isleofavalon | sixth shot ⊗ open september log

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sixth shot ⊗ open september log

🧙 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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Uh...huh. He sees the gesture and just looks at the bubble one last time before turning back to his plate.]

You realize I know as much you, right? [Just a wry remark and glance at her before he answers a little more seriously.] But I suppose if it were me and we didn't know much of each other yet, I'd want to continue to learn more about my potential partner.

[Which, despite having met a fair number of times, he doesn't even know the basics of her at all, not even her age. Granted, that kind of information isn't really important to him to begin with, and he's not forthcoming about himself, either. But the situation here is a bit different.]

You asked me about my hobbies, it's only fair you tell yours. I'm also curious why you decided to be a bartender.

[Well. Sort of. Again normally he wouldn't be that interested (or rather it's just not something he would think much of), but since they're sitting here and have to think up questions, that is one that came to mind.]

[You know, thinking on it now, Tifa realizes that she doesn't have "hobbies". Back in Midgar, it was always work, and when it wasn't that, it was either resting or building up her martial arts. There was very little room in between Seventh Heaven and having a life outside of it, and even less when she counted Avalanche, which also took up a bulk of her time.

So, she opts for the second part of what he's said instead. It's much more interesting than "nothing really" anyway.]

I started working at a bar called Seventh Heaven when I was eighteen. It wasn't much, but it paid the bills, and I could still put aside enough for other things. [Namely, her debt, but that's neither here nor there.] I had a friend who lived there, him and his daughter—they had nowhere else to go.

[Her expression warms under the flicker of the candlelight, and she watches the flame dance for a moment before going on with her story.]

When the owner passed away, it was either I buy the bar, or they would sell it to someone else, and they would have nowhere to call home. So, I bought it with what money I had. They had somewhere to stay, and I've been running it ever since. Everything else just came after.

Edited 2021-09-25 22:57 (UTC)

[Surely she has some kind of hobbies now...! Not that Eustace's list was much better. If she had specified back home it would have been basically nothing.

But her story is not what he expected. He has assumed owning a bar was something she actually aspired to, not something that she chose to help someone else. So there's a small look of surprise as he watches her.]

Everything else?

[Tifa's grin spreads and there's a gleam in her eyes again.]

Next time we get the chance, remind me to make you a drink.

[Everything else had been all the skills she learned after that. She could cook and clean, ever since she was a girl, but the women of Nibelheim didn't teach the teenager how to mix drinks!]

I wasn't a bartender right from the get-go, you know. Everyone's gotta start somewhere.

Edited 2021-09-26 18:29 (UTC)

So that's what you mean. [A thoughtful look as he regards her for a moment.] As long as it's not something as ludicrous like the last drink we had.

[ie, that giant ass margarita. He still hasn't been able to look at them the same since...]

You said you started there when you were eighteen... What were you doing before then? Did you have any different plans?

[Tifa shifts awkwardly in her chair, and she takes a long sip of her wine to buy herself some time to find an answer.]

I worked at a steamed bun stall before that. Had to make ends meet somehow, right?

[She laughs, but it's a touch uncomfortable, her relaxed poise fading with it. This is straying a little too close to the time in her life she would rather not talk about during dinner. Her recovery, the medical debt, and people taking advantage of her... Not exactly something that you discuss over porkchops.

So, she shrugs.]

Not sure I had anything planned out for what I wanted to do. Before that, I was a tour guide for my hometown.

[...He notices her behavior, the slight shift and stall before her answer. He wonders if he hit something personal that she doesn't want to disclose... Which is not so surprising, he has his own personal history he wouldn't so readily open to strangers. Or at the very least, not on a "date" where things are supposed to be more lighthearted.

So he watches her for a moment before continuing the line of questioning.]

No wonder you know you're way around the kitchen. [If she keeps taking jobs that deals with food.] But how does a tour guide work? Was your home a popular place for tourists?

[And now he watches her very carefully. He already picked up on her discomfort on her past, so now he has to see if this includes her home. If she continues to look uncomfortable...he'll have to end the questions if she doesn't reverse it back on him first.]

[She doesn't relax but doesn't tense up either. Where her life in Midgar reminded her of her struggles to get to where she is now, the memories of Nibelheim carry more vengeance in them than anything else. She maintains her crooked smile, but the discomfort isn't as obvious anymore, but neither is the anger she holds onto so tightly for Shinra and Sephiroth, and what they did.]

