eighth shot ⊗ open november log

[flamekthunder]

🧙 WHO: Eustace and anyone
⚔️️ WHAT: various things
🕒 WHEN: throughout November
🗺️ WHERE: various
⚠️ WARNINGS: none except any potential violence against lettuce

⊗ a: task - flappy veg

[Guarding flying lettuce....is certainly something Eustace never would have found himself doing, yet here he was in one of the known locations where some have landed from their migration. Whether they're technically animals or not, Eustace couldn't understand them through animal magic regardless, but he's able to at least communicate that he's there to help and not harm. They seem a bit jittery with all the poaching around.

a. updrafts. The place they landed in is mostly a clearing, but there are a few "obstacles" scattered around in the form of tall rocks and small trees. While most of the Butterfly Lettuce remain on the ground vibing, some also choose to perch on the trees to prune their leaves. However, due to their physique and unreliable drafts at this time, they end up either flopping about or plummeting to the ground. Fortunately none are too bruised, but it's hard to just sit still when nothing much is happening.]

...Hold on, let me help.

[Either by picking them or using wind magic to create some wind to help the lettuce, Eustace can give them a boost up. It's still not perfect, but it works.

Some of the younger lettuce realize they have an on demand draft maker, and Eustace can also be found creating wind streams to help the smaller Butterfly Lettuce "flap" over a mini obstacle course as they play a game while also practicing their skills. It's good practice for him as well. For anyone who might there also guarding him, they can either assist or just watch out for any stray Butterfly Lettuce that flap in the wrong direction—or help catch any that might fall from their perches.

b. poachers. Of course not everything is peaceful. Eventually poachers will arrive. If Eustace is able to sense something amiss soon enough he could send out a warning shot before they enter into the area. If not, he's fully prepared to fight and bring on the thunder, er lightning. Help keep the lettuce out of the way or assisting Eustace in fighting the poachers!]

⊗ b: cure on cloud nine

[Having managed to avoid the basilisks and already wearing gloves, Eustace is prepared to help in retrieving the mysterious Nimbus flower deep within the Forest of the Felled. Having a lot of experience in infiltrating and dealing with traps, including those out in the wild, also helps. So while traversing through a particular are, his suddenly looks up and holds his arm to stop whoever he's with.]

Careful. The branches here have been cut and the ground looks it had once been cleared away. Better to go around.

[Although there are leaves and growth all over the ground, if one looks carefully there's a small patch that looks thinner compared to the rest, indicating that at some point it had been disturbed and recovered. Most likely a pit trap, but no need to try and find out.]

⊗ c: floor is lava

[Although he had (for some reason he still can't comprehend) been granted the both the knight and noble titles, he still hasn't accepted the new grant since it seems too much of a hassle and not really his thing. But he does go out to check on the new townships being built out of curiosity...and also because of the little prank that had occurred. This had to be the most ridiculous thing he's seen yet, though he feels he thinks that every month... After hearing about it and seeing it with his own eyes, Eustace just sighs as he first notes the affected buildings.]

...Rather than play this farce, wouldn't it be easier if I just transformed into a bird and fly directly to the circles to destroy them? Or shoot them down from a higher enough point.

[His hand is already on his holster. He just has to get up to a building and aim, and he has elemental magic on his side it should be easy right??? But will he be allowed is a different matter—

If anyone manages to convince him to do it properly, they better be prepared to join in and expect a riveting platform game where nothing is stable and teamwork is key!]

⊗ d: wildcard

[Although I only picked the cure part of the basilisk questline, I'm open to the other parts! If interested in anything else not included here, just hit me up on laenavesse or discord and we can work something out!]

Comments

[theleadingman]

[A bit less flash than Balthier had expected, but he supposes he had been warned. It's amusing nonetheless— even moreso when Eustace speaks and sounds just the same as he had in his original form, causing the pirate to raise an eyebrow at him.]

That was fast.

[Even from where they stand, he can already sense more than their naked eyes had been able to see.]

