isleofavalon | eighth shot ⊗ open november log

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eighth shot ⊗ open november log

🧙 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!]

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[And while Eustace continues to help out folks on the roof *mainly those cats), Zidane could be seen going about overhead between those last circles he sees and destroying them. Soon enough, he calls...]

Okay! I think that was the last one!

[Easy is a bit of a stretch there, given his answer.

Tifa arches a brow, turning only slightly to look at him before she nods. It really isn't all that strange, all things considered. Most people have the same reaction when she tells them about Midgar and mako... It's not like she doesn't get it—it was just a bit surprising.

Although what kinds of people live on the moon?]

Military, then?

[Tifa just lays in the snow, staring up at him when he stands.

Fun... It makes her smile, wide and pleased, that—even though he cheated!!—he could still have a little bit of fun. Especially after he spent the whole carriage ride here being disgruntled about it. Hearing that, it fills her with a warmth that could chase the cold away.]

Hang on... [She sits up, snow falling from her hair, and her eyes go wide with disbelief.] You've never built a snowman, or gone ice-skating?

Something like that. The organization I work for, Society, is more of a secretive group in the sense that while we have a public face our missions are classified and deal with higher threats such as the Primal Beasts, powerful entities that some may consider to have god-like powers, and another organization called the Foe, a group who deliberately incite violence to cause conflict. We do not work for any government and our greater purpose is protecting the safety of the skies...

...Or so it was supposed to be.

[His voice lowers a bit as he thinks of all the recent revelations and conflicts, topics that would be far too complicated to bring up here in full unless Tifa really wanted a giant history lesson.]

I have.

[Brushing off the snow, he reaches down to help her up.]

But the last time... Was probably when I was a child.

[The drawn weapons only make Nanaki snarl louder, his hackles rising.]

I assure you, I will not be easy prey!

[He does blink in surprise when the rock knocks the one poacher out, but he takes that in stride. Channeling his own magic, he creates a swirl of fire around him.]

If it is a fight you wish for, then a fight you will receive!

[The hunter lets out a yelp as Nanaki launches the fireball at them. And even if they're quick enough to dodge that one, Nanaki lunges right after, aiming to pin the poacher to the ground.]

[Tifa sits forward again, idly running her hands over her arms and her shoulders, bringing with them the soap and vanilla and lavender scented bubbles over her skin while she listens. So, more like military spies or something is the impression that she's getting from his explanation. Whatever they were, she understands. Sort of like SOLDIER, in some ways. Higher ranked individuals—first class—would deal with the more classified and dangerous missions that threatened Gaia...

And just like SOLDIER, who were supposed to be used to protect the people of the Planet, they weren't without ill intent or failure, either...

She tries to bite back the sharp sigh that escapes her, her brow furrowing uncomfortably at the similarities. Again, it strikes her how he and Cloud aren't so different after all, and it's an unsettling feeling that she wants to shake...

She peers behind her again, and that feeling is immediately eased away when she sees him, and how somber he looks as he finishes his explanation, and she looks forward again. A touchy subject?]

That organization... Foe? Were they the ones who attacked your home?

[She takes his hand, using it to hoist herself up out of the snow, which is... more difficult than it looks when she only starts sinking further into it when her weight shifts, and it collapses under her.]

Well then, I know what we're doing when all this clears up. Hope you at least remember how to use skates... because I don't know if I do.

[Grinning, she tugs him back in the direction of the house, tripping in the snow a little on the way, but before they can reach the door, she stops him to wrap her arms around his waist, her smile fading into one that's more timid.]

I know that this isn't exactly your style... and you don't even have to get this, or any of the other ones, but... I'm having fun. So, thank you for at least coming with me.

...

[He's silent for a moment as he recalls what he told her that night about his history, of how his home had been destroyed. He had left out specifics because it's...just a lot, but now he just nods.]

...Yes. They were the group that had splintered from Society and started doing their own things undetected until recently.

