songerein | second shot ⊗ open november log

Entry tags:

second shot ⊗ open november log

Who: Anyone!
Which: Open November Log
Where: Various locations in and out of town
What: A general open log with prompts that all feature dogs because I somehow could: helping chase squirrels away from the treehouses; assisting the farmers in orchards and herding; special "save Eustace from corgis quest" featuring Alice
Warnings: None

⊗ a: chasing treehouse squirrels

[The squirrels are certainly a menace for everyone living in the treehouses, and Eustace is no exception. He's been tempted to actually shoot them at this point, they've been such a disruption to his otherwise peaceful, quiet home. But they're not the only problem.

Barks and the sound of thundering paws can be heard all through the community as the fairy dogs Eustace had brought in previous start chasing the squirrels. On the one hand, they do help in driving them out. On the other hand...they are puppies and thus chaos will assuredly ensue.]

Dahlia, watch it!

[Eustace can only try and warn the young pup before she rushes up the stairs of someone's home and tries to jump at a squirrel that was taunting her. Not only will she probably surprise anyone who might be around, but she bumps into one of the tender fruits hanging from it. While it won't explode, it does threaten to fall so some quick action may be needed to either stop it or catch it without making it burst.

The other pups aren't that much better, barking and running up and down the trees, sometimes entering in homes with open doors. Yep this will be...quite the scene unless the pups are caught. They're fast little buggers, too.

Side note, the fairy dogs have names that match the flowers blossoming on their back for easier identification (from oldest to youngest): Dahlia (female), Edelweiss (Del for short; male), Iris (female), Valerian (male). They all have other flowers blooming on their coats, but those particular flowers stand out the most. The mother is named Rose.

Anyway, have fun with chaotic pups and squirrels with a side of exploding fruit.]

⊗ b: farm help

[Out on the farms, Eustace can be found in several places doing a variety of chores.

1. Clearing out pests. Out in the orchards, Eustace takes the opportunity to try and develop his abilities while dealing some of the pests...in this current situation, a mix between horned rabbits and giant insects. Although he will kill if he must, he will try to drive them away first.

Focusing on his keeping a steady and calm mind, he feels the air around him, the wind a stalwart breeze. Tapping into it, he tries to put in a bit more control and...woosh! A strong gust forms and blows away some of the large flies that were hovering around a tree.]

...A bit weak, but better than expected.

[Continuing with the calm mindset, he then focuses on the ground. He's used to creating mental and emotional walls, what about physical ones? In an attempt to trap a rabbit, he tries to raise the ground...but only succeeds in creating a small bump and just scaring it away instead.]

Hm... Practice is needed, but it's getting somewhere.

[2. Herding Livestock. With some trained farm dogs, Eustace joins a group in attempting to herd some captured Cotton Candy Sheep and fairy cows back to their corral. Of course Eustace really had just wanted to watch the dogs in action from afar...but he needs to work and this would be a good opportunity to learn some tips to help train those pesky pups. So with an experienced hound in tow and the basics in mind, he heads out. Of course it won't be easy, and a young sheep or cow will manage to slip out of the herd and run right towards another person.]

Hey, stop it before it gets too far!

[Or, you know, run over the person instead.]

⊗ c: special edition - fairy corgis (rescue eustace)

[A while back, Eustace and Alice had discovered a tree out in the forest of the Wildlands that looked like it had an entrance. They recently returned and when inspecting the tree Eustace picks up some sounds inside. Dog sounds. So perhaps against better judgment he tells Alice he's going in and when he does, a large group of corgis runs up to the door barking at them, but not stepping out. As if following some kind of impulse, Eustace is suddenly drawn in and steps inside despite Alice's warning. The corgis immediately surround him and are clearly distressed. After that, Eustace refuses to leave. Of course this could be something due to his love for dogs, but his behavior is more like someone under a trance. And now after Alice calls for help, it's up to everyone else to try and convince him to leave.

1. Warning Shot. Upon entering the clearing surrounding the tree, a bolt of lightning will suddenly strike the ground just inches before them. Looking up, they will find Eustace glaring down at them before aiming his gun at them, electricity crackling around the barrel.]

Leave. That was your only warning.

