seventh shot ⊗ open april log

[flamekthunder]

Who: Eustace and anyone
Which: Open April Log
Where: Various
What: Cat bees; mandragoras; flower pruning; crystal fishing; observatory
Warnings: None just shenanigans


⊗ a: quest 401: cat bees

[Some might think the cat bees are cute and mostly harmless. And for the most part they are—

Unless one is a dog that grows flowers on their coats.

Anyone around the neighborhood will hear a lot of barking and some yelps as there is a back and forth between the Flower dogs and the cat bees chasing each other. The more timid pups yelp and run away, seeking any kind of cover to fend off the bees. The more rambunctious ones are barking and trying to chase them away, leaping at them and not caring when a few of the cat bees hiss and try to go after them. Whether the cat bees are interested in their flowers at this point or not is up in the air. In any case, this is the scene Eustace and anyone else around will find throughout the month while the cat bees are around.]

Damn pests... There are other flowers you can go to, scram!

[Eustace in particular has his hackles raised, especially when Valerian whimpers and he has to pick up the scaredypup and shield him. Electricity is starting to fill the air, and although he's trying not to be too aggressive, if any of those bees actually sting or smother a pup, he is ready to singe more than a few.

Should anyone be around they are more than welcome to try and help chase off the bees. Perhaps using one of the many large flowers nearby will help? Or use a mandragora to scare them off—please no]

⊗ b: quest 403: singing plants

[Eustace isn't actually in the are to pluck the plants. He's a bit wary of what a singing plant could do...and he's proven right when he happens to be in the area and someone pulls one of the plants out, revealing itself to be a screeching mandragora. They shriek in surprise and run, leaving it exposed to the ground. With his hearing as sensitive as it is, it's even worse for him, his ears actually flattening momentarily as he reaches up to cover them.

Taking matters into his own hands, he grits his teeth and pulls out his gun, lightning already crackling and gathering around him.]

Stand back, I'm destroying that plant and this entire field once and for all...!

[DON'T LET HIM DESTROY THE FIELD—]

⊗ c: quest 407: seasons of love

[The other plant problem Eustace ends up having constantly throughout the month is the large amount of flowers that keeps appearing on and around his tree. And by large amount, it's like having huge roses and lilies just springing up all over the tree to the point it's hard to tell there's even a tree there.]

...

[Staring up at it, he runs an aggravated hand through this hair and sighs before muttering under his breath.]

What if I just burn it...

[Of course not he wouldn't want to actually destroy it all. ...But given the sheer amount, this is going to be. Annoying. So if anyone happens to pass by the edge of the neighborhood or wondering where there are hundreds of flower petals falling into their trees and yards, they'll find Eustace slowly but diligently trying to cut down the flowers, a large pile the size of himself already formed.]

⊗ d: quest 408: crystal fishing

[For a change of pace, Eustace takes a few early mornings and late afternoons to try the crystal fishing out on the lake. It's a good opportunity for him to just have some downtime from...everything else. Plus it had been a while since he last fished.

He knows the crystals are supposed to be filled with positive emotions...and after certain nights he's able to stockpile quite a bit. But there are a few that are filled calmer emotions as well.

He'll be utilizing both the shore and a small row boat, and while he'll keep to himself, he'll note anyone else who might be around, even offer a few crystals if needed.]

⊗ e: observatory

[This whole dreamshift changing the city of Reverein to a different city called Verens is...an interesting phenomenon to say the least. Is this something the could occur again? What conditions are needed for it? A lot of questions that he'll doubt he'll get answers, but at least it seems harmless...

For now.

While most things are similar, Eustace doesn't miss taking the opportunity to explore and investigate the changes. One particular place he's interested in is the Observatory. Hearing that the people there are studying dreams and that it's a large telescope piques his curiosity and a few afternoons and evenings he'll make his way there to see if there's anything to be found. Of course, since this is a dreamshift who knows if there's anything that could actually be seen.]

The telescope... Does it look outside the world or into dreams...

[Staring up at him, he mutters to himself before walking towards it, prepared to take any notes he can.

note: this prompt can be used for general exploration of the town's current state as well!]

⊗ f: wildcard

[Open to other prompts! Feel free to hit me up on discord, PM, or laenavesse for questions or further discussion!]

Comments

B

[pactmarshal]

[ Rumor of singing plants - one that has persisted throughout the weeks, separate from all the ones that had popped up during the festival - has drawn Trahearne to the forests to investigate for himself. Imagine his shock and delight to find that these singing plants were little people--perhaps nowhere near as intelligent as a sylvari, but still people with whom he felt a strange kinship nonetheless.

