eighth shot ⊗ open may log

[flamekthunder]

Who: Eustace and anyone
Which: Open May Log
Where: Various
What: Bookkeeping; flower blossom owls; giant flower jungle; rat infestation
Warnings: None just shenanigans


⊗ a: quest 501: bookeeping

[While checking out the new Tree of Stories both for the eggs and just the tree in general, Eustace will be browsing through the shelves to see what kinds of books there and if anything from his world might have popped up... Never hurts to check.

But on occasion he'll hear the strange rustling of papers and see a book moving around. Sometimes crawling over the floors, but mostly flying around. For the most part he stays out of the way if he sees others trying to get a handle on them, but he also some assistance if one is near.

Such as zapping a book that's being too rambunctious.]

Noisy...

[It's basically a library, so keep it down. But don't worry, no harm is done to the book. His dreamotion control has developed so that his lightning is more like an electric stun, thus the book will have basically been electrocuted so that it falls to the floor and twitches a little.

And if there are several getting rowdy, he creates ice walls around a small area to trap them in.]

Go and grab them—or I'll freeze them, too.

⊗ b: quest 503: flower blossom owls

[Although the trees had taken some damage, it didn't take long for them to flourish again. And hearing about the owls...as long as it's like one or two it should be fine to use their trees right? And didn't the Corgi Tree have an owl in it...where'd it go, anyway?

Well, whatever. He can at least try and lure the owls away first, and what better way to find fresh flowers than using the Flower dogs who can also try to help herd the birds. So while working around the neighborhood gardens, if he sees anyone nearby also trying to help he'll call out to them.]

If you need some flowers, just ask the dogs nicely and they'll shed a few for you to use. But it's better to bring these owls out of the neighborhood...

[Unless residents actually want them??]

⊗ c: quest 504: giant flower jungle

[Okay, now he can destroy plants, right—

Armed with his rifle gun, Flamek, Eustace ventures into the jungle with a wary eye, and it isn't long before gunshots and bolts of lightning can be heard and seen as he fights again some assortment of mushroom monsters along with the other large carnivorous plants. Lightning is particularly effective in stunning and burning the monsters so that he can finish them off while also maintaining good range—and for good reason.]

Don't get too close, it can release toxic spores.

[The mushrooms in particular are more agile than they look, especially the ones that like to latch onto living hosts to try and control them. It's even worse if they're working in tandem with any plants that have vines to try and trap anyone caught unawares, so watch out!]

⊗ d: quest 506: eraser rat infestation (learning bass guitar)

Damn pests...

[It's always one thing or another, and these rats are too quick for him to try and shoot without resorting to do an area attack. But after learning they need music to be lured out, he's become a bit uncertain. Should he just let others handle it? But a group of musicians who have tasked themselves in helping with the rat problem suddenly shove a bass guitar in his hands.

"Just try and pluck some strings!" they encourage cheerfully before getting to work.]

...

[But he's...never played before??? Does he even look like someone who would— He's seen it done, sure, but not closely and all he knows is he pushes down on the strings like this and then strum his fingers over the strings like—

He cringes from the off key notes. One can actually see broken notes appearing above the bass.]

...This is ridiculous, I don't have time for this.

[He has nothing against music, he enjoys the classics and some rock pieces, but he really doesn't have time to try and learn playing an instrument just to get rid of some Erasers that could cause trouble later on. Like damaging his home with Tifa since apparently the rats have been sighted around the neighborhood.

...

......

..............

An hour later, Eustace can be found sitting against a tree with the bass guitar still in his hands and a beginner's instruction book on the floor as he frowns.]

...So the scale in this key is like this...

[He is by no means an expert, but he is a quick learner and he is currently fiddling by strumming out scales and a few basic notes and chords, occasionally clicking his tongue if he does it wrong only to work on it more. He just needs something basic to lure those damn rats out with!!!

Although strangely, as he's playing broken music notes will sometimes appear when he goes off key. They have a bit of a static electric charge to them, so hopefully no one gets shocked. When he gets a nice melody or string of notes, soft music notes with a calm wind appear instead.

