songerein | eighth shot ⊗ open may log

Entry tags:

eighth shot ⊗ open may log

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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[IT'S BECAUSE HE'S A PRINCESS. But it looks like Beatrix managed—which is a relief because he can move in the dress but he can't move that well like he normally can, no matter how high he ripped up the skirt. With its back turned to him, he releases his own "magic," which is just casting down several bolts of lightning. He's more used to doing this with Flamek, but his affinity for the element has strengthened so he can do so freely like this.

It strikes down on the dragon, surprising and stunning it and giving Eustace a second to see if Beatrix had made it out of the initial fire breath before he needs to roll out of the way from the tail whip aimed at him.]

[She watches the tendrils of lightning come down and strike upon the dragon. She doesn't, however, have the time to really study the reactions. The long stretch of fire emerging from their immediate opponent threatens to lick along her. Narrowly she avoids it by using her sword to defend as she dips to the ground and rolls aside. It's a slow, unimpressive role, weighed down by the clunky armour, but it gets the job done.

She struggles to get herself back up, relying on the weight in her sword. She'd almost rather deal with the tail herself, but maybe she can use Eustace as a distraction to get in another strike.]

Magic seems effective.

[At least from what she can tell. If it isn't, then it's only pissing it off more. Why can't they just imagine the dragon out of existence.]

Maybe should try turning your sword into ice.

[Magic sword?? Might work?? But would Beatrix be able to do it is the question. Regardless, the dragon is definitely upset, spreading its wings and stomping its feet as it rooOoAaaRs...

...

And suddenly grows bigger.

Not aging like an adult, just growing larger in size.]

—!? Watch it!

[What is with this dragon!?]

[For several long moments, Beatrix eyes her sword with some consideration. It's not a terrible idea, honestly. Where has she seen something like that before...? It occurs to her with relative ease. The mage doll—Vivi, as Zidane has corrected her more than once—and Steiner. Vivi was able to do it with whatever elements he was able to access.

Her attention turns onto the dragon, remains fastened, as she carefully draws her touch over the length of the blade, using all of her focus to coat it in ice and frost. That's the easy part. Trying to figure out why the dragon is magically getting bigger is more troublesome. Her paces fall back cautiously as she raises her sword.]

It likes you. Can you not just... seduce it or something?!

[Clearly that's how this story should end, right? Princess Eustace and the dragon fall in love and make a happy family or something?]

[Eustace is just giving her the FROSTIEST look that could rival her now ice covered sword.

But he will whistle at the dragon to get its attention back on him to give Beatrix a chance. Of course it has those heart eyes again... This weird dragon!!!]

[One look from him and Beatrix suspects he might have been better at enchanting her sword instead. A shame the circumstance didn't allow her to take advantage of that. She makes a note of it for the future.

For what it's worth, she was probably kidding about the seducing thing. Maybe.

The dragon turns its attention once more onto him, offering her the opportunity to strike again. She seeks the same place that she struck before and upon spying it, she realises that the growth of the dragon doesn't make it as viable as she'd like it to be to use it as an opening. She'll have to improvise.

Instead, she pushes herself forward as quickly as she can in her heavier armour and drives her ice-sword into a dragon haunch.]

[The dragon lets out a loud screech of pain and jumps up slightly—

Only to fall back to land on its haunches...right where Beatrix is.]

Beatrix!

[It's not that she doesn't see it jump. It's not even that she doesn't see where it's inclined to land. It's that the beast is so massive in size that there's not enough time for her to evade completely. Not even remotely, really. As such, it falls right back onto its haunches and soundly knocks Beatrix to the ground, which she rolls across until she gradually comes to a stop.

It hurts more in the armour. The ache that ripples through her, though it is, for the time being, drowned out by the adrenaline of the situation. She hoists herself up with an arm, spying the sword just out of arm's reach of her, knocked from her grasp when she'd fallen.]

...Damn dragons.

[But at least she's still alive. Just a little worse for wear.]

Get yourself out of here, Eustace.

