isleofavalon | eighth shot ⊗ open november log

Entry tags:

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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Tifa just lets him read the small print for himself, her own eyes going wide with the realization the moment that it dawns on her. This isn't just any soap—something about enhancing the senses for a more thrilling experience...? That would absolutely explain everything, and although she had only briefly questioned it at the time, she thought nothing more of it, simply being content to blame the atmosphere and how the hot water worked to completely relax her. It never occurred to her that it could have been something in the soap...

Seconds later, after reading that text a few more times over, Tifa slaps it back on the counter so fast that it topples over.]

Maybe not that one right now...

[She pretends she isn't turning completely red in the face as she turns back to the tub to shut the tap off before it can fill to the brim with water. And, grabbing him by the hand, she gives him a gentle tug for him to follow her in—as if he needs to be told at all—and she'll wait for him to lower first before she does so that she can settle in with her back facing him, her hair cascading like ink, and she can already feel her muscles starting to relax.]

... So. [She says eventually, pouring some of the water over shoulders, a glint in her eye as she looks over them at Eustace.] Did you sleep well?

[Reading the fine print....... Ah. Yep, yeah that would explain quite a bit... In a way it can't be too surprising given everything, but to think he didn't see the fine print... Well, as a bit awkward of a revelation as it is, he can't really complain given the end result.

Though really, after everything is she going to be so embarrassed? There's a small look of amusement before she tugs him to the tub, and he really needs no further prompting to step in and sink into it, moving all the way to the back to allow them as much room as possible. Though the tub is already more than sizable to accommodate them both.

When Tifa joins him, his arms automatically go to her waist to pull her back against him, a wry grin forming.]

You would have been in trouble if I didn't. But yes, I did. You?

[And fine not the "sensually stimulating soap." This time he will look carefully at the bottles and find one that at least doesn't mention anything extra on it and seems to be exactly as the label says: lavender lily scented body wash. Should be good for relaxing, right?]

[She relaxes against him, a content hum in response.]

Mm-hm. Pretty sure I fell asleep before you finished saying goodnight.

[Had they finished talking? Those last few waking moments are a bit of a blur—her mind had gone fuzzy, and she immediately fell into her dreams. What of? She can probably make a few guesses, but she had practically lost all consciousness the moment she shut her eyes.

But now that she's more awake, she can recall the things they'd said then, right before she let sleep overtake her, and even long before that, before they fell to the mercy of one another. Things she wants to ask about, and say to him.

And now that they're here...

Gently stealing the bottle of soap from his grasp, she pops it open, takes his hand, and spreads some of it over his palm. Her fingers massage the soap between his, her implications all too clear as she sits up and pulls her hair up, draping it forward over her shoulder for him, the look she casts back the same as the one she gave last night, although a touch softer this time.]

... I was thinking about some of the things you said last night.

[Woman, he's starting to think about a lot of things that are probably not even close to what she's thinking. And he's actually trying and intending for this time to be nice and relaxing for them both, but she is making it damn difficult for him. So there's a glimmer of dark heat in his eyes as he first locks eyes with hers before his gaze flicks down to her exposed nape and shoulders, down her back until the water obscures the view.

As his hands run over smooth skin—first from her shoulders, down her arms, and return to her back—he leans forward so that his mouth presses against the side of her neck near her ear, trying to restrain himself while also teasing her a little.]

I said a lot of things... You'll have to be a little more specific.

[She knows exactly what she's doing, and she's savouring every moment of it, and the way the goosebumps rise as she tosses her head to the side, giving his lips more skin to work with. But forward, her gaze casts down, watching as the soap slides down her arms and into the water, the playfulness of her smile relaxing.

He did say a lot of things, and Tifa remembers each and every word of it, but there was something that had stuck with her, even as she dozed off, and remained there when she woke up. She had smaller pieces of his past that she'd held onto, but nothing quite like what he'd said, and she wonders—how different would things be if they'd met just a little bit earlier? Would he really have not let her in the same way he has now? Or at all? Would they even be friends?