[Whoops—! He almost falls in with her as the snow also begins to give way, but he quickly adjusts so that he can pull her out without either of them falling back in.]

Skating... It shouldn't be too hard, it's no different than coming back to ride a horse or bicycle. [However she might know the phrase.

But then he's a little surprised by the hug, looking down at her with slightly widened eyes before his expression softens. With an arm going around her, he smiles a little.]

...Yeah, I am, too. ...And sorry about earlier.

[About being a grumpy sourpuss.]

And those were the ones you trained to fight against...

[Tifa nods too, and she picks up a rose petal to turn it over between her fingers, thinking back to what he'd told her.

How he had joined that group when he was only nine years old, after his home had been destroyed in some sort of strange societal experiment... It was messed up and reminded her too much of the demise of her own home that the thought once again lodges a breath in her chest.]

You said you were able to get them back for what they did before coming here, I remember. How'd that go?

It's fine. I got you back for it already, didn't I?

[That was what the snowballs were for, after all. Even though he evened out the score soon enough, but she was satisfied with her points by the end. And what matters most is that he seems to have cheered up a bit since they climbed out of the carriage, and that was the important thing.]

You think there's a fireplace inside? Somewhere to warm up?

[... And get dried off? Her clothes are soaked with snow.]

And you can tell me all about how you used to go ice-skating and build snowmen when you were a kid.

It was...

[There's a small sound like a bitter laugh as he thinks about everything that led up to it.]

Complicated.

[He leans forward, forehead pressed against the back of her shoulder as his arms wrap around her. He didn't necessarily need that sense of comfort, but this is the first time he's telling someone about that moment, about what he was thinking and feeling at that time.]

The way I figured it out... [His grip tightens for a moment.] I wanted to kill him the moment I put the pieces together.

I should be able to arrange something. As much as I don't care for them, I have to admit the titles can be quite useful.

[And so he'll lead her inside, not caring at the stares they receive until he flashes the title card as proof of his nobility and knight status. Once they realize he's here to look at the castle as a potential owner, the staff and servants are quick to prepare a guest room for them to use. Even if Eustace doesn't end up accepting they still needed to show their utmost care in hospitality, so while not the master suite the two are taken to a finely furnished room that could be easily mistaken for one to anyone not accustomed to such a lavish lifestyle. Fresh towels and robes are provided and they will happily launder their clothes. A meal can also be provided while they wait.

It's fairly obvious everyone thinks they are either married or close enough, and Eustace does nothing to dismiss the misunderstanding. If anything it just makes things easier and they're dating so doesn't seem much of a difference in his eyes.

After accepting it all, they are finally left alone so they can change and look around.]

You can use the shower first.

[She's taken by surprise when she feels his forehead bump against her shoulder, and there's the breath of a gasp when his arms find their place around her, but Tifa can only lean into it, leaning her head to the side of his, her expression muted, yet patient.]

What do you mean, the way you figured it out?

[What happened? What did he do? How did it end? Her question encompasses all of that, and he can answer as much or as little as he's comfortable with, her voice making that clear, and how she threads her fingers through his.]

[Tifa is only left fumbling for words when Eustace makes no effort to correct the staff, her face going red and her voice growing tiny while she follows them all into the lavish guest room that's been set up for them. Do they go all out for all their guests, or is this only because they'd been soaked already by the time they walked in?

The room itself is a bit on the gaudy side, definitely not in Eustace's tastes, or hers either. It's decorated in dark mahoganies and deep reds, with gold trims along the walls, the chairs, the curtains, and just about everything imaginable. The ceilings rise high and from them hangs a chandelier she's sure costs just as much as the castle itself, and there's a fire burning in the hearth that takes up a quarter of an entire wall on one side of the room.

...

It's a bit on the tacky, overdone side, but she's never seen anything quite like it before, so she's awestruck by it all, taking some time to take a look around first, before she's looking across the room at him, a knowing glint in her eye, even more obvious in the singsong of her voice.]