[Seeing her able to move is a relief, but he's had enough of this. This dragon fancies the princess is that it?]

Hey, you.

[He walks right up to the fallen dragon and kicks it hard in the exposed belly. Yes he literally kicked it while it was down— But it's enough to make the dragon howl and look down at him aggrieved, an expression Eustace ignores.]

I've put up with your bull long enough. Quit it and go back home.

[And as if scolding the dogs, he raises his hand and points it towards the castle.

The answer? A high pitched whine.]

[Beatrix wastes little time in clamping her hands over her ears because that is among the tippy fucking top of annoying noises she has ever heard in her life. She didn't even know dragons could sound like that. It's some strange garbled mess of nonsense sound that almost has layers to it.

Layers like an onion.
Layers not like a cake.
Layers not like a parfait.
Layers like an onion.

She forces her weight into her elbows to help push her up.]

If this thing does not go back home right now, I am going to send it there myself!

[But let's be real. Eustace has more influence over this baby dragon than Beatrix ever will.]

[The dragon just continues to whine, but Eustace only again commands it to leave. It takes a little bit, but finally, finally it relents and slowly flies away, its form slowly shrinking into the distance.

With a sharp exhale, Eustace runs an aggravated hand through his hair before turning to look back at Beatrix and approaching.]

Any injuries?

[She did just get sat on by a dragon.]

[That's all it took? Seriously?

Seriously?

As Beatrix is finally regaining the strength to gradually make her way to her feet, she's already looking herself over. She looks worse for wear. As he's aptly observed, she did, in fact, just get sat on by a dragon. The sound of its fall atop haunches was more than simply the fall or the crunching in of a good deal of her armour. A bone, she's certain, is not where it ought to belong. Or working quite the way it should. Not that she can rightfully see it whilst it's hiding under armour.

Her attention gradually moves onto Eustace.]

Flesh wounds, I assume. [She answers through gritted teeth, taking some very stunted steps toward where her sword lies, curling one arm around her to carefully feel along the other. Although it dawns on her that she can't feel the other arm.] Resetting may be a necessity.

[He frowns when he sees her movements and hears her assessment. It's hard to fully tell with that armor, which only means one thing.]

Take it off.

I—

[She can't even manage to squeeze anything else out. Beatrix simply stares at him before she scoffs. Loudly.]

—You jest. I will do no such thing.

If you need to reset a bone then you need to take off that armor to even do it properly. You may have other injures that need to be treated.

[He just crosses his arms over his chest. Besides it's just the armor, what's the big deal? Surely she has clothes underneath.]

Take it off.

[Again. Firmer this time.

Don't make him do it for her.]

[For some moments, she feels caught between what she feels puts her in a position to defer to someone else, even if it's for the right reason, and her own pride. He's right, of course, which she dislikes deeply. Her breath feels remarkably caught in her throat and before she even realises it, she's colouring.]

We do not have time for this, Eustace. Can we just go.

[Don't make her do this. TWO CAN PLAY THIS GAME.]

If you can walk on your own without expressing any kind of pain and without a stagger in your step, sure.

[Said in a very flat voice.

In other words, no. No they cannot.

And he is walking towards her.]

Edited 2022-06-03 04:17 (UTC)

[It's a challenge she'd be willing to take on if it didn't seem like he was just going to gloss right over that. She already has an issue with people in personal space. Every time someone touches her. Every time she has to reach out and touch someone else. It's always the same. As if they might somehow pass through an invisible barrier that isn't actually there in the physical sense, but merely metaphorical in nature.

She settles back on one foot.]

Stay where you are.

[Beatrix shakes her head, drawing her gaze aside.]

I will do as you ask, but I do not want you looking at me.

[She understands how heavy armour works. This is not her regular apparel and she needs time to assess exactly what she's got on under it.]

[He stops as requested and then turns his back to her.]

Go ahead.

[She waits with a patience she has no choice but to employ in the situation. It requires more effort than she is accustomed to and she knows it would be easier to ask for help, but she cannot, will not permit herself to do any such thing. The one arm is a liability, not usable beyond the slightest movements and even then, they are hardly practical in the slightest.

