isleofavalon | first shot ⊗ open april log

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first shot ⊗ open april log

🧙 WHO: Eustace and anyone
⚔️️ WHAT: intro log + any TDM carryovers
🕒 WHEN: throughout April
🗺️ WHERE: various
⚠️ WARNINGS: mostly none? some of the prompts include the combat tasks like the spider one, so those have the potential to get grisly/graphic depending on how things shake out. ...and maybe some really bad dog puns—

⊗ a: who let the dogs out

[Eustace is continuing to train and improve on his animal magic training throughout the month, with varying success and failures. For now he's focused on communication and transformation, specifically with one group of animals: dogs. The path to all that, however, is an...interesting one. Anyone with dogs, likes dogs, afraid of dogs, whatever the case is THERE ARE DOGS. And most likely Eustace trying to reach out and pet one with either the dog accepting or hiding away. All while his own snow wolf familiar just hangs out off to the side and watch his attempts, offering no help whatsoever except to laugh at some of his efforts.

1. Bark bark woof woof. It could be at a park, in an alley, a quiet corner on the street—the locations will vary but they all have a common theme and scenario: it's a relatively quiet area and there are two figures in a seemingly serious staring contest. Eustace crouches on the ground about two feet away from a dog sitting in front of him. Big, small, fluffy, skinny, collared, stray—he's trying this on any he comes across so it all varies. But the two are staring at each other for what seems likes an intense staring contest before one of them breaking off, either by the dog barking and wagging its tail or Eustace clicking his tongue and running a hand through his hair in some frustration.]

I only understood half of that... What does a shoe have anything to do with a squirrel?

[Like. Okay, yes, dogs like those things but whatever the dog was trying to tell him, Eustace couldn't get a clear message from it.]

One more time.

[The dog stares at him with a flat look before "hrumphing," as if this isn't the first "one more time." Some comply, others might just walk off, but Eustace is determined to understand them dammit.

2. Straaaaaay. StraaAaaaaYayay— Closer to the end of the month or, Eustace can more reliably transform into a something of a mix between husky and wolf, however only for a very short time (like a few minutes) before he has to change out or risk turning into a puppy for expending too much energy. He uses whatever opportunities he has to practice both the process of changing and how to function in the form. So in the interim, he actually tries to find stray dogs and if they're wary of his normal form, he'll try changing to get them to open up that way. Of course sometimes going about as a sizable wolf leads to problems, like a passerby shouting in surprise, forcing him to run before changing out. Even jumping out in front of you, so hope not afraid of large canines.

If he does accidentally overdo it, then he's stuck as a very fluffy, very grumpy pup for a while until enough energy returns for him to change out. Sometimes he's able to voice out the truth of the situation, but sometimes he's unable to speak at all and can only grunt and whine like a real pup. Anyone who tries to take him home will be nipped at furiously.]

⊗ b: target practice

[Once he's gotten a better grasp on his animal magic, Eustace dabbles a little in his secondary, the elementals. It's a bit tougher, but he's also more determined to master it as he wants to share this magic with his weapon, Flamek. After trying the various elements, Eustace has found he has a strong inclination towards lightning magic, the electricity coming forth more easily than others. He's also managed a very faint dusting of frost, but it disappears quickly like breath into air. He'll have to try and work on that later after he's had more mastery on lightning. But even that will take a bit of work.

1. Test shots. To try and gain better control over something as unwieldy as lightning, Eustace releases small, concentrated bolts of electricity over a small distance. It's somewhat successful, mostly because trying to create small concentrations is a hit or miss, especially in the beginning. Sometimes it's just a fizzle of static, sometimes it's a large surge that fries the target. Then there's the matter of energy, and unlike animal magic he finds it takes more out of him and more quickly. But if anyone is around the test dummies, they'll hear the occasional bzzt as small amounts (and occasional large burst) electricity is discharged.

2. Flamek. Very early on Eustace learns that he can't obtain bullets except through a certain trader and for a high price. He has some that carried over, but it's still a very small, limited stock, meaning he can only use his gun under extreme circumstances. He was never one to waste his bullets to begin with, but the thought unsettles him to some degree, especially with Flamek already seemingly asleep.

He fingers the bullet that had still been in Flamek upon arrival before loading it back into the gun. There's a hum of electricity as he tries to recreate the feeling that usually happens when he brushes against the barrel, only this time it's from him instead of the gun. A complicated, troubled expression forms as he can only feel a very faint quiet "pulse" in return before he sighs and aims at the target ahead of him one-handed, a sight that is surely strange given that his gun is really more of a rifle. He pulls the trigger and the bullet hits cleanly through the center, a perfect bulls-eye.

