sixth shot ⊗ open march log

[flamekthunder]

Who: Eustace and You!?
Which: Open March Log
Where: Various
What: Requesting information from those who have turned noctaere; dog park shenanigans; vine traps; four leaf clovers; elemental cores;
Warnings: None unless stuff happens in the fighting prompts


⊗ a: network - turning noctaere intel

Sender: Eustace
To: Everyone EXCEPT TIFA
Subject: Gathering information from those who have turned into noctaere

Given how much time has passed and the increased number of incidents, I would like to gather information from those who have experienced turning into noctaere first hand, witnessed, or had to handle someone who changed. This is more for personal reference but something more public could be compiled for others to use.

The main questions I have are:

1. When did you first start noticing the effects from overabundance in nightmare energy?
   
2. Can you recall the events that led up to the change? Frequent nightmares? A negative trigger?
   
3. Did the change happen quickly or did it take some time?
   
4. At any point do you think you could have stopped and reversed the effects? If you did try, were you successful in any way?
   
5. Did the incident occur while dreamwalking or while awake?
   
6. How long did you remain as a noctaere?
   
7. What changes did you undergo?
   
8. Were you able to retain any sense of control or was it completely lost?
   
9. What did it take for you to return to normal?
   
10. What, if any, kind of effects did you experience afterwards?
    
11. After the first experience, do you believe you can better prepare or safeguard yourself from another? This assumes a natural progression and not a forced change.

I realize some of these questions may be personal so those who respond can keep more private details vague. Anonymous accounts or privately filtered threads are also acceptable.

Accounts from those who dealt with someone who has turned noctaere will also be appreciated, particularly the methods used to help subdue and help them return to normal.

Thank you for your insight and cooperation.
— Eustace

⊗ b: it's a dog's life

[AKA, the "if you want to play with dogs this is for you" prompt.

Last month Eustace had started working on creating a suitable dog park for not only "his" dogs, but for any other dogs that may arrive or wander into town. So far it's completely fenced in with two different entrances, including "dog gates" where dogs can freely enter and exit. There are several designated "watering holes" for water, with giant tanks set up that dogs can easily nudge for water to pour out into the bowls, though he's looking to create something of an automatic system (maybe those water cores...see prompt e2). A pathway circling the park has been marked, but not yet finished, and while there are already a few ramps and tunnels, he's still working on creating a few more obstacles and "training exercises" for the dogs.

Most of it is primarily for the two groups of dogs he's taking care of, but he is considering a more general use for potential future doggy guests.

Of course...he belatedly realized he focused so much on the dogs he forgot to create amenities for the people who may be with them, so setting up seating and table areas is on his to do list.

For now, throughout most of the month, Eustace can be found in the park with the corgis and the Flowers, either throwing balls or other toys for the dogs, working on finishing constructing the last few amenities, or even just sitting under one of the many trees and just relaxing with the dogs. Of course that's kind of boring.

The dogs will happily bark and run up to the fence should anyone pass by. Some of the smarter ones will actually boop a toy ball over the fence, bouncing it off each other's heads and noses to have it sail over towards the person in question. They then to proceed to bark once and then wag their tail (or butt) and look at the person with eyes that say, "You're not going to leave that there are you?"]

⊗ c: quest 301: vine traps

[1. Thawing ice and burning vines. Given his interest in noctaere at the moment, it's no surprise he's quick to take up the quest in dealing with the trapped corrupted animals. Although seeing it being frozen patches given how his...own effects regarding ice can be similar is a little disconcerting, he just only studies it.]

...Fire, huh. Suppose I should try a different element...

[And fortunately, his current mindset allows him to channel that warmth, a soft whitish blue flame forming at his hand before it spreads out onto the frozen ice, thawing it along with the vines that burn safely away. That part is easy, but when it comes to the vines with the trapped corrupted animals...

2. Eliminating the threat. Pulling out his gun, Flamek, he flips the trigger, an electric humming sound following as electricity starts to spark around the barrel.

It's a pity, really, about the animal. Could it be purified? He knows there is research into it and maybe he should inquire... But for now, these creatures are in populated areas and need to be dealt with immediately.