Broken? She can't say. It would be easier to see on someone else. And she's never broken anything before. She wouldn't know what it feels like. She wouldn't know the experience. It occurs to her that before this very particular set of circumstances, Beatrix has not had a large number of beatings. Perhaps because she is just that good.

It's a bit humiliating that a dragon sat on her, honestly.

Piece by piece, she strips off the ridiculous plate armour that's buckled and strapped into places. They clink and clunk as they fall, leaving her in a simple tunic, which she immediately decides she dislikes. Really no big surprise, considering Beatrix can't stand being seen in anything that isn't her normal wear.

But at least she's not in Eustace's dress.]

If you must examine, then make it quick. Perhaps put some of that training of yours into practise.

[He would gladly swap if she would prefer the dress.

As Eustace waits, the sound of the buckles and straps slowly unfastening a distant background noise, his eyes focus on the castle they just left. Mostly he's keeping an eye out to make sure the dragon doesn't return, but it looks like it's disappeared into its lair. To sulk, probably.

Speaking of animals, where is that sheep...? Is it still hiding? Can it even get out from where he had left it?

Well, whatever, not like he really cared about it.

Eventually his attention returns to the sound behind him, and he frowns a little. She's taking a while, and while he knows armor can be a pain sometimes, he wonders if she had any injuries that would have hampered her progress. A few times he debated calling out to her to ask, but he knew how it would be immediately answered so he ends up not bothering.

Until at least she speaks up and he turns. His eyes only study her change in attire for a moment before he promptly walks up, his attention now focused on her limbs.]

Can you move everything? Any particular sharp pains you feel?

[Taking her words as tacit permission, he comes up next to her to continue studying as he waits for her answer. The way her arm hangs...that's certainly troubling.]

[She tries to ignore him looking over her. She knows he's evaluating her and it leaves her trying to remain as rigid in posture as she can possibly muster. Her armour is in a nonsensical pile all around her with little rhyme or reason except that she simply wanted to be out of it.

At his question, she offers him a full rotation of her right arm. The shoulder. The wrist. Everything on that side is fine. She gestures to the left, shifting it as much as she can, though only with the assistance of her right hand.]

Right now, I do not feel anything particularly unpleasant, likely a result of what battle does to one in the heat of things. It is possible initial impact when I fell paved the way for its injury, further amplified or worsened by the fall of the dragon.

[Beatrix shakes her head, perhaps too even than she likely ought to be. Maybe that simply comes with the general territory.]

My right hand is the dominant one, though I use both for my sword. Inevitably my combat skills will suffer until I have it looked at and tended to. I can do so in the solitude of my residence should we remove ourselves of this storybook.

[Because of course she wouldn't just go to the infirmary. That'd be too easy. And she'd have to risk someone else seeing her and asking questions.]

Any injuries we sustain shouldn't carry over...but your injury could still prove an issue if we have other fights to go through.

[At least as he is now.]

Excuse me.

[And with that, he reaches out to gently touch her left shoulder, intending to feel down her arm to make sure nothing was dislocated or sprain. Sure she says she's fine, but for all he knows she could have a high tolerance for pain or just can't feel it.]

I suppose I ought to take solace in that, at the very least.

[She doesn't, of course.

He reaches for her and every nerve is set alight with something she can only describe as nipping anxiety. It takes more than a little discipline for her not to completely tense. He might think it's in pain, which is probably better than her having to explain that she simply isn't accustomed to people touching her and reacts very poorly to it.

She feels like admitting anything like that is too telling. Leaves her too vulnerable. Her shift is purely to mask her discomfort and she very pointedly doesn't look at him.]

Can you fix it. A simple 'yes' or 'no' will suffice, Ladyship.

[He notices how she reacts, and he does wonder if it's the pain... But knowing her personality, he suspects it might be something else, especially when he glances up at her. Hm.]

No. If I knew healing magic then I might have been able to do something. At best I can create a splint to keep the arm in place.

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