But Eustace looks far from satisfied or pleased, instead drawing back his weapon to almost cradle it in his hands. He flicks the trigger mechanism that normally activates the weapon's charge, but there's only a dull click followed by silence. It works fine otherwise so that's some relief, but...it almost seems lifeless and it perplexes him. So when he's taking a break, he'll just be in some quiet corner brooding over his weapon as he wipes it down.]

⊗ c: task - humilibees

[This is an...odd problem for sure, but since this is supposedly where they're supposed to live, he might as well try. Especially since he might be able to do something about them. ...It just might be a little unorthodox. So there are three potential options posed to whoever he's working with:

1. Stunning them? Eustace is already familiar in using electricity to stun and paralyze his opponents, so he looks at the hive from a distance and postures a question to whoever he's working with:]

What if they're stunned by electrocution?

[MAYBE A LITTLE TOO DIRECT OF A QUESTION.

2. Bzz bzz? ...Okay. This is a little crazy. But although he's had most success with dogs, he has been able to catch bits and pieces of other animals here and there. Birds are particularly chatty so he tunes them out. But...what about insects? Can't hurt to try, right?

So he'll try to listen in and see if he can at least understand them, maybe figure out why they're there to begin with, but the moment he does he just flinches, a hand going to one of his ears.]

.......Nevermind... I can't understand a single thing from that noisy hive.

[And now that he's tried to tune in he can't seem to tune it out by the primals make it stop—!!

3. Your turn. Eustace is willing to listen any possible ideas his partner might have. Whether he'll accept it or not will of course depend on that idea.]

⊗ d: task - spiders

[Once he feels more comfortable with his magic and the world in general, he'll volunteer to help with the spider venom collection. However, he's not sure if he has the appropriate magic to collect the venom directly, he could offer some support, such as using his lightning magic to try and stun them or against the webs if someone is caught.

Just don't ask him to try and communicate with the spiders. After the bees, that's a hard no.]

⊗ e: wildcard + tdm

[I also considered the labyrinth quest but not sure if Eustace is ready to tackle that one yet. There is also the TDM prompts that can be carried over. I didn't stick any vines one in because of being used in the TDM, but those are also fair game! If interested in anything not included here, just hit me up on

laenavesse or discord and we can work something out!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I've had the fortune of avoiding your presence until now, so I can't really say.

[Delivered in such a straight, calm, neutral voice despite the words thrown sharp like a knife.]

[He just laughs!] Yeah exactly!

Oh wait. Yeah, I usually am having fun here. I got bored in my own world a lot, so I played a lot of Go. Well, until people caught onto me. Sometimes Mitsunari still did, but he's quiet like you, just prefers books over guns. Mitsuhide is my gunman. Did you know he designed my gun? He's here too.

Somehow I'm not surprised...

[Just an idle comment on Nobunaga just having fun in this place.]

But I've never heard of or met either of them.

No kidding. [Makes a face at him!] Even if Ishida was here, he wouldn't say anything to approach you first, and Mitsuhide is like a kitsune. Devious. You'd get along, I'm sure, but he doesn't approach without reasons to. He lets everyone else come to him.

...If he's devious I'm not sure how well we'd get along.

[Just a bit of a side-eye before he plays another move.]

[Takes no time playing back!]

Hideyoshi is like that. That's why he likes me, I assume, I can't hide my thoughts at all. But he still gets along with Mitsuhide. Then again, Hideyoshi gets along with everyone?

[Head shake.] Just because he's tricky, doesn't mean he's not not fun. He's the best sharpshooter I've ever met, I think I mentioned that? [Taps a finger to his chin.]

[This next move he's taking longer about!]

[Or he's thinking about something else. Who can say?] Hideyoshi takes things seriously like you, but Mitsuhide is more relaxed.

Hm... I see. What does he look like?

[Might as well figure it out so he can be aware about this man. Meanwhile he'll wait patiently for Nobunaga to make his next move...or come back from being distracted. If he takes too long, however, he'll bring him back to focus by just quietly tapping the board.]

[Nah, he comes back before that, just quietly placing his piece.]

Like a snake.

[Shakes his head, you'll never figure him out from that.] White hair, yellow eyes, almost always smiling. But you'll recognize him easier by his clothes. I don't think he's bothered to switch to anything modern yet, so kimonos, and of course, his rifle.

He's probably investigating still, but he might take to mixing drinks. He has no sense of taste. [Another headshake.] But he makes tea better than I can, and he knows alcohol well enough. And it's the kind of thing where you can listen to people talk. Otherwise he might do hair and makeup, but he usually does that for women, so I don't think you'd ever meet him like that.

[...Still failing to see how he'd get along with the guy, but there's nothing standing out to make him be wary. Well, except when the first thing a person uses to describe someone is "a snake," that kind of makes him arch a brow. But who knows.]