When Eustace is certain he is clear and that no one is around, he will first create a small dome of ice that is effectively serving as a barrier to help as a safeguard. It's something new he's trying, so this is a fairly good opportunity for it. As he raises his gun in the air, he makes another check. If someone happens to approach now, he'll just glance at them.]

Stand back. I have it contained, but I'm not sure how strong the barrier will be if it explodes.

[And with that he'll fire the shot, several bolts of lightning releasing from his weapon to arc down into the small top opening of the dome. It's not just any lightning—it's filled with his deep rooted desire to protect everyone, especially the one who cares most deeply for. The last thing he wants is for them to get affected by the nightmare energy that could generate here, so he wants it gone.

The sound of destruction is muffled, and if by chance the vines do explode, most of the shards will be contained by the barrier. However, some of it will also cause the ice to crack and break. Fortunately it still contains the bulk of the blast so no one should get hurt unless they were foolish enough to ignore his warning and run in for some reason.]

Still needs improvement...but it'll work for now.

⊗ d: quest 304: four leaf clovers

[1. Clover Hunting. Anyone who knows Eustace might not expect him to be out gathering four leaf clovers... But here he is, out in one of the many clover fields with one of the corgis, Briallen, looking for that elusive four leaf clover. Does he believe in it?

No. ...Not normally, anyway. But his luck has been shit and he has a date coming up with Tifa and he does not want it ruined. Given how this world is, good luck may actually manifest and be potent here. So with Bri sniffing out the four leaf ones, Eustace will also be slowly pacing through the fields, his keen eyesight looking careful over the plants.]

T'sk... I've heard these were difficult to find, but how would anyone find them...

[Just a quiet grumble. Yes, yes, four leaves are supposed to be difficult to find, that's what makes them so lucky! Doesn't make it any less annoying—especially when he decided to find two instead of just one for himself. However, it's not just clovers. He may have been gathering a few wildflowers... Maybe. It's only because Briallen keeps giving him some that's all!!!! it's not it's not at all

2. Jackalopes. Of course, despite wanting peace and quiet he never gets it easy. While still looking for that elusive four leaf clover, Bri starts growling and Eustace immediately locks on the tall antlers of the jackalope. Now, he actually doesn't want to engage in a fight if he doesn't have to... But the jackalope isn't going to let that happen.

And so the once peaceful clover field will be disrupted by the sound of fighting. Eustace will have at least drawn the jackalope away to the edges, where he can freely fire lightning from his weapon while the small corgi assists in trying to keep the jackalope from running off. Assistance will be welcomed.

Alternatively, if someone else is dealing with a jackalope, Eustace will assist them instead.]

⊗ e: quest 306: elemental cores

[Hunting monsters is his expertise, so it doesn't take him too long to track down spots where the cores he's after can be found, namely fire and water. Eventually he might look for the others, but he has vested interest in these particular elements for personal use.

1. Sniping golems. Whether on his own or working with someone else, rather than face the golems head on he'll take on a sniping position, either using a cliff ledge or trees. So if anyone is in the area, don't be surprised or mistake his lightning for another elemental golem—it's just him bringing the thunder and sniping golem limbs to shatter the arms or legs off from the distance so he can pick up the cores later...

...Or rather, so two corgis can weave in and grab the cores when it's clear. The dogs will also help in dealing with the golems, with Ivor body slamming those already staggered from Eustace's lightning or from other attacks to knock the golem down.

2. Water core "thief." After delivering a few water cores and having something like an automatic water fountain bowl prototype created in return for his efforts, Eustace is at the dog park to try it out. However, there is a small flaw. Before he could finish installing the fountain, one of the dogs has snatched the core and is running around, shaking its head and causing it to create water and spray it everywhere.]

Hey—Idris!!

[And that rambunctious young corgi is going to be running around trying to douse and spray anyone and anything in his path. He's a fast one, too, good luck catching him.]

⊗ f: wildcard

[Oh God I had more but this was already too long. Not included but can be done: Preparing for Spring planting, orange feather removal, get rid of the frogs, and feel free to push him through the rainbows. One could appear in any of these prompts or could be set anywhere in town. He also has a dating advice request anon post if anyone wants to hit that still. Feel free to hit me up on discord, PM, or laenavesse for questions or further discussion!]