Sort of. It was a mountain town so people would come to see those, and the mako reactor that was up there, too. Mostly Shinra, but we'd get the occasional tourists who were just there to see the town.

[Honestly, it was all for the mako reactor, but she'd like to think there were other reasons someone would want to visit a quaint little mountain town like Nibelheim.

But she is quick to turn this around, taking the last bite of what's left on her plate first, her smile suddenly teeming with interest.]

What about you? What did you wanna be when you were growing up?

[Mako reactor? There's as light cant of his head at the term, but since she turned it on him he'll have to wait for another time to ask.

...And now it's his turn to show a slightly different expression—or rather, a lack expression. No one has ever asked that question in...hell if he remembers. Did anyone ever ask since the tragedy? Idly his fork moves as he thinks back...back to a time that had remained frozen in his heart and mind for many years and only recently began to thaw.

When he finally speaks, his words come out quiet and slow, as if he had to dig deep in his memories.]

...When I was a child, I wanted to be like my father—a strong hunter who could provide for and protect his loved ones.

[Tifa tilts her head while she waits for his answer, her silence patient but still encouraging to talk about as much or as little as he's comfortable with. The waiter comes in that time to take her empty plate away, as well as fill up their glasses, and Tifa thanks him gently before Eustace finally does speak up.

And when he does, she lets her smile form into something that's warm, fond, but not at all surprised.]

You know, I think you managed, at least.

[She hasn't seen him in action yet, but from what she does know, he is strong, and seems like the kind of person who would protect those he cares about. He and Gran did move after the attacks, and he did agree to coming here with her, so... She'd call it that.

She'd at least be able to say with confidence that he's someone she's sure his father would be proud of, if Eustace looked up to him as much as he seems to.]

[His eyes widen slightly at her words before his expression turns...

Bitter? Melancholic? It's a strange feeling that passes through him. It's the first time he's ever said such a thing and it hadn't really seemed that important to him since it's a common question, and yet... Perhaps because it dredges up memories of his past, a past that while softened is still raw for him. He doesn't feel that frigid coldness or the burning hatred that once consumed him before, but that doesn't mean all of those edges have disappeared or that he doesn't still get pricked a little. So to hear someone basically try to acknowledge his efforts, someone who has no idea of the truth...

...

Rather than any sense of relief or joy, it's just a very bitter feeling laced with a sweetness so soft it's almost painful. He may have succeeded in his goal and is finally moving on, but there's still more that he's lacking. To protect everyone he holds dear...he certainly has many achievements under his belt and more than proven himself not long ago, but it's not enough. It's still not enough.

And...maybe what really makes it so bitter is that deep down, he may have wanted to hear it from the ones who can no longer speak.

Fortunately, his unusual silence will be interrupted by the waiter coming in to deliver their dessert: two heart-shaped cups of crème brûlée topped with raspberries with a smaller cup of sorbet on the side.]

[It isn't so unusual from her side of the table.

Tifa can tell immediately that she's struck something—a nerve, or something else? Either way, it was something she believed in whole-heartedly. She's been there before, not being able to protect the people she cares about and when she did try, it put her out of commission for months. The people she wanted acknowledgement from are no longer with her, but it still helps her to hear it sometimes, even if it's from others she hardly knows.

She may not know him very well, but she knows for sure that whoever those people are, they would be proud of who he is.

But the thoughts and their lingering silence is interrupted by the desserts being brought out, and Tifa looks up at the waiter, surprised.]

Oh, we didn't order these.

[He grins down at them.] "I am aware, but this is complementary, on the house. Please enjoy." [And he winks at her, and then at Eustace, before walking away.]

[Still shaking off the strange feelings that had surfaced, Eustace frowns a little at the sudden arrival of the desserts. But maybe it's not so unusual for them to do such a thing...?]

...If it's free, might as well.

[Though that porkchop was filling enough, he could probably finish this off.

But as soon as inserts his spoon, his brows furrow when he feels...something inside? And then when he pulls it out—]

...? What is...

[Tifa had just been about to dig into her own little bowl of dessert when first, she noticed people starting to crowd around. Namely, every member of the staff waiting with bated breath around the restaurant, and for what?

But then Eustace is pulling out his spoon, a furrowed look on his face, and she leans over the table slightly to try to catch a peek of what it is. Don't tell her he found something gross in his food!? Like a fingernail or a piece of glass or something...? She had such high hopes for this place.]

Hm? What is it?

[She catches the glint of it then. Sticking out of the cream on his spoon is a...]