I'll stay put, then— wouldn't want to set anything off before we're prepared to move ahead. Do what you must.

[starshower]

[She splashes him with some of the water, her hands working to warm his skin up after it runs over his back, a small giggle ringing from her chest and echoing off the ripples that form around them. Dabbing her fingers in the bubbles, she pulls away only far enough that she can watch as she blots them on his nose.]

Here I was thinking we could just turn on the tap.

[But if he's got better ideas...! Although... Her gaze moves across the room.]

I could use a hot rinse in the shower before breakfast.

[starshower]

[Well, that explains the backless shirts.

Tifa makes room for him to sit with her, but she moves into his space the moment that he does, curling up next to him so that she could rest her head on his shoulder, her own fingers combing the hair away that's fallen out of place and in front of her eyes.]

How'd you guys get things like fruits and vegetables with it being so cold all the time? Can't imagine trading with other places would be easy...

[It's like a very, very cold Midgar, where they couldn't grow things to save lives, but at least they weren't so far from the rest of the world. There were still farms and other cities and towns nearby that they could easily trade with.]

[flamekthunder]

[He just lightly shakes his head before he leans forward as if advancing towards her but not quite.]

First you'll need a reason to need a rinse... And not sure if we'll make breakfast.

[What a rare, mischievous smirk he wears.]

[flamekthunder]

[Does it. Does it really.

He just relaxes as she leans against him, his arm automatically going behind her. ...It's strange, they haven't been together for that long, but this already feels natural...]

We had our own winter based fruits and vegetables. Not as many as in warmer places, but winter berries like cherries, raspberries...we had apples and some citrus. It wasn't a great amount, but what we cultivated was more than enough for ourselves. Vegetables were primarily the root kind like potatoes, carrots, beets. We also had techniques to keep the ground warm enough and cover them whenever there was threat of ice, but if we were lucky then it wouldn't happen during the growing season and we'd just live off our harvest.

But for the small amount of trade we did, it was primarily fur, dried meat, and materials from the monsters we hunted outside the village. Fangs, bones, claws, antlers. Anything we didn't need we could sell for a decent price to the handful of merchants that bothered to make the trip. They were probably undersold, but we didn't care too much about money and just traded for other supplies like medicine, tools, materials—things we couldn't readily make ourselves.

[starshower]

[What ever could he mean?

As he leans forward, Tifa goes back, a finger pressing to that smirk of his while she wears a bashful one of her own and knowing full well what he means. She had a feeling they wouldn't make breakfast—not since the moment he crept up behind her at the window and wrapped his arms around her, and so she'd surrendered to it a long time ago. A rinse under the mist of hot water would be nice, though...

Her gaze falls away from his, unable to look him in the eye as she says what she'd been thinking out loud.]

Well, could always do both... [Ah!] Only if you promise that you'll tell me more later. ... Over breakfast.

[It doesn't even have to be anything specific, not after what he'd just shared with her, but the more time she spends with him here, the more she wants to unravel this enigma of a man that she's spent so long trying to figure out.]

[starshower]

[Only a little bit.

It sounds exactly like the kind of place that Tifa would imagine he'd be from, and she'd say she wished she could have seen it if it weren't for the fact that it was no longer standing, so she only moves in closer, shifting so that she can wrap an arm around him in a small, subtle attempt to comfort any unease he might feel in remembering that life.

She huffs with a laugh, trying to keep it light-hearted.]

That explains why you knew so much... back at the cave.

[And she can already feel her face going red at recalling that night. How he'd been so sure of himself as he moved throughout, building the fire and setting it all up so that they would be able to stay warm. Even before that, being out on the hunt, in the wilderness, felt like he had fallen back into his element, and old habits.]

So did you learn how to do all that at a really young age?

[flamekthunder]

[He smiles, but it changes from a playful one to a softer, genuine one as he gently reaches up to hold her hand and first lightly kiss her finger before placing another on top of the back of her hand.]

I promise.