Comments

Private; Sender: 76

[steadypulse]

[Kept private for good reason, but- well. Better to share this type of information than not, right? Only a small handful of people knew what happened to him just last month.

That, and he remembered Eustace. Guy with the love of dogs.]

1. Few days after initial contact fighting a Noctaere, learning the hard way it's best not to come in to physical contact with them.
2. A lot of nightmares, restlessness, not feeling like myself and far more lethargic than usual.
3. Both- the initial corruption took several months before an abrupt change in to one.
4. Uncertain. Mixed results.
5. Awake.
6. Little over a day- but might be missing a few hours.
7. Complete transformation in to some sort of creature.
8. Nearly completely lost. I don't remember much of what happened while changed.
9. Someone that knew me reaching in past the Noctaere for me non-violently.
10. Complete exhaustion, still have some physical changes.
11. Working on it.

[flamekthunder]

[Taking notes for sure.]

Thank you for the information. A few follow ups:

1. Can you give more detail on this? What exactly was the "physical contact" and what happened?
3. Were there any particular signs that made you aware it was happening?
4. Can you elaborate on what methods you tried?
9. Can you elaborate on what they did?
10. How long has it been for you to still have the changes?
11. Do you have any current ideas or theories?

D1

[darkcharge]

[ Vanitas himself is not someone that believes in luck. Not really. Or, rather, it would be more accurate to say that only certain people can be blessed to get the things that they want out of life and others are cursed never to succeed. He's not sure that he would think of that as luck. Perhaps fate?

So he can't say that he understands how people can become obsessed with it. Suffice to say that Vanitas hadn't anticipated Eustace prowling clover fields either. Interesting. ]

Why is it I've run into you when you're having an issue?

[flamekthunder]

[Glancing up from where he's crouching down to search to no avail, Eustace glances back at the familiar voice.]

I could ask a similar question—why do I run into you in places I'd least expect you to be?

[Course the same could be said of him... But anyway—]

And this isn't really an issue.

B (Must Love Doggos)

[grandduchess_anya]

(For some time, she has been hearing about the building of the dog park, but because of her busy time as a seamstress, she couldn’t be able to help in building the dog park. Regardless, she is intrigued to go check out it. It looks like it is the place for Pooka to play with other dogs.

As she walks right next to the fence to see the park, Pooka diligently by her side, the dogs who’re at the park notice her and they run towards her, bopping on the ball towards her and begging her to play with them.)

[flamekthunder]

[Oooh another dog!!! New frand!?

They bark more excitedly, tales and butts wagging and wiggling in excitement as they continue to try and encourage them to play. Though now they want them both inside the park. Come on, come oooon!!



Eventually Eustace will hear the commotion and look over.]

C1

[pactmarshal]

[ It just so happens that Trahearne is crouched by the very same vine trap, examining it, wondering how to approach the problem. He already gleaned it was too dangerous for him to touch either the ice or the vines, but he found himself at a loss of how to actually deal with them.

...And then this guy shows up and gets rid of the ice, just like that!

For how long it took him to even gather the courage to approach the vines, that seems almost unfair. He won't let that show, though. ]

You make it seem easy.

[flamekthunder]

I've been here for a while—gotten more accustomed to using dreamotion.

[After ensuring the the vines are burning nicely, Eustace looks up to properly look at the source of the voice...and stares for a moment.]

...Are you a tiefling?

[He looks fairly similar to Oriphi only...more...plant-y.]

b!

[sangopearls]

[ He's heard about the "dog park" in passing, and he'll admit: It's certainly piqued his interest. He's not entirely sure how he feels about it, and he won't really know until he sees that the dogs are taken care of properly. Gorou makes it a point to stop by, and he approaches the fence with a straight face. He's simply curious...definitely not getting distracted by toy balls or anything........

And then one of the corgis boops a ball toward him. It catches him by surprise, but his reflexes are quick and he catches it with ease. Now he's got a smile on his face. ]

You feel like playing, don't you? Well, I do have some time on my hands...