He isn't alone, though. Someone else seems to be here to pick the mandragoras' leaves (which rubs him quite the wrong way - they could at least ask first), which sets off a cascading cacophony of screams, even from the one Trahearne had been holding in his hand. As he moves to set it down on the ground, he hears another voice threatening destruction.

...Was that Eustace?

He lifts his head to glance over the shrubbery, finding mandragoras fleeing every which way as the erune brandishes his gun.

Oh no. Hopefully he doesn't make good on that threat, not when Trahearne has found a tiny spark of unusual joy out here in this dream realm. ]

Stop!

[ His voice is loud and forceful, a tone he hasn't used in quite some time. Boldly he steps from the brush and comes to stand before Eustace, gun and all. ]

You will do no such thing!

[flamekthunder]

[Perhaps later Eustace will admit he had taken things a little far, but with that screeching practically maiming his hearing, he might still feel a bit validated. And right now he is still ready to pull the trigger, the electricity buzzing and crackling louder when Trahearne steps out.]

Back off, Trahearne.

[pactmarshal]

No.

[ Trahearne doesn't move, staring defiantly into Eustace's eyes, the growing buzzing and crackling only serving as fuel to his anger. ]

What good would killing all these creatures serve? [ It's not a question for Eustace to answer; Trahearne doesn't wait before continuing. ] None, and you know that.

[flamekthunder]

I fail to see what good they serve living.

[Though as much as he loathes to admit it, he knows Trahearne is right.

...

...

But can they please shut up then!? Another chorus of high piercing shrieks fill the air, forcing Eustace to grimace and falter as once again his ears flatten in visible pain.]

[pactmarshal]

[ He narrows his eyes. ]

Living things are alive, and that's good enough. They don't need to--

[ But Trahearne is so suddenly interrupted by the screams, he almost jumps in place. His gaze quickly flits towards the source, and then back towards Eustace. When he sees his ears flattened against his head like a pained animal, Trahearne's narrowed gaze takes on a different hue. ]

...Maybe we should go somewhere else.

[ And by we he means you, but he's not going to say that out loud. ]

[flamekthunder]

[It takes a moment before the ringing ends, and he definitely catches that hidden meaning. Truthfully that would be the smart idea and one he probably would have taken if the initial instinct to eliminate the problem hadn't popped up first.

So with gritted teeth he cools his head and turns to walk away.





His weapon is still drawn, though.]

[pactmarshal]

[ Trahearne notices that. And while he's initially relieved that Eustace has a cool enough head on him to know that leaving was the right choice here for all of them, he gets nervous at the prospect that another chorus of screams might set him off again.

It's not that he doesn't trust Eustace... Well, Trahearne trusts him well enough not to kill him if he were to put himself between the gun and the mandragoras, he's just...a little uneasy.

After a moment of silence, watching Eusatce turn away, the grass rustles quietly as Trahearne takes a small step towards him. ]

I'll tag along if you're headed back to town.

[ He chooses his words carefully - he has a feeling that his usual, I hope you don't mind... would be met with a cross, Yes, I do mind. ]

[flamekthunder]

[Trahearne has every right to be wary with Eustace's mood being as it is. Despite having left the mandragora field, the rumbling of thunder continues to follow them. So at Trahearne's words, he just answers gruffly:]

Do whatever you want.

[At least it's not a hard no???

He prefers his silence and solitude, but... Well, Trahearne isn't that bad for company, so if someone were to tag along, he wouldn't at least try to actively avoid and run away from the sylvari like he would with louder people.]

[pactmarshal]

[ Then Trahearne shall do exactly as he pleases!

Which is, in this case, follow several paces behind Eustace; not close enough that they seem buddy-buddy, but not far enough away to make Trahearne look like a stalker. He is, ostensibly, "tagging along" to keep an eye on him, after all. Just in case the other man loses his cool again.

Trahearne will mostly keep quiet and mind his business, though. No eyes boring through Eustace's back or anything. He has his notebook open, briefly jotting things down when he doesn't need to be wary about running into trees or tripping over underbrush.

If he sees any mandragoras, he'll either leave them alone and step around them if they're already in the ground, or gently urge them to go elsewhere. He...really doesn't want Eustace to cause genocide here, okay. ]

[flamekthunder]

[Eustace will appreciate the silence, and it'll be quite a bit of ways before he finally sighs and speaks up.]

...Thanks.

[Begrudgingly said.]

[pactmarshal]

Hm?

[ So engrossed in his own thought process, it takes Trahearne a second to get back on track.

Right. He puts his notebook away. ] I didn't do anything. It was all you.