[Not that there's a lot of interesting things of himself to tell...or so he believes, anyway. But he'll answer whatever she wants if he can and...he kind of wants to tell her more about himself.]

But you'll have to tell me about yourself as well.

[Don't think he hasn't noticed that so far it's been about himself, and he pushes her hand away as he inches closer to her, his face nearing hers as if already trying to corner her to "get to know her" better.]

[flamekthunder]

[Just a disgruntled grunt in response. It would have been easier if he could have used his magic okay!! (Maybe.) One cat will stubbornly cling onto Eustace, but one cat is more manageable than three. So he just lets out a small sigh when he's finally freed of his "heroic burdens."]

They're all worse than Clover...

[flamekthunder]

[The man yells in pain. Although the poacher can put up a fight, it seems his skills are not up to par with Nanaki's as he struggles to try and move his arm. The arm may also be the extent of the man's capabilities as he's unable to produce anything else. But he won't give up! He's trying to reach for a knife hidden behind his back.

On the other side, Eustace as arrived to his designated spot. Making a perfect shot is a little difficult, but he'll manage, even if it's to just take one. So once he has one lined in his sights, he fires a strong bolt of lightning that immediately stuns the man, knocking him to the ground. However, one of the younger Butterfly Lettuces had drifted away and is caught by the poacher! HOSTAGE SITUATION!!!]

[tantailizing]

[Zidane'll go ahead and hold onto at least one cat and give it a few pets... and a scratch beneath its chin.]

Clover? You adopted a cat?

[flamekthunder]

Yes...it would be better if they could live like this all the time instead of having to worry about outside harm.

[Especially since poachers aren't even "natural" predators. .. ...Though what would be their natural "predator"—goats??]

[flamekthunder]

[A small nod even if Balthier might not be able to tell due to all the wing flapping and the small bat body hovering about.]

I'll be back soon.

[And a glide, sonar blast, and fluttering about later, Eustace manages to scope out most if not all of the traps in the immediate area. It's actually rather impressive how much is stacked here, and it makes him wonder if there really is something back there being protected.

So after a few minutes of waiting for Balthier, Eustace returns and "lands" in his original form.]

I'm starting to think we should turn back and move elsewhere. I located several crossbolt rigs in the trees, net and pit traps, and even some spiked logs not far ahead of us. Either someone just unloaded all their traps in this one spot or there's something there no one wants to be found.

[Little did Eustace know he had missed a certain...something in his scouting, a small shadow lurking above them before it hops away silently.]

[starshower]

[She backs him off of her with a kiss, pressing her lips to his just hard enough that she can nudge him backwards to the edge of the tub.]

Another time.

[She knows she hasn't shared much about herself, if anything at all, but there isn't a single soul in Camelot that knows the entire story of her past—she hasn't even opened up to Aerith about it yet, and not even Cloud knows it all. The idea of sharing it is a little scary, but she already has, in a way. The jagged scar across her chest is a big part of that, and surely if he can accept it, then he could accept the rest, right?

It doesn't matter now, because Tifa is already rising in the tub, the water splashing off her skin as she stands in front of him, but she won't linger for long. Stepping out and knowing he'll follow, she crosses to the shower and gently pulls the glass door open to start the water, turning it almost all the way up until she can feel it practically burning her fingertips when she reaches in to test it.

But before he can wander too far, she motions to the bottle they'd used earlier.]

Bring the soap.

[flamekthunder]

[He welcomes her attempts, subtle as they are. Just being with her makes talking about this not as difficult as it could be.]

Yes. My father taught most everything I know about hunting and living outdoors. How to read the weather, listen for the slightest sounds, find shelter and resources... That following spring I was going to get my first rifle.... [His voice trails as he glances away before continuing.] Being a hunter and following my father's footsteps had been what you'd call my childhood dreams... It's a bit different but I suppose I followed it.

[And though it's not the rifle his father had planned to give him, Flamek is just as treasured and maybe why he was drawn to it when he had the opportunity to choose any of the weapons.]