[ He happily uses his hand to lightly toss the ball over the fence, back towards the corgis. ]

[flamekthunder]

[The dogs are overjoyed and they chase after the ball before doing another chain of boops to throw it back, barking excitedly. They are particularly excited because this person looks similar to their guardian!! Either way, NEW FRAND GET IN HERE—

Eustace, meanwhile, will hear the dogs and see them "throwing" the ball...somewhere outside the fence? From his angle he can't see Gorou, so with a puzzled frown he makes his way over.]

Private; Anon

[tantailizing]

[If he's going to talk to Eustace about it, it'd be in person. But... through the journals? Yeah, he'd rather not so openly. Besides, it's just answering questions... or attempting to put them all together. He's going to make sure his handwriting is different.]

Don't know if I turned.

I don't think I did.

It all happened in a Dreamscape when those small creatures were around last month - the ones that ate people's emotions. But I've known it was lingering for a while now. Nightmares in the month before last didn't help either.

[flamekthunder]

[If Zidane ever wants to meet with him in person he's welcome to. Though Eustace would also be a bit concerned that Zidane of all people came close to it, at least from what he gathers from the message.]

When you say you've known it was lingering, do you mean you suspected it from how you felt or where there other signs? And when you say you don't know if you turned, do you mean you might have forgotten or something else?

private; un: phantom

[removal]

Forgive my ignorance, I but recently arrived.

I wish to ask about nightmare energy. Is it native to this world, or an outside agent?

[flamekthunder]

No need for apologies, this is something you should be made aware of, even if it may not be the best topic as part of a "welcome."

As far as I know, the nightmare energy that affects this world is native to it. It's possible there are other worlds with a similar or same kind of energy, but I am uncertain if it's possible for it to spread without some kind of conduit.

b, doggo life

[judicialassistant]

[ Susato has been thinking about Eustace's message to the network all morning. She's probably opened up the page to reply multiple times, only to shut her journal again. It's not the first time she has wanted to reply to something, but found it not to be her place; and as an assistant, it likely wouldn't be the last.

She probably looks rather out of it as she passes through the dog park. Luckily, she has borrowed Tobey for the occasion, opting to take him for a walk before Gina wakes (probably leaving her a note, in case she does). His barking pulls her out of her trance, and she chuckles as a ball comes over the fence Tobey's way. It falls to the ground, and Tobey sniffs it curiously before taking it in his mouth. ]

...You can't keep it, now, Inspector. You have to send it back! Here, allow me to help.

[flamekthunder]

[After noticing their little scheme the first few times, Eustace is now more aware of what these dogs are doing. So he's coming over once he hears them at it again, this time recognizing the person over the fence.

...And...cute...dog...]

Don't throw it, they'll just keep at it until you join them inside.

Private; Anon

[chippedsoul]

[Oh it's the dog person. He doesn't feel too comfortable outing who he is, considering his circumstances was caused from before he even came to this world.]

I felt the energy after I experienced what a nightmare was like in this world. I was already dealing with something unpleasant before arriving, so that's probably another factor.

Even when I did carry a little more than the usual amount of nightmare energy, nothing came of it. Not until I had an encounter that caused me much grief and anger. I was snapped out of it, but the damage had already been done. I had gather all this energy that had no where to go, and thus I eventually changed.

I had turn into what one would describe as a demon serpent. I don't remember much, but I do recall always being hungry for more nightmare energy. I emitted some kind of poison that could change creatures into a sort of pseudo Noctare and consume them afterwards.

I eventually would return to normal thanks to someone who kept watch and constantly reminded me of who I am. The mind returns first, the physical changes take more time.

I can't say I've done well to prevent it from occurring a second time, but I was fighting another Noctaere and was exposed to that energy once more.

[flamekthunder]

[Another account...and a little different from 76, but he'll have to really look into the details and compare to see what differences and parallels there are. Although the demon serpent makes him feel a little unsettled as he's reminded of his time as a lindworm.

There's a lot of points to hit, but he'll just focus on the last one first.]