There's so much that Tifa doesn't know about him, and if they're to do this, maybe it's time to change that. Maybe it's time she found out why, when they first met, he'd still been so closed off. Perhaps there was a reason she was so drawn to that lone wolf at the bar.

The mere thought pulls in her chest, opening up a hole that aches for his presence, even though he's right here with her. The idea of not having him in her life is not one she wants to humour at all. He may leave tomorrow, or even sooner, but him not being there at all is so much worse than that.

The sound of the water echoes when she shifts, stretching across her front to grab one of his hands the moment it comes into reach, so that she can thread her fingers through his, tight.]

You said something about your past. How you wanted peace and solace from it...

[... A beat, and she relaxes her grip.]

You don't have to talk about all of it, but... you can with me, if you want.

Edited 2021-11-24 01:54 (UTC)

[As she relaxes and contemplates what she wants to say, Eustace is focusing more on slowly running his hands over her. He's already had more than his fill since last night, but he's finding that he can't seem to get enough of how the warmth of her skin feels against his fingertips, wanting to trace her figure over and over. He still refrains from doing anything more than just lightly massaging the soap against her, but it would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted at all. The warm water, the light steam, their scents intermingling and catching his own still imprinted on her, it's hard for him to resist kissing her lightly, hands drifting from being "chaste" to a little more suggesting. Down her back, her sides, her hip, to around her stomach and then up towards her chest...

...Until she grabs his hand and starts threading her fingers through his, her grip surprisingly tight. He looks down with half-lidded eyes, chin resting against her shoulder until he hears her words. Drawn out from his previous state of mind, his attention sharpens and he doesn't answer immediately.

When he does, it's just a low, contemplative hum, the once teasing hand now changing so that his arm rests loosely around her waist as he leans back against the tub.]

...I suppose that is something I should tell you about, along with other things about myself.

You don't have to, but...

[She follows him, leaning back into his chest again and settling herself in, getting comfortable as she sinks a little further into the water.]

After you said that, I realized that I don't know a whole lot about you. [Besides that he loves dogs.] And... if we're going to do this, I'd like to. It doesn't have to be that, I know it can be hard sometimes to talk about it... just something. Your favourite foods, what you liked to do as a kid, the kind of place you grew up in...

[Tifa knows well the scars that the past can leave behind, so she won't push him to talk to her about it. One day, she'd like to know, but it didn't need to be today. But those words he'd uttered to her last night was what stuck out to her the most. The fact that he'd suffered so much loss that he had thought closing himself off to others was the right thing to do is very telling, but Tifa isn't one to start making assumptions.]

[She can't see it, but there's a soft smile as he looks down at her.]

I don't mind. If anything it's only fair since it would be unfair to you to not know about the guy you're dating.

[A light, wry grin. "Dating." They've had one fake date, but saying it again like this still sounds weird...yet also gives a strange feeling of warmth stirring in his chest.]

There are some things I might not be able to tell you...but I don't want to keep secrets from you, either. So go ahead—ask whatever you'd like.

[He figures it would be better if she picked a starting point rather than him trying to recount everything. Especially since they are in the tub and there are some topics that might be more...depressing to talk about here right now.]

[Dating.

Not even she could put a name to it yet. How bold of him, but it makes Tifa smile too. She wasn't sure if they would take that step so soon to say that, but it would be silly not to, wouldn't it? They aren't teenagers, and they've both made it quite clear to one another that this isn't just some stupid crush. It makes no sense to keep dancing around it—not after what they've been through.

Tifa is careful with her next words, though. There are some things that she doesn't think would make a great topic right now. Maybe over lunch, or after they've gone back to Camelot and could find somewhere quiet. So, there's a very deliberate silence that follows, with the only sound being the water shifting when she grabs him and wraps his arms tighter around her.]

Let's start with something easy. [Well, hopefully.] What did you do before you got whisked away to a new place?

[Clearly a soldier of some kind, but that's about all she knows.]

[If anyone is going to lead in this relationship and make things clear, it might as well be him. Even if he had been very hesitant, now that it's settled there's no point in ambiguity.

But her question... Where in the world would he even begin... Well no matter how he does this, Tifa is going to have a lot of questions so he's just going to be kind of. A troll a bit and just answer her question as directly as possible.]