[flamekthunder]

[He lets her push him back, chuckling a little. She really does like escaping from him, doesn't she? However he lets her, sitting back a bit as he watches her step out and walk over towards the shower, eyes raking over her body with every single movement she makes. In truth he'd been trying to hold back, and that particular conversation was pretty good at keeping things cooled. However it would be impossible for him to not be affected given their current situation, and it's only after she reaches the door does he get out to join her.

When she mentions the soap, he glances over to the bottles.

...

Taking one, he saunters over and joins her inside, closing the door behind him before holding the bottle up.]

This one, right?

[There's just a hint of mischief in his eyes along with a slight smirk.

Yes. He brought that bottle.]

[starshower]

Hm. [There's a soft, gentle hum that echoes low in her chest.] Reminds me a little of my dad.

[That's as much as she says on the matter, but there's a nostalgic smile as she thinks back to her own, and how much hearing about Eustace's only makes her miss him that much more. It's been years since then, but Tifa won't ever forget the days she spent with him, and how hard he worked to raise her.

Tifa opens her mouth to say something, but the thought is interrupted by a light knock on the door, and then it creaking open. One of the castle's many butlers enters after she calls back to him, and he's carrying a platter of all sorts of things—cheeses, fruits, vegetables, meats, just about anything Tifa could imagine being put on a giant plate and laid out so nicely in front of her! And two steaming hot cups of coffee, along with the pot should they desire more later.

And when he leaves, Tifa hands Eustace his cup before taking hers, pops a grape into her mouth and settles back into the empty space she'd left at his side.

She'd noticed before, how his voice had faded for a moment, at the mention of the rifle, and she tilts her head up at him, thinking of how to delicately dance around the fact that his village was likely ruined not long after that...]

Was it for something special, that rifle?

[Was it a tradition among his village? Had he done something to earn it?]

[starshower]

[The water is already cascading over her, and she pulls him under, arms wrapping around him as she gives the bottle a quick, cursory glance. Oh, she recognizes that bottle alright, as the same one she tossed back onto the counter earlier, and there's a small glimmer in her eye as she pops the bottle open.]

No, but we shouldn't get more water all over the floor.

[Soap is soap anyway, right? At the end of the day, it has one job and if it does what it's supposed to, everything else is just a... bonus.

Her breaths are already quickening, blasting through the steam that's starting to rise as quickly as her heartbeat, and she pulls him in for a kiss, parting so that she can smile on his lips.]

Guess we can miss breakfast, just this once.

[yorhaberserker]

[She catches the falling Butterfly Lettuce with a soft giggle. Though she still preferred the flying hamsters that she had ran into in Celliwig.]

It's hard to tell, though with the way they are flying around I think I might lean towards some sort of animal. Or a animal vegetable hybrid. But they are desirable enough to be poached.

[She gently sets it down with the rest of them then looks back up at her friend.]

[flamekthunder]

[He just smiles into the kiss before he reaches out to take some of the soap as well. Can't have it be one sided, right?]

I have a feeling we'll be missing many breakfasts in the future.

[There's a glint in his eye, a strange feeling coming over him as he pulls her in for another kiss, this one more needy and wanting than the last, almost covetous.

Needy.

To think he could actually feel this way... And maybe he should wonder how much he's already taken to this little relationship of theirs, yet he's started to forego trying to "reason" things like this. To believe in the stories he paid little attention to. How people could just suddenly feel as if they found "the one" or "their match." He knows that's how his parents and others were like, but he's also seen and heard from those who separate almost a week later.

Would they last? Or would this end being some brief, passionate tryst that will just part of their memory? Who knows... He's decided to just whatever he wants, and what he wants right now is to be with the young woman in his arms. Be it for comfort or something deeper, whatever. It's mutual and that's all that matters.







And what happens next is to be left up to everyone's wild imaginations, but they do indeed miss out on breakfast and probably almost missed lunch—]

[flamekthunder]

[He's knocked out of his reverie when the butler arrives, and he has to admit he's a bit surprised by the amount. He said light... Damn rich people. But he'll take the cup, letting the warmth seep into his hands before he takes a testing sip.