What happened after the second exposure?

sender: anonymous (but public)

[noblegarnet]

[Well, it's not the first time he's contributed information about turning into a monster, and it might not be the last.]

1 - it was immediate. I didn't have time to realize anything
2 - I have nightmares often. I was forced into another one by the dreamscape just before winter so I guess it was the last straw
3 - it was immediate
4 - no
5 - dreamwalking involuntarily
6 - a couple of hours, maybe
7 - parts of me turned into the kind of monster I fought back home
8 - I think it was just lost
9 - dying
10 - just exhausted, mostly. probably has to do with it being inside a dreamscape
11 - not really

[flamekthunder]

[Short answers, but they're all he needs...even if some of the answers alarm him.]

Thank you for the information. When you answered "dying," was this within the dream or while awake?

private | sender: Oriphi

[hearthwarming]

[ Truth to tell, Ori has been getting increasingly worried about Noctaere as of late, as well. She had a run-in with one in January, and then again during this past dreamshift, and... that's not even considering the nightmares she'd had, some of which had seen her probably on the edge of being overtaken by nightmare energy if not for other dreamwalkers' intervention.

She's not particularly happy about seeing this post pop up specifically from Eustace, either; she hopes he's not worrying about it like she is. (He probably is.) ]

Would you mind sharing what you learn with me? I've been thinking about this too...

[flamekthunder]

[When he sees Oriphi responding, he's immediately concerned. She can't be feeling as well...can she?]

Of course.

But what's been bothering you?

B.

[disdelusioned]

[Diluc hasn't been avoiding Eustace since they've awoken from the dreamscape late last month, but he hasn't gone seeking him out either. Their next conversation is likely to be awkward--and that's assuming that Eustace isn't still hostile in the name of protecting Ori. Which he gets. If the situation were reversed, with his own relationship with her being platonic and Eustace being her romantic partner, he'd probably behave similarly.

It just would have been nice to have that conversation without the background noise of a false rivalry, that's all.

It was only a matter of time before the two would cross paths, and the inevitable meeting occurs at a dog park that's recently been set up in town. A ball lands at his feet as he passes, and he looks through the fence at a flowery dog looking up at him hopefully.]

...Ori?

[The dog barks with impatience. Probably not Ori, then. He clears his throat a little as if he didn't just mistake a dog for his girlfriend, picks up the ball, and tosses it back into the park for the dog to give chase. As he throws it, he sees Eustace beneath one of the trees.

Well, might as well get this over with. He goes over to the gate and enters the park properly, heading to the tree to greet Eustace. The flowery dog, eager for another throw, trots close behind him.]

Good afternoon.

[flamekthunder]

[Wow diluc to mistake your girlfriend like that, Eustace would dock so many points—

If he noticed, he but he did not. He's just taking some rare time to relax in some peace and quiet, eyes closed as if sleeping. But he's still fully aware of his surroundings, easily hearing the excited barks, sensing someone entering the park, and hearing the footsteps approaching. He doesn't move until he hears the voice...one he recognizes.

Opening his eyes, he stares up at the red haired man he had met before in that dreamscape.

....


Yep. He had not forgotten, but like Diluc he had made no effort to meet with him again. Granted he had been occupied with other matters.

So there's just a stretch of silence before he finally answers.]

Afternoon.

[Yep this is how it's going to go. He has a feeling as to why Diluc approached him, but he'll let him go first.]

Doggos!

[hattersgonnahat]

[Once again, this dream was the best. To not only witness a whole herd of dogs while passing by, but to be blessed with a ball to toss back over...it can't get any better than this right??]

You want this back~? [She teased all the good boys and girls, seeing how they were practically trying to climb over the fence to get it. But she doesn't leave them hanging for much longer. Although, who knows what small, adorable stampede she just unleashed to the park by doing so.]

[flamekthunder]

[Indeed, what kind of stampeded did she unleash?

Eustace had just been enjoying his bit of respite when suddenly a ball rolls up to his foot. Opening an eye he looks at it, not really too surprised since, well, dog park. But that's a lot of dogs running at him.]

—!?

[QUICKLY CHUCKING THAT BALL AWAY BEFORE HE GETS PILED ON.]