Is that a diamond!?

...A ring...

[The hell—oh. Wait.

Don't tell him—

Immediately he looks at her before his eyes cast around the crowd around them. They seem just as confused, but for different reasons.

"You mixed it up!" a harsh whisper reaches his ears. "It was supposed to go to the lady!!"

...Ah...it's as he thought. He had heard of these things and always thought it weird that one would give a ring after it have been covered in food, but apparently it was a popular "event."

By now Tifa will have probably figured it out, and he's about to tell them they have the wrong couple. But then he thought he caught a glimpse of some odd movement by the window.

......

After giving Tifa a glance to indicate for her to wait, he takes the ring and cleans it off.]

Looks like there was a mix up.

[With the now cleaned ring, he slowly rises and steps around the table to kneel down and take her hand.]

This ring isn't yours, but the one you'll receive will shine brighter than this.

[As if to continue this charade, he lifts her hand so that his lips just lightly ghost over her ring finger, but to anyone else it looks as if he actually kissed it. He then rises up to hand the ring to the stunned waiter standing nearby.]

[By now, half the restaurant is watching this unfold, and some have even taken out their phones to film the entire thing, claiming it's going to "go viral" online.

Meanwhile, Tifa is in her chair, stunned into silence when Eustace drops down onto a knee. There was a mix-up so what is he doing? They don't need to keep playing it up still, do they? They've done enough, and the stalker lady has shown her true colours in front of all of these people, and—

And then he's taking her hand, and she can feel his breath scatter across her fingers, and they tighten under his grip. Her other hand comes up to cover half of her face, and she can feel it heating up underneath it.]

Eustace, what are you—?

[It's an odd moment, to say the least—one she wasn't expecting and one that she has no idea how to react. She can feel her face heating up out of embarrassment, from all the people watching of course (nothing else!), and once he rises, she turns to reassure them that this was just a mistake, she can see a face pressed up against the window on the other side of the room, streaking it with tears while she watches the whole thing off of someone else's phone being held up over the crowd's heads.]

"EUUUSTYYYY NOOOOO!"

[She thumps her fist against the window.]

"IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!!!!"

[Really he wasn't sure how Tifa would react, but her expression... ...It's not a bad one, somehow. It's a weird sense of satisfaction, probably because of how much he threw her with that. Maybe he should consider acting... Yeah, right.

He only glances at the window and can already hear the shouts of some security staff heading out to pull her away. After all, her behavior frightened the patrons who were right by it, though others are turning to capture it as well. No one has any idea what the hell is going on, but whatever it is, there is some juicy story here and they're ready to spread it.

Personally not what he wants, but it will cement the case for good.

With just a brief glance back at Tifa, he returns to his seat and just. Starts eating his crème brûlée like nothing happened.]

[Well, sure. At least they managed to get the proof they needed on video, because now, all of the disappointed patrons who were expecting some grand proposal are either mumbling to each other as they sit back down, or turning their phones to record the woman freaking out at the window instead. So, that's... a win?

But Tifa is hardly able to pay attention to that, still processing what just happened. Her hands fold over each other on her lap, and she waits for Eustace's explanation with arched brows and wide eyes... That is, until he just sits down and starts eating without a word?

?????

??????

She isn't even sure why she needs, or even wants an explanation. It's not like this was so out of the ordinary for their plan considering everything they've done to make this look like a legitimate date thus far, but she's embarrassed and her heart felt like it was going to hammer right out of her chest. It still does!

Taking a deep breath, Tifa picks up her spoon and digs into the dessert, but she doesn't even feel hungry anymore. Well, might as well take a couple bites, right? It's free... But the silence that follows the whole thing is too much, even for her to take for very long.]

Can't believe they mixed that up... Some poor guy was waiting for his desserts to come out, I bet...

[Ha ha, cue awkward laugh.]

[Honestly, he doesn't even think he had to explain as he assumes she would have figured out it was just the "finale" for the show they put on. And from her reaction, he's not surprised that she'd be a bit stunned and trying to process everything. So when she finally speaks, he glances at her before reaching for his water as he's already finished his wine and probably has had enough for the night.]

It was probably the original couple who reserved this table. I had noticed it looked a bit different from the others, but considering what just happened, this must have been specially prepared before the change.

[And then a beat as he looks at her for a moment. Although it had been pretty...satisfying seeing how much he got her back there, it is true he went a little far.]

...If it was too much, I apologize.

Uh... No, it's fine.