And once he's gotten at least some kind of simple melody he can play over on a loop, he'll try and see how effective it is on the rats. Maybe those more musically inclined can give him advice or suggestions.]

⊗ e: wildcard

[Open to other prompts! Some other things he'd be interested in but I didn't write up prompts for are helping with Quest 507: Bank Robberies and going to the Observatory to see what changes were made compared to when it was around fro the dreamshift last month. Feel free to hit me up on discord, PM, or laenavesse for questions or further discussion!]

Comments

for susato - fae moon mirror shard

[flamekthunder]

[One day while at the library, Eustace rolls his shoulders after checking in on the eggs and taking care of some rogue books. He's been here often enough that he might not return for a little while to deal with other matters happening around town, and it looks like enough people are around for the eggs.

So on his way out, he pauses when he spots a familiar face. Normally he'd just go on his own business, but she seems...preoccupied or searching for something. There's another beat as he debates whether to continue on or check in with her before he decides to step towards her.]

Susato.

[judicialassistant]

[ Preoccupied, yes, and she might have been searching for something at some point, but in a library with this large a selection, she hardly knows what. For now, she just carries a small stack of books in her hand while atop a ladder, seeming to be taking great care to put them away.

She might have been mistaken for a worker or a librarian herself, but her voice is cheery enough when she hears him. ]

Hello, Eustace—

[ A friendly grin, and just then, the book at the top of her pile just straight up leaps off the stack, as if it's a final bid for freedom. ]

[flamekthunder]

[...Carrying such a stack is dangerous, isn't it? And as if to prove that thought, there goes a book. Eustace, having had to deal with several already, immediately sends out a small electrical charge that looks like a bolt of lightning that strikes the book, stunning it. He catches it as it falls and checks to ensure there's no further damage.]

...I see you've been busy.

[judicialassistant]

[ Susato reaches after the book as it falls. When she's too late, she quickly doubles her efforts, returning her attention to the other books in the stack, since they all seem intent on following the first. She looks relieved for the moment, though maybe a part of her knows they're just waiting to be put down, before skittering off.

Oh, well. ]

Thank you. [ Nice lightning, bro. ] They keep running off. I never know where I'm going to find them next. Just... Just give me a moment.

[ She may have wobbled just a smidge on the ladder, but luckily, the stack of books isn't that large. She hurriedly places them back on the shelf, yet still takes the time to go one-by-one, then climbs down a few rungs for the one book Eustace saved, holding out her hand. ]

[flamekthunder]

[Yes please don't fall from the ladder, Susato. He'd catch her but that would be dangerous!!

So he just watches a little warily before handing her the still stunned book. Don't mind the occasional twitching pages it's fine.]

They've been a bit of a nuisance... Though next time I'd advise against having such a large stack.

[judicialassistant]

[ Susato looks like she feels bad for the book! She winces apologetically, and it looks like she's about to put it away in the space she created for it, but then see may have caught a glimpse of the title: Written in the Stars.

A month ago, she would have passed it over. Not a detective novel, Sholmes or otherwise, and certainly not anything that would give her any valuable knowledge relevant to anything. But go figure! The Flower Festival has gotten the girl interested in romance novels. Gross. Help her, Eustace.

Or don't. It's fine. ]

I've got it.

[ She may be saving the book for her own personal reasons, so she climbs down and off the ladder. Hopefully the book stays stunned for a while... ]

S, So how have you been? Have you been helping out the owls here as well?

[flamekthunder]

[...Does she really want him to help finding romance novels please no he'd just walk away—

She should feel fortunate that he paid little attention to the title or what the book was so although it's a little weird that she would keep a sort of singed book, he won't question it or her odd behavior.]

Fine.

[.......Does not need to tell her about the trauma he and Tifa went through earlier in the month nope. EVERYTHING'S FINE IT'S ALL GOOD NOW.]

And somewhat. I was curious about the eggs as well as the books around here. However I only dealt with the books as I saw them.

[judicialassistant]

[ Why would Eustace ever talk to her about anything? ...Also, if you damaged this book, she's going to be upset. She may be looking it over now, turning the book around to its back cover and even flipping through its pages hurriedly.

...Seems legible. ]

Me, too. I can't zap them like you can, though.