...

All right, it's damn good coffee. Perks of the nobility he supposes.

He takes a few more sips before he sets it down and nestles against her, preferring her warmth over the coffee's. ...Especially when she asks that particular question. He's silent for a moment, fingers idly playing with her hair as he thinks back. Thinks back to those blissful days...]

...Yes. I was old enough and had proven myself skilled enough to handle a firearm of my own so my father was thinking of getting me a new one. It might seem strange to hear of a child getting a gun at such a young age, but it was common in my world, especially in farming and countrysides where a child is needed to help take care of the family as well as needing proper defense against monsters.

In this case...I had an older sister, but I was the oldest son with a younger brother and sister, so it was only natural that I would take on responsibilities after my father. [A small smile.] Even if I preferred playing over the other chores...

...But that spring...

[His gaze drifts to his hand resting idly in his lap before his fingers suddenly curl in themselves, nails digging a little into his palm as he feels that biting pain. It's not as bad as before, but...it's difficult to never feel like this. Closing his eyes he rests his head against hers.]

...My mother was pregnant. [His voice was quiet, only loud enough for her to hear.] They would have been my fourth sibling... We didn't know if they were a girl or boy, but I wanted to make clothes for the baby from the furs I would hunt that season.

[A very small, sad smile.]

I was looking forward to it. I hadn't been old enough for my other siblings, so this would have been my first time.

[starshower]

[Tifa, seeing his hands balling into fists like that, threads her fingers in between his, opening it up until she can weave them together and hold on tight. No matter how happy these memories are, it can still be hard to look back on them, but if he needs the reminder that he should cherish these memories rather than avoid them, she's there to do that, even if it's just being a pillar when it becomes difficult.]

Never would've guessed you had siblings. Always got the impression you were a single child kinda guy.

[Just by virtue of his steady, silent demeanor, although now it makes sense. Given that he had been the eldest son, there was surely a lot of responsibility placed on his shoulders that his older sister never had. Not that Tifa would know herself, being the only child, but that's the sort of dynamic she'd always imagined would exist if she ever had a younger sibling.

But she knows how hard it would be to talk about what could have been, so she focuses instead on what had been.]

What were they like? Was your older sister as cool and calm as you?

[flamekthunder]

[He squeezes her hand a little as he keeps her hand close, not wanting to let go. He could never forget his memories or want to avoid them. It's all he has left. Even now he can clearly hear their voices whenever they called for him... He never wants that to fade.]

My older sister... [A small laugh.] She was more mature but I'd say she was more bossy than anything. [Spoken like a true little brother.] She was in charge of the housework and looking after our mother, so she was also nagging at me. My younger sister, too. Mimicking my older sister she liked to get on my case, but she was smart and already responsible for her age.

My younger brother... [A slight falter in his voice as he remembers something he'd rather not because it wasn't a childhood memory but a bastardized one.]

He looked up to me and liked to follow me around. He was also very curious about things...

[starshower]

So cooler than you, got it.

[She's teasing, giving his hand another squeeze as she laughs into her cup of coffee, sipping it loudly and pointedly.]

I guess the big sister's gotta be like that. Bossy, sure, but for good reason, you know? Gotta keep everyone else out of trouble somehow.

[Tifa thinks back to Jessie then, and even Aerith now—both women being slightly older than her, they have the same sort of things in them too, and Tifa always knew that anytime Jessie did get bossy with anyone, it came from a good place. From the heart.

And he should count himself lucky to have ever had that.]

I hope that means you kept your brother out of trouble, though.

[She heard that wavering in his voice when he mentioned him, hoping that this won't strike another sore memory...]

[flamekthunder]

[Eustace just gives her a soft smile.]

Asking a lot for a ten year-old. But probably good enough.

[He takes in a deep breath and rests his head against hers.]

What about you? What was your family like?