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

[flamekthunder]

[So she was from a small village like himself... Normally it wouldn't matter, but it is a bit of a nice feeling to have some kind of similarity. However, his brows furrow at the mention of her mother and its his turn to squeeze her hand and give her comfort.]

...I'm sorry. I take it the cat is the one you talked about before.

[Yes, he does indeed remember that conversation.]

[starshower]

[Tifa shakes her head.]

It's okay.

[It had happened so long ago that Tifa has had time to grieve and learn to continue living. She still misses her mother, and there are still holes in her memory from when it happened, but it isn't something that cripples her. Not anymore. She can live on knowing that her mother would be proud of how far she's come, and how hard she's fought, and that's good enough.]

Same cat, yeah. Only ever had the one, but he was always a handful. Clover's a dream compared to him. At least she doesn't try to dart outside every time I open the door.

[Said with utmost fondness of course, even if Clover can be a bit of a brat at times.]

Then again, I guess I have you to thank for that.

[flamekthunder]

[He slips his hand out so that he can move it around her waist instead, hugging her to him all the same. He understands what it's like to have had enough time to at least move on enough, but he knows it can sometimes still hurt. Maybe she doesn't need it, but he offers comfort all the same. He also feels a little saddened that she also had to suffer a tragedy, wanting her to only be happy instead.

But of course life isn't like that.]

For bringing Clover? [Because definitely can't be because of her personality—]

[starshower]

[She chuckles, beaming up at him while she lets him pull her into a hug. She can feel his comfort washing over her, and although she doesn't need it anymore, she isn't going to turn it away.]

Mostly, yeah, but pretty sure I've heard her ask when you'll be coming over to visit her, but I told her... only if she behaves. So, she's been on her best behaviour since.

[Of course, she hasn't said a word of this to Aerith yet, but... maybe it wouldn't be so suspicious if she were to invite him over to visit Clover?

But yes, mostly for bringing Clover.]

[flamekthunder]

...Ah. [He smiles a little amused as he imagines the young brat working to be good.]

Should I come over then?

[As if reading her mind he'll broach the topic. ...Though it is a little different circumstance given that she's staying with Aerith rather than on her own.]

Though I haven't met your friends...

[IS THAT WEIRD, SHOULD HE??? Why does he suddenly feel some weird pressure—]

[starshower]

You sure you want to? You'll have to work pretty hard to impress both Aerith and Nanaki.

[Aerith, especially. Although she has a feeling she would like him plenty, even more so if she knew about them... which she doesn't. Yet.

Tifa pats him on the leg.]

You don't have to. Not until you're ready.

[Does that help alleviate the pressure!? She realizes, belatedly, that it might not...]

[flamekthunder]

Nanaki?

[He looks at her curiously.]

I've actually worked with him before. I didn't realize he was from the same world as you.

[starshower]

He is. From the future too, apparently. You've met him!

[Colour her somewhat surprised? Although, perhaps it would make sense. Hopefully Eustace didn't give him too much trouble, Nanaki being a labratdog and all.

Which means there are things that he knows about their world and their lives later down the line that she doesn't, and didn't want to hear about either.

Tifa raises her free hand, and starts to count down on her fingers.]

Me, Aerith, Nanaki, Cloud... and Sephiroth. [The last name falls off her tongue with a sharpness unlike her, but Tifa shakes it off fairly quick with a grin.] It's just the three of us at her place right now though, so no pressure.

[flamekthunder]

[Excuse, he and Nanaki get along great and he treats him with utmost respect!! That said he never actually asked about him so Eustace doesn't know anything.

He does, however, notice the change in tone.]

Who is Sephiroth?

[starshower]

[Tifa doesn't want to get into it all if she could avoid it, not wanting to sour the occasion with tragic stories of her past—or else they'll never find a happy moment—but...

She does take his hand and guides it up to her chest, beneath the hem of her robe to where her scar lies across her skin, the fear flickering clearly in her eyes as she looks to the fire, remembering that day as if it had only just happened.]

He's the one who gave me this.

[ ... ]

I haven't seen or talked to him, and I plan to keep it that way, but Aerith told me he was here.

[flamekthunder]

[He's a little confused at first, but then his eyes widen, his body stiffening as he comprehends what she's saying. For a moment he doesn't say anything or even move, but he doesn't really need to for her to notice how he truly feels. The way his eyes narrow, a simmer of heat in his cold gaze as his fingertips trembling a moment before they firm against the scarred skin. He knows he can't do anything—does he even have the right or in the position to?—but it's clear he'd rather do something.

So he simmers for a moment before he lets out a breath and lowers his head to rest against hers.]

Is he still a threat?

[Subtle reading would be can he kill him—]

[starshower]

[She can read him clear as day, in the way his fingers press on her skin, and the fire in those blue eyes of his, and when he rests his forehead against hers, she reassures him with a light touch to the side of his face. Tifa appreciates the sentiment, and while she wouldn't hesitate to go up against him, she knows that not even Eustace alone would be enough to do anything.

Maybe here, but that wouldn't make a difference back home.]

No, not here.

[Still, there is a twinge of fear in her voice—the same one that always finds its way in when she talks about Sephiroth.]

He's probably stripped of a lot of his power here. [Or so she hopes.] As long as he keeps to himself, and stays away from the rest of us, then it'll be fine. Our fight is back home anyway.

[Tifa laughs and tilts her head to look at him.]