So I'm more likely to see him at the range.

[And without any hesitation, Eustace plays his own piece. The board looks fairly even at the moment.]

[Ask him how Hideyoshi looks. Spoilers: "monkey."]

Yeah!

[And then he frowns, placing his next piece.] No, maybe not. Normally, yes. But until we work out bullets supply, he's not the type to waste anything in case he needs it on an emergency.

[Now he's back to strategizing how to conquer completely.]

[...Annnnnd he's once again reminded of his problem with Flamek. He frowns subtly, but he sets it aside.]

Fair enough, I have my own issues with that as well.

[It's quite possible Nobunaga could win, but with how Eustace has been playing a rather tough defensive game, it may be more of a close match. But he'll start going on a slow offense, slowly blocking and impeding some of Nobunaga's movements.]

There has to be a way to make more of it here. If there's not enough iron, ceramics and gunpowder should work fine.

Maybe we could even make one of your modern molds, but modified to the nonmagical resources here?

[Nobunaga is intrigued by Eustace dragging it out. It is, of course necessary, lest one just concede defeat to him directly, but it's not a style nearly anyone but Mitsunari employs against him. Maybe he just hasn't been irritating Eustace as much as he does others? Or at least, not enough to overcome the spark of competition and ambition! GRAND!]

I'm surprised they haven't considering the advanced technology they do have.

But if you manage to find people familiar with them and could create them, I can give a few of my bullets for you to study. At least in my world these are standard issue.

[Although Flamek is special, it is capable of firing normal rounds at least.

And indeed, when it comes to competition or something with an objective, no matter how annoying or boisterous someone is, Eustace will keep his focus and remain calm.

...He's had way too much experience in dealing with people like Nobunaga.]

[Nobunaga's normally ice cold carnelian eyes flicker with something, and he nods.]

Show Mitsuhide whenever you meet him. If he earns your trust, show him. He understands explosives, and guns even more than I do, though he doesn't have the same passion, he's very precise.

And if you find yourself wanting more rounds... [Grins then, as he places a piece to finally begin more captures.] All the more reason to seek him out on your own.

[Eustace eyes him for a moment.]

If it is possible...what would you do?

[He glances at the board before playing a more defensive piece.]

You know how devastating the weapons can be. I always thought it strange they don't have guns here, but there could be a reason for that.

[Might be a strange question since he already offered up his bullets to study, but given how this world has magic and is somewhat similar to his own, it really would be just a matter of time. Not to mention he knows he's not the only gun user here who have bullets with them.

The question is who develops them and for what purpose. Obviously guns are a weapon and weapons only have one intent regardless of the motivations behind it: to kill. And Eustace is fully aware of what it would mean to develop a new weapon in a world without them. There's also the problem of...all the kinds of people around, but it's not like people aren't already armed, be it weapons or magic. At least Nobunaga feels he's... ... ... Well he's not Eustace's enemy, anyway. Still, even if he would benefit from this, it's only reasonable to be cautious.]

[It's almost certainly accidental, but that's a good question, one that is going to take all of Nobunaga's concentration to answer. War is very much like Go, in which Nobunaga sees everything as potential, but he's not oblivious to the negative consequences. It's a long, long drawn out silence, before he shakes his head, and places his piece, still back on the offensive.]

That's why you should meet with Mitsuhide. He --

[Picks up a goban stone and twirls it between his fingers.] All my men are the stones I do not waste. They all have a different ambition, different goal. It's my job to forward all their ambitions, or they'll turn on me, not just each other, if they think it conflicts with each other.

Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi, my left and right hands. Hideyoshi, sometimes he'd forget his ambition and just leave it to me, if I let him. It's annoying.

[Sigh.] Mitsuhide is the opposite. I always know he'll put the peace, his ambition way ahead of loyalty to me. [Headshake, and bitter laugh.] Sometimes I needle him more than anyone else just to ensure that, I think...

[Where even Nobunaga has to admit, he's kind of fucked in the head a bit.]

Edited 2021-05-13 23:03 (UTC)

[Deep even breathing.]

Hideyoshi was born a commoner. That means a lot in our world. In our time. I want to rid the castes. A barrier holding Japan back from greatness. That's more important to me than peace. What good is peace so long as royalty and samurai born into it can still murder anyone who offends them?

[Head tilt.] I made Hideyoshi my right hand, a general in the army, the leader of the army entirely. It was unheard of, but he's a genius too, in his own right.

Mitsuhide was born a samurai. But all the other samurai hate guns, they're considered inelegant, and children's toys, and not even as good for hunting as archery. Mitsuhide was the only one who saw its potential for what it really was. But....