You sure?

[It would probably be improper of her to invite him along with her, wouldn't it? They are technically guests in a home that isn't theirs, but there's no harm in teasing a little, now that they're alone at last.

She only smiles wider before she sheds her sweater, pulling it up over her head and leaving her in a simple black tank top, and she tosses it in his direction where it slumps on the floor before she works on her top, wandering into the bathroom, but not before giving him a small peak before the door slowly closes. Not all the way, of course—she leaves it open a crack while she climbs into the shower, and soon enough, the steam will start to sift out and into the rest of the room, bringing with it the soft, refreshing smell of roses, with the hint of cucumber.

Tifa won't be gone for long. She wants to make sure she leaves enough hot water for him, and when she comes out, she'll be wrapped in one of the fluffy robes they'd set aside for them, her hair still dripping with water. She moves to stand in front of the fire, where she combs her fingers through the it.]

Change your mind yet?

[WOMAN HE IS LEGIT JUST THINKING ABOUT HER NOT CATCHING A COLD AND THEY ARE IN SOME RANDOM CASTLE HE DOESN'T OWN WHO IS THE HORNY ONE IN THIS RELATIONSHIP HE SWEARS BY THE PRIMALS KNOW HOW MANY VERSIONS OF BAHAMUT—

The way she just tosses that sweater and saunter inTO the bathroom—it would be a lie to say he wasn't affected would be a dead lie. He stands there transfixed for a moment before he hastily turns away, trying hard to not listen to how the water falls, the subtle differences when it hits her skin. And that scent.

Her scent.

It takes more than just a few moments to exercise self control as he just focuses on removing some of his outer clothing so he can drape it over a chair in front of (but not too close to) the fire, including her sweater. He knows she's just teasing him and he's managed to return to his usual status quo.

Until she comes back in.

By now he's removed everything but his pants, and Eustace just eyes her for a moment before he steps behind her, hands going to her shoulder as his breath tickles her ear. His hands lower to the sash of her robe, fingering it...]

I'm good.

[.....Before he gives it a firm tug to tighten the knot around her waist. He then gives her an affectionate pat and a kiss to the top of her head before stepping back with a grin and heads to the bathroom.

He's not going to let her win this.]

[He's silent for a few moments before he answers, his position unchanging.]

...Remember how I told you how about the organization I work for... That it had the splintered factions with one going rogue to do their own thing? They were the Foe. The very ones we were fighting against were right under our noses...

Once we figured it out and who the leader was, I was assigned to find and capture him. This was on top of the impending Moon attack... [A small sigh.] Anyway, I managed to track him down and confront him, but it wasn't until he showed me a device they had developed that I realized he was the one who led the operation that led to my home's destruction.

And he didn't realize who I was until then, either.

I...think I - oops!

[ As he says that, one of the smaller butterfly lettuce slips by him, and he isn't able to let go of the draft or he'd drop some of the others. ]

[Tifa only hums pleasantly when he comes up behind her, knowing well that this is turning into another game of cat and dog that they're playing, with the way he fidgets with the knot of her robe before pulling it tight, and she only responds with a small noise, her cheeks flushing when she (accidentally?) bumps back into him before he walks off to the bathroom.

She gets to work hanging up the rest of her clothes on a chair next to his to dry them off, and when he returns, she'll be seated on the red velvet couch in front of it, her leg stretched out in front of her, with the robe's the tie loosened only just so that it sits draping just off her shoulders. Her eyes won't look up from her hands as they lather lotion over her skin, but a smile will appear when she hears him enter the room, from behind the hair that falls in front of her face, hiding the blush in her face from him.

Because she's not going to let him win this.]

How was the shower? Feel better?

[Still only teasing, of course.]

[She doesn't want him to move.