[ She still doesn't know what to make of the eggs, through the stained glass is certainly pretty. It's just a waiting game, right? ]

Did you get a sticker, too?

[flamekthunder]

[It's not damaged!!! Just...smoking at the corners a little. Totally fine and normal.

But he just arches a brow.]

A sticker?

[judicialassistant]

[ Pretty sure she still has it... they didn't give it to her that long ago. Susato looks on the table beside her where she had been sitting, before she got distracted by tidying and runaway books. Then she reaches for [a small sticker], showing it to Eustace. ]

They gave me one after they noticed me chasing the books around for a couple of days. The books seem to behave for a while, but a library steward's work is never done, I suppose.

Apparently it's decorative. [ Guess when stickers were invented? Not when this girl was living, that's when, but they're self-explanatory and pretty cool. ] Perhaps I will put it on one of my notebooks.

[flamekthunder]

[He looks at the sticker curiously before he remembers what was written on the board.]

...Ah, they did mention something about stickers as a reward. Haven't seen one in a while.

[Because he is an a d u l t. A boring one at that, what need does he have for one of those.]

[judicialassistant]

[ Maybe he will get one anyway? Or maybe the stewards don't like how he makes their books smoke like they're on fire, even if they aren't damaged in the end. Either way, she gives him a nod, tucking away the sticker for another time. ]

On the Dream board, correct? Did you see the one about the moon mirror as well?

[flamekthunder]

[He probably won't because of his questionable methods—]

The one made by the pixie?

[ie, yes.]

Are you interested in it?

[judicialassistant]

. . . [ She's a little tight-lipped about it. She can practically hear Ferran's disapproval, and it's not exactly something she can blame him for, but it may already be too late. On the table where she'd been hanging out is also a small bag. When she opens it, there are a few glittering shards of mirror, glowing vibrantly.

She shrugs. ]

They fell out of some of the books I was chasing earlier. I wasn't looking for them, and it's not much, but... it's a start?

[flamekthunder]

[Eustace stares at the shards in surprise.]

...Is there more information on where they could be found or how many more there are?

[judicialassistant]

I, um, know about as much as you or anyone else.

[ ie, no??? ]

I wouldn't mind continuing my search while I help the owls, but I suppose we could find her and ask. [ The pixie, that is. ]

[flamekthunder]

[Still kind of in awe about the amount she's collected.]

Given that there's not a hard time limit and we wouldn't be wasting time if we did stay here, it may just be better to remain if you already found this many here. Unless you want to try somewhere else.

How much of the library did you go through...?

[judicialassistant]

[ She likes the way he thinks... but even though he seems impressed, she's still a little self-conscious. ]

Oh. Well, I was mainly looking for books about snakes, so I slowed down when I found the section about animals and wildlife.

[ The romance novels were, er, just a bonus? Also this doesn't really answer Eustace's question, but what does he want, a percentage? (Never mind the fact that she could probably give him that--) ]

. . . I wonder if the shards are part of the reason they're running amok.

[flamekthunder]

[....Hmmm. He leans brings a finger to his lips in thought.]

If they hold some kind of magical component, it might be possible.

[judicialassistant]

[ . . . Just gonna stare at him as he thinks. Well, it'd be convenient if true, anyway. Make the shards easier to find. ]

What do you like to read, Eustace? Maybe we can track them down together.

[flamekthunder]

If it's for leisure, then light fiction, some mysteries... As long as it has a well thought out plot.

[judicialassistant]

Oh, I love a good mystery, too. But I suppose it wouldn't be very efficient of us to search the same sections.

[flamekthunder]

You're free to continue browsing through the romance section.

[Just. Saying that with a straight face.]

[judicialassistant]

[ Maybe she will?! There might have been a flash of embarrassment, but why should she be. ]

. . . I, I wouldn't mind. I never read romance novels growing up, so I'm sure there's something I could learn? They must be popular among girls my age for a reason.

[flamekthunder]

[A small shrug.]

I personally wouldn't know, but the women I work with read them. Tifa has a few as well so I could always ask her for recommendations.

[Just an idle comment that he doesn't think twice about.]