[Shrugs, and serious expression. This is less fun for Nobunaga, but clearly important to him to try to give Eustace a chance to understand.] He still prioritizes peace first. He made the gun for my army, so that I could save more pieces. [Points to his captured pieces lid.] Sometimes I get annoyed with him, because he always wants to make friends with enemies, even when it means sacrificing more of the big picture.

[Looks up at the ceiling and sighs.] But, if I didn't trust him with my army, with trying to further his ambition to help my own, then he definitely wouldn't be my left hand.

[A head tilt as he looks at Eustace, still completely dead serious.] What I want, and what Mitsuhide wants are not always as simple as war and peace. If he thinks no one should have bullets, he won't make them. He can't stop me from making my own, but -- [Smiles.] I'm not about to go to war with my own left hand without a much bigger reason.

I can't promise you I'll never do something, or even guarantee that I will. There's too many ways the stones might still be placed.

I do think samurai need to be done away with. But things here are very different. I still have too much to see to say if any of it is necessary. There's a lot more peace here already than ever existed in my childhood or father's time. A lot closer to Mitsuhide's goal anyway. So who knows? [His eyes shine with an icy sort of strange amusement.] Maybe he won't need me anymore here.

I hate to say "oh just go deal with someone else," I always do try to do my deals personally, but on this one, I do have to defer to him. That's the kind of relationship he and I have. It's complicated, I wouldn't trust him to sleep in the same room with him, and he keeps me on my toes at all times, but I trust him with something much larger than my life, or health, or safety. [He rests his chin in his hands in thought.] Did you know he was the first person I gave a castle to? Even before Hideyoshi. I wanted to, but I knew politically, I couldn't. And Hideyoshi wouldn't have accepted it unless he got it later.

And yet... [A shrug.]

It's up to Mitsuhide. Even if I wanted to make futuristic ammunition available en masse, I couldn't do without him. And if he doesn't want to, like I said, I'll defer until circumstances change. That's how it has to be.

[His answer is not one he had expected, but he listens to every word patiently all the same, noting the change in his expression and inflection as he speaks.

It's clear Nobunaga places a great deal of trust in this Mitsuhide, and because of that he's trying to give Eustace some sense of reassurance that at the very least the guy isn't someone who would abuse the knowledge. It's this side of Nobunaga that is probably what makes him at least "tolerable" for Eustace to deal with. ...It's just a shame he can't be like this all the time— But in all seriousness, this does give Eustace a bit more insight on them and while he won't be seeking the man out, he has a bit more understanding of what to expect. Nobunaga mentions the man is for peace...but although that's one thing Eustace himself also desires, he also is aware that "peace" comes in many different forms. For now he'll take it as the more "ideal" version, but he'll be cautious.

Assuming this isn't just some bias, but he has a feeling this is more objective than subjective.

So after a moment's pause, Eustace gives a low hum as he studies the board before silently playing his next move, the stone barely making a sound as it's placed on the board—yet one that could threaten Nobunaga if left untouched for long.]

I'll keep that all in mind should we meet.

[His response is fairly simple compared to everything that Nobunaga told him, but it carries as much weight as he needs. He's not retracting his offer, however he's not affirming it, either. The move he just played could also be a reflection of his thoughts, a sign that if necessary he'll take action should he decide the development—or Nobunaga—would be more dangerous overall. It's certainly the most aggressive move he's made in the game so far. But Eustace himself is quite calm and relaxed, so at least while he weighs his options, he doesn't feel too concerned. Perhaps he's just quietly testing Nobunaga, to see how he might respond. Or maybe it's just currently the best play he could perform at the moment. Who's to say, who's to say...

He does wonder why guns have not been developed or if perhaps they once were and then abandoned for some reason. That was the case in his world, what's the say it wasn't here, either? He initially hadn't thought much of it, but this conversation with Nobunaga has him wondering...]

[Nobunaga's pretty sure guns weren't developed here ever, that the saltpeter for gunpowder was never efficiently gathered on account of light magic substituting for fireworks far better than the downsides of the explosives, and the cannons, of course, being completely moot without a large amount of ship trade, pirates, and their difficulty of moving over the mountains, forest, and general terrain of Avalon.]

[He instantly sees the placement of the piece, and moves to secure defensively against it.]

[Habit, now that he's in the serious mindset.]

Do you have fighting magic? Mine is just healing. I don't know what to do with it yet.

[Eustace will continue to put on the pressure.]

Animal and Elemental, so you could say the latter is more offensive.

Both can be. Or defensive.

[YAY! A REAL GAME! The serious edge is over, back to Nobunaga's love of just enjoying himself. Sorry Eustace, it was short-lived.]

True.

[Who will win this strangely intense game?? Also sigh all good things must come to an end sometimes...........he'll cope.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

first shot ⊗ open april log

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