Fought against an organization from the moon to prevent from destroying the Sky Realm, my world.

[Yep. That's what he said.]

[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?

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.]

[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?

...

[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.

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 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.

[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.]

[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.

[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?

...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.

[She can still hear the strain in his voice, and the quake in his breath, and Tifa heaves out a sigh. She can't keep sitting here doing nothing... her hands almost ache with the need to reach out for him as she—very slowly and carefully—turns herself around to settle on his lap, sliding close so that she's able to pull him into an embrace. No teasing, no playfulness, just a sincere gesture of comfort and affection.

It won't take away the pain he's had to endure, nor will it make up for anything that's happened in his past, but she can at last let him know that here, things are okay. He's safe from it, and there are no prying ears should he ever want to get these things off his chest. He has nothing to worry about, as long as she's here with him...

She's relieved that he'd been stopped. That he could fight against his need for vengeance even after that means that he didn't let it turn him into someone else, and that maybe when that day came, Tifa could too. Once you act on that, there's hardly ever a way to come back from it, and although he had suffered plenty in the years leading up to it, the agony that could follow is a different sort of beast—one that he would have to live with forever, but he hadn't let it consume him in the end.]

I'm glad you didn't.

[She mutters quietly into his shoulder, shutting her eyes against his skin.]

[When she turns, she'll find that he just looks...tired, worn out, a little somber. It's a good thing he had been taken into this world first before this happened and then regained his memories after everything was finished. If it had been anytime inbetween... So while there is still a shadow of resentment and hatred for what happened, that's all it is: a shadow. And a small one at that, only appearing when he thought back to that time. It's much different compared to the past when he would think back to that horrific day and would have those flashes of heated anger and anguish.

Now...

Now he really could move on. Now he no longer needed to keep everything to himself, no longer needed to hesitate. To be able to more freely express himself.

And, as he looks at Tifa before he feels that comforting warmth of her embrace, be able to..."love" someone else, or at the very least to care deeply about someone so much that he can finally feel peace and quiet like this. To finally open his heart enough to let others in and allow them to become close. Of course not easily, but at least the door is finally unlocked and cracked open.

So he closes his eyes as he lets out a long breath, nuzzling her a little before continues softly.]

Because of that, I was finally able to confront everything I was trying to do on my own and tell everyone about the truth of myself. At that time I had been stuck in a place where I had started to worry and care about people again, but I was also afraid of losing them so I would still keep them at a distance. Because I wasn't being honest about how I felt, Flamek wasn't responding and awakening to its full potential. But after learning the truth and realizing I no longer had to carry everything alone... I was finally able to acknowledge everything and open up. I could place my trust in everyone.

[Not just in general loyalty, but to also get out of harm's way. That he didn't have to keep holding himself and Flamek back, didn't have to remain on the defensive when around others. Even if he could be ruthless, he was still cautious and ultimately keeps everyone's safety in mind. To think his attempts to dampen Flamek's power would almost cost them...

He pulls back slightly so he could look at her, his expression softer than before.]

That's what I meant when I said if we had met before we likely wouldn't be like this... I kept people at arm's length and didn't want to become close to anyone.

Edited 2021-11-28 10:24 (UTC)

[When he pulls back, Tifa brushes the hair out of his face, combing the strands back from over his right eye.]

Bet I still could've found a way.

[Her smile is as gentle as her voice. It's an attempt, albeit not a great one, to bring back some levity to their morning. Who knows, though. He could be right, or completely wrong, and neither of them would ever know. They'd come together under circumstances that allowed them both to confront their feelings in some way, and perhaps it could have ended differently if he hadn't accepted that he could open up, or if she hadn't realized that he had been the one always at her side.

Hell, one small change and it could have all fallen down a different path, but the one that they did take lead here, and that should be all that matters, right?]

I know how hard it is, looking back on all that, but... it really did make you into a better person.

[Even without this, without her, he could still open up to others, and that beats being alone.]

So you beat Foe, in the end, because of that?

eighth shot ⊗ open november log

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