[Beneath the table, her fingers idly graze over her hand, where there's still a bit of a buzz underneath her skin. This wine... She should probably stop drinking it. Tifa laughs again.]

Just a little unexpected was all. I didn't think we were still trying.

[To you know, play that little game of feelings chicken with each other, but speaking it out loud will speak into too far into existence for her tastes right now. So, she'll just go back to poking absentmindedly at her crème brûlée.]

Looks like we got more evidence than we needed, so I'd say that's a win.

I hadn't planned it either, but...

[Thinking back, he probably could have just handed the ring even if that stalker woman had been watching, but there could have left questions...]

...Perhaps she's been arrested by now with all the disturbance she caused.

[That hadn't been on the forefront of his mind at the time, but it would be a boon if that were to happen. Maybe they could finally relax after this.]

I hope so...

[Especially with how their night is slowly reaching its end, she can only pray that she'll be gone by the time they leave. She'd rather not deal with her past what they've already had to.

But his words have put some reassurance back into her, so she's able to at least enjoy her dessert now. And good thing too, because this is delicious! She hasn't had many crème brûlées in her life, but this is definitely the best one she's ever had! Maybe because she knows that it came for free.

It's small enough that it doesn't take her much time to finish, or for their bill to arrive, along with several more apologies from the manager for the mix-up. It turns out that the couple who was supposed to get the ring had been several tables down, and the entire surprise engagement had been ruined when the woman had said "I wish you would propose to me like that!" The poor man... Now he has to come up with another way to propose... And Tifa can't help but feel like she's partly at fault... even when it was the restaurant's fault for getting them mixed up.

Eustace and Tifa's worries will soon be completely pushed away though, because the manager also assures them that the authorities had come and managed to apprehend the woman, so that they could enjoy their last moments in the restaurant. They offered up some extra free dessert that Tifa politely turned down, her nerves still too on edge to sit here and enjoy more food. That, and the porkchops had been filling all on their own.

Once the manager leaves them be, Tifa starts to dig through her wallet for money to leave for their food before smiling across the table at Eustace, a sigh of relief relaxing her shoulders.]

Well? I'd call this mission a success.

Edited 2021-10-01 16:47 (UTC)

[Seeing her reassured eases him as well, and he can also enjoy the rest of their dinner in peace until the bill and manager arrive. Hearing his suspicions confirmed, he also feel a little guilty that he took advantage of the situation instead of just passing the ring back, but it worked in their favor in the end. Well, good luck to that guy. Hearing that the stalker had finally been apprehended is even more of a relief. This plan had better worked with how much effort they put in, so he just grins a little at her words.]

As unorthodox as it was, I have to admit it worked. Thanks—I owe you.

[And he's also pulling out his wallet. He did say he'd at least pay for part of it, and there's nothing wrong with splitting the tab, especially since it's thanks to Tifa they even had a plan to begin with.]

[She had intended to pay for the entire thing, only because it was her idea to begin with, and she probably could have picked a cheaper restaurant to do this all in, but... she knows better than to argue with Eustace about anything. It's just a dinner tab, so it's no use getting hung up about something.

Especially not when they have reason to celebrate!]

You too, you know. You put more effort into it than I imagined you would.

[Hamming it up as much as he did... She was surprised in many, many ways tonight.

And now she can laugh, for real this time, as she slaps her part of the money on the table and rises to her feet. It feels like a weight's been lifted off her shoulders.]

I'm just glad they were able to get her. I just hope she gets the help she needs, you know?

[Shall they head out? ~~To that horse-drawn carriage that the manager forgot to rebook.~~]

[...Please don't remind him of how much he had to act tonight. Something of a conflicted expression forms as he stands after her.]

...I only did what I had to to be convincing. [...Though maybe some of it had been a little on the "fun" side, particularly when they started challenging each other a bit. But no, he couldn't imagine himself behaving like that if he were serious about someone. ...Not that that was going to happen, anyway.]

But given her behavior, it would be better if she just remained sealed in an asylum.

[LOOK HE CAN'T HOLD ANY SYMPATHY FOR THIS WOMAN she's downright terrifying, and there isn't much that can disturb Eustace.

But yes, he'll "escort" her back outside where...there is a horse drawn carriage already waiting for them? Eustace at first thinks it's for someone else, but the coachman waves to them and tells them it's a "complimentary service by the restaurant for the troubles they experienced."

Well. He had thought they should take a carriage, anyway, so this...works out? Plus it's free. So just as they're about to walk towards it—]

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