[ It just goes to show that Eustace has his head screwed on right, if anything. ]

I'm just glad you listened to me.

[flamekthunder]

No, I was fully committed in razing that entire field.

[Said calmly and with some nonchalance.]

It's only thanks to your interference that I didn't.

[pactmarshal]

Not committed enough, it seems. That just goes to show you have enough sense about you to know it was wrong, even with my interference.

[ Someone more malicious and prone to violence wouldn't have bothered, Trahearne muses. But he has a feeling that Eustace cares a lot more about--well, lots of things and creatures than the erune cares to let on. ]

I should thank you for sparing them.

[flamekthunder]

.....I'm not sure if it's anything worth thanking for. If they didn't have some kind of medical use I would have shut them up for good.

[But he sighs before glancing at him.]

Could you understand them? In my world, mandragoras are just monsters.

[pactmarshal]

Still, you didn't. And I appreciate that.

[ Medicinal uses or no!

At the question, though, Trahearne frowns sadly. ]

Unfortunately, no. I thought I might be able to at least sense their happiness or fear, but...nothing. [ He supposes this has something to do with being cut off from the Dream. THANKS. ] They don't strike me as monsters, though. You'd really count them among the likes of imps and elementals?

[flamekthunder]

[Hmm, interesting.]

Although not always, they can become aggressive and are capable of casting magic and other skills. These are the usual qualities that makes a beast be called a monster.

[pactmarshal]

[ And a conscience the line between monster and person, Trahearne muses to himself.

Regardless, he nods, agreeing with the statement. ]

But do you really think these ones are the same? Though I could not tell how they were feeling, they seemed perfectly content to mind themselves and sing the day away.

[flamekthunder]

....Perhaps.

[He'll have to concede that much.]

However, I do not know how they particularly feel about others farming their leaves without their permission. They could be calm now, but if enough are bothered it could change.

[pactmarshal]

That, I can attest to. [ Trahearne's voice grows a little more forceful, and he frowns. ] Having one's own leaves picked without warning is painful, violating, and infuriating. Even more so when the ignorant animals doing such a thing ignore your obvious pleas to stop.

[ There's more anger in his voice as he talks. As he does so, he lifts his hand to his head to smooth over his own leaves. ]

But I can see where you're going with this, and you make a fair point.

[ He relaxes a bit, dropping his hand. He quietly thanks the Pale Tree for making him as big as and as intelligent as a human so that his own leaves weren't randomly plucked the like the mandragoras'. ...Not that that's stopped the more ignorant in the past, however. ]

If you absolutely must pluck their leaves for medicinal uses, there must be a way to communicate with them and ask permission. They are sentient enough to sing and scream, after all.

[flamekthunder]

[There's only a slight glance at Trahearne, his tone evident that he must have experienced something similar. Given how people try to reach up and pet his own ears or tug them to test if they're real, he can also commiserate a bit of unwanted invasions of privacy.]

I feel the real difficulty lies in the fact that their main "body" is usually underground. Even if they could understand us, they might not be able to hear us properly. I've also yet to meet a mandragora that was not screaming whenever outside of the ground. Maybe there's some fae out there can communicate with plants, but finding one and hoping they will cooperate is also a hit or a miss.

[pactmarshal]

We do know what their leaves look like. [ He's come to recognize them, and those who stomp through the forests looking to harvest them most certainly do. ] It might be arduous, but we could coax them out of the ground if--

Oh! [ He balls up his fist and plants it on his other hand, a smile on his face as he looks back up over at Eustace. ] Do you know Ori, the sapling? She can communicate with plants. I'm sure she'd be delighted to help.

[flamekthunder]

[There's a look of recognition at Oriphi's name.]

...That's true, she does. Should we send her a message?

[pactmarshal]

[ Oh, good! Eustace knows her. ]

We should!

[ Trahearne reaches around to produce his dream journal, but pauses as he flips it open, peering over curiously at Eustace. ]

...Now?

[ This felt...impulsive? Should they discuss this in more detail? How would she even find them out here? ]

[flamekthunder]

I don't see why we should wait. The sooner we figure this out the better.

[It's impulsive, but it also seems the most direct approach. And the sooner they can resolve this and come up with a solution, the better.]

[pactmarshal]

Yes... You're right.

[ Best get this done before more mandragoras were harmed, or Eustace lost his cool again.

So Trahearne crouches down to write in the journal, Oriphi, Eustace and I are in the woods and we need your assistance on a matter... He's not sure what possessed him to use her full name, but he gives a quick rundown of the situation before snapping his book shut and standing again. ]

And now we wait for her.

[ ...

Trahearne turns to look at Eustace. ]

I respect you a great deal, you know.