I doubt he even knows I'm here.

[flamekthunder]

[There's a heavy silence as he stares at her, eyes tinged with concern for her as well as that small storm of anger before they close with a long exhale.]

...If anything happens, let me know.

[He seems a little calmer, but as he lightly pressed his lips to the top of her head, he's already thinking of whether he should really leave it alone or do some "research" just to get a better idea of what kind of bastard he is—]

[starshower]

Mm.

[She nods into the kiss, the scent of him mingling with the coffee filling her head that all she can do is close her eyes against it for a moment, feeling the power behind all of his words.]

Don't do anything I wouldn't do, yeah?

[Said with the weight of a promise.

Which means... don't go and find out about Sephiroth himself. She'd say don't do it alone, but the first thing Tifa would do if she were with him would be to stop him from going. Sephiroth is dangerous, whether he's stripped of all of his powers or not. He doesn't need them all to be the deadly SOLDIER that he is...

Although who's to say that she wouldn't do the same thing—feel the same things—if the tables were turned, and the man who'd taken everything from Eustace was here instead?]

[flamekthunder]

Considering how often you tend to get yourself involved, I'm not sure those words will be of any use.

[A light grin as he looks at her, thinking of all the times she meddled into rather dangerous things. He could easily see her at least wanting to do the same or at least similar as him.]

...But I'll be careful.

[Of not getting caught—]

[starshower]

[She'd argue that this time is different—this time, she knows what Sephiroth is capable of, and it's much more than some stalker woman ever was, but... she'll let him have that one. He has a point, and she's in no position to argue it.

Besides, she's not sure what she would do if he got hurt again on account of her. It had happened once already, and that was more than enough for her.]

Next time, I might not be there to save you.

[But she doesn't feel like talking about it anymore. About that—the time when he'd turned into that small pup, and she had to carry him in her arms to safety. To have that happen and leave him so vulnerable... she doesn't want to think about it happening again.

So, rather than give him the chance to contest that, she leans over to pick up a piece of cheese...




And stuffs it between his lips.]

[flamekthunder]

[He really was going to contest that he'd be fine, but she wisely shoves that piece of cheese between his lips, forcing him to keep his mouth (mostly) shut. So he just gives her a withering look before he works the cheese to more fully capture and eat it before he takes a grape and pushes it against her lips in return.]

All right, I'll drop the topic. What would you like to do after this?

[starshower]

[The grape falls past her lips with a small pop! and she's silent for a while as she chews, considering the many, many options they have. They could simply stay here and eat and sip their coffee, and she intends to finish off what she can of the platter first before venturing out, but...]

After we eat? Figure we could still take a look around. ... I know this isn't exactly your style, but it might still be fun...? Not every day I get to walk around in a castle like this one.

[flamekthunder]

I've only been into a small handful, but each one has been different...and unnecessarily large. However, we can still look around.

[And going to feed her another one.]

[starshower]

Wha—

[She looks at the grape in surprise before taking it, her brow furrowing at being fed, but it's not without that glint returning to her eyes when she takes a second piece of cheese and holds it out to him, right at his lips, but not stuffing it in like before...]

Still got some time to kill before then. They haven't brought our stuff back yet.

[flamekthunder]

[Just a light arch of the brow before he takes the cheese.]

Do you have something in mind?

[One thought came to mind but surely not.....

Also she can have a strawberry next.]

[starshower]

[Surely not.]

Let's just finish the food while we wait.

[She hadn't been thinking about it, no, contrary to what she might be leading him to believe with how she playfully accepts the strawberry. Tifa had just thought about eating the rest of the food and sipping on their coffee, but as soon as she has the fruit between her lips, she brings it up to his for him to take a bite of it from the other end, all while hiding the fact that she's blushing all over again at the thought.]

[flamekthunder]

[He had also been content in just chilling here and enjoying the free refreshments, but he's not going to wholly decline anything, either...

...Like what she's doing now. Again he looks at her a little questioningly, but his eyes also drift to the strawberry—specifically to her lips, which appear as if they've become a little more red even if they might not really have been.

So he'll silently lean in, take the other end of the strawberry between his teeth......and then just bite off a portion before pulling back with a smirk, if not taking the entire thing if she doesn't have a good hold of it.]

[starshower]

[It will definitely be most of, if not the entire thing, as it slips past her teeth, and she can't help the peal of giggles that follows as she chases after him.]

I was only offering you a piece.

[And then she captures the end of the strawberry in her mouth again, all the while pressing her lips to his in a tart kiss, and she hums at the sweetness of the fruit between them as she bites off what she can and steals it for herself. But he won't be able to get far, because she sets her coffee down, stretching to reach the table before she's snaking her arms around his neck to keep him close, her other hand shifting his robe to bare more of his chest...

Hopefully the door locked behind the servants when they brought the food...? Not that it's the first thing on her mind at the moment, but--!]

1/2

[flamekthunder]

[He just smirks a bit when she approaches, letting her take the piece as he swallow his, the fruit tasting sweeter despite its tartness. He has no plans on retreating, so when her arms move to be around his neck and on his chest, he leans in close.]

Looked like you were offering yourself instead.

[He then presses his lips against hers, tongue swiping against them as if to capture more of that sweet taste. An arm goes around her back as a hand takes her shoulder, pushing her back towards the armrest before a hand snakes into her robe to find her soft, smooth skin.]