Tifa swallows past the growing lump in her throat—the one that reminds her, always in the back of her mind, of Avalanche and what they stood for, and the measures they took to get to where they are, and for a fleeting moment, she feels... afraid, and her own grip on his hands tighten while she holds onto him.]

... You didn't know who he was until you found him, did you? That he was the one?

No.

[His voice is a little cold, hollow.]

Learning one of our superior commanding leaders was actually the leader of the Foe had been shocking and infuriating enough, but to think I had been working in the same building, taking orders from him...

[His grip tightens for a moment, but feeling her soft warmth reminds him who he's with and he quickly loosens, not wanting to hurt her.]

Fortunately he wasn't my direct superior so interaction between us was minimal. But I never would have guessed... The ones I had been hunting for were within my grasp my whole life.

[There's a harsh chill in his voice. When he first learned about how the Foe had been part of Society all along, that alone had already set him reeling back to his past. But he still had his objectives, important missions, a better outlook on life—and support from colleagues and friends. He hadn't known what group could have destroyed his home, barely having any clues whenever he tried to look into it. He never expected to find the main perpetrators. He wanted to, but enough years had passed where just taking down the organization as a whole and stopping others from suffering the same fate he did would have been enough.

But then on that day... Even after learning that Heisenberg was part of it, he still never thought of making the connection. Until he heard that sound, that flash. It had sent him all the way back to that day, memories still so clear and vivid.

Even if he doesn't share these details, by how tightly he holds onto Tifa and presses his forehead against her, she can get a sense that he's thinking about it all over again.]

I wanted to strangle him with my bare hands, shove Flamek's barrel down his throat and destroy him the same way he destroyed my family.

[He doesn't need to say it for her to know how painful this memory is—how heavy it still weighs on him, even now. With the way his muscles tense, and his arms tighten, how his forehead digs into her shoulder, she can feel it bearing down on her, too, as she tries to take some of that from him and share the pain. She wishes she could do more than just sit there and bend an ear—she wishes she could take every ounce of his pain and wash it away.

She can understand that feeling. The fire of vengeance is a tempting one, so she can't exactly blame him... If she were in his position, what would she have done if she had the chance? The first time she tried, Sephiroth cut her down, but the second... She had come so close that she could taste it...

Tifa's fingers run over her scar, feeling a reminiscent burn through it, before they reach back to comb through his hair. It's as much comfort as she can offer in this position, but it doesn't feel like enough. She wants to hold him, properly in her arms, but she doesn't want to move and shake whatever he's seeking from her.

Her own voice has taken a darker, cooler edge to it to match his.]

... Did you do it?

[He just slowly saunters out, robe half undone almost in a lazy sort of way as he towels off his hair and ears.]

Mm. [One of his usual low hums of agreement as he seems to not pay much attention to her—or rather, he just seems to be treating her normally—and instead gathers their clothes to put in a basket.]

I'll set these outside for them to pick up. Want me to ask them for food or some drinks as well?

...No, I was stopped.

[A heavy sigh.]

But...it was for the best. My former superior officer stopped me, reminding me that I was no longer living for revenge and that I had others to protect. Despite their methods, the Foe were working to "train us up" and find ways to defend against the Moon, which is exactly what was happening. Thus as much as I was loathe to it, we needed him for his information...and the device they managed to build.

...It was a device that was developed from the results of what happened to my village... The sound it made...the flash of light when it activated...there was no way I could have forgotten...

[It's been months since he had to think about this, but it didn't sting any less. Even if he knew it had been the right thing, that didn't mean he had to like it. He takes a few haggard breaths as he continues.]

...But it was necessary. Our world was at stake, innocent lives at risk if we didn't use this weapon. I had to set aside my own personal feelings because Ronan was right—I still wanted vengeance, but I wanted to protect everyone more.

And the weapon worked, though the purpose was changed due to unforeseen circumstances.

...And as much as I hate how it happened, that encounter allowed me to deal with a problem that was setting us back.

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Page 9 of 15

eighth shot ⊗ open november log

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