more for him to use. It's unfortunate that his animal magic doesn't have as much use... He'd rather not risk some critter carrying off one of the digits or worse—eating it.

So after catching his breath, he straightens up and and looks at the area nearest him. Quickly he'll snap up any before tossing them into the crate, and between the two of them they're able to collect them all.]

That should be all of them.

[feisticuffs]

[Jade wastes no time in slamming the crate shut again once they've herded everything inside, and rather than attempting to use magic to seal it a second time, she settles for sitting on it with both her arms and legs crossed— and inelegant solution, but it will do for now.

The look she gives Eustace in the moments that follow is uncharacteristically sheepish.]

Well, that... backfire spectacularly.

[Oops?]

Nice recovery, though. Thank you— your magic really did the trick.

[flamekthunder]

[He just rubs his brow, feeling that kickback from using all that magic at once.]

Unfortunately it'll be a while before I'll be able to cast any advanced spells, so we'll have to be more vigilant. However I feel partly to blame... I'm not sure if it would have been better or worse to have chosen a different box.

[Problem most of them are all grouped up together just like this, so might be a matter of what they would have ended up with.]

[feisticuffs]

Suppose it's the sort of thing we really couldn't have predicted, either. Honestly, it's probably best that we went with this one— small bits and pieces may be harder to catch, but they're also not as strong.

[Imagine if it had been full limbs.]

Sit down and rest. I'll keep watch awhile, my magic didn't take much out of me since I used so little. You can close your eyes if you need to.

[flamekthunder]

...I'll have to take you up on that offer.

[While he had planned to help with the watch, it really would be more detrimental if he doesn't take this opportunity to recuperate.]

Grab me if something happens.

we can probably wrap them up!

[feisticuffs]

[She nods, flashing him a brief but apologetic smile as she gestures towards the nearby bedrolls. The campsite isn't much, but she gets the feeling he's tired enough to not be terribly picky about accommodations.]

Of course. In the meantime, no more experimenting with spells... fingers crossed nothing else gets particularly rowdy.

[... ugh, fingers.]

I'll shout if anything comes up. Until then, rest.

it be wrapped with a zombie bow-

[flamekthunder]

[He's used to sleeping on hard, open ground so a bedroll is actually a luxury. But there's a slight wry grin at her words.]

Let's hope so.

[And he's going to turn in, but he'll be a light sleeper.











Little did they know, "watching" over them from a distant tree was a lone finger, its tip curled in a bit. It twitches for a moment before it drops down into the shadows, all traces of it disappearing into the night.......................]