[Anyone is free to try and fight back, but Eustace will remain up in the tree and will never set foot outside of it. It's actually bad if he does, but...well, better to try and see what happens.

2. Memory Loss. It will become immediately clear that Eustace has no memory of his own life or about Songerein. But a "little bird" will appear and give a helpful hint: Eustace needs to recover his memories and he will be able to leave. Talking to him and trying to remind him of either something from his personal life or just Songerein will help as he won't even remember the dream world they are currently in, believing they are somewhere else. Finding a certain flower and making Eustace drink the nectar will also help clear his mind.

3. Beware the Corgis. It should be noted that Alice is the "gateway" to let people inside as she's currently the only one Eustace and the corgis "trust." So it can be assumed those who enter the house got approved by Alice. A group of seven corgis from old to adolescent will immediately "greet" and be wary, grumbling at the "visitor." They look like Pembroke corgis, but are unique with their leafy neck floofs. The interior of the tree itself is larger on the inside than the outside with a large open floor concept like a rustic cottage. There are spiral stairs that lead up to the second floor where a small bedroom and further up leads the various perches Eustace positions himself. The corgis will guard the bottom of the stairs and they are fierce. They may be short and long flufflebutts but they are heavy and can body slam anyone to the ground and know how to bite. Nipping ankles will be common.

The corgis will be very protective of Eustace and will not let him leave. Should anyone try to shove him out, bad things will happen and the corgis will freak out. Finally, should anyone try to harm the corgis, not only will they feel the wrath of Eustace and get shot with lightning, they will also be forcibly flung out of the tree and land far away deep in the forest. The corgis cannot leave, and will resist any attempts. They will also be stopped as if there is an invisible barrier.

4. Endear to the Corgis. It is possible to gain their trust, though it will be difficult. The corgis are distressed and while there appears to be a good stock of fresh food and they are not malnourished, they look as if they haven't seen a brush in months, perhaps years. Who knows when they last had a bath. So much hair everywhere... Finding the treat box might get their attention and a good brushing session to rid them of dust, old leaves on their neck floods, and excess hair will do wonders to calm them. Tidying up the place in general will help improve the mood as well. This may also help loosen the enchantment on Eustace, who will be watching and assisting, moving about as if he's always lived there.

Alice also has a toplevel that features other relevant tasks for this endeavor that also provides clues as to what the heck is going on. There is a sad story behind all this.]

⊗ d: wildcard

[Always up for anything else! Feel free to hit me up on discord or on

laenavesse for any other plotting.]

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Right...

[She needs to focus, but it's hard to when they keep uncovering all of these new developments. So, she only nods firmly and picks up the dog that's been following her around, and it whines as she runs her fingers through its tangled, matted coat. Time to brush them and give them baths...

But not without a sideways glance at Eustace.

Something's... changing about him.]

Hey... [she starts slowly with a note of anticipation.] Are you... have you remembered anything yet?

[Eustace is making his way towards the cupboards that contain everything for caring the dogs and he looks over at her.

...]

...I'm not sure. I can't seem to remember anything of my personal life, but I am remembering a little more of this world. It's something of a dream world, right? Songerein?

Mm-hm.

[Although she's smiling, that ghost of sadness returns to haunt her gaze, and she lets it drop away from him and to the dog again, and she starts to pick and pluck away at the tangles in its fur to distract herself from the inevitable sinking feeling in her stomach, while the puppy whines in her arms.

How could he remember the world, and not the memories he had within it?

... ]

Well, that's a start at least.

[She shakes it off with a small laugh. Maybe it's better they don't talk about it.]

So. Where's the bath?

Edited 2021-11-29 01:11 (UTC)

[...Her expression seems off, but he doesn't say anything. He's also a bit frustrated, but he can only assume that at least remembering the truth of where he is now is, as she said, a start. Perhaps it's easier for him to regain the more superficial memories and that will help bring back the more personal ones.]

Over here.

[So he'll focus on their current task, and that's cleaning up these dogs. There's a bathroom adjacent to the kitchen with a large enough wooden tub for a person to use, but clearly made for the dogs to be used in as well. Although not modern, it does have some old piping and a removable shower head that will make it easier to use. He also finds a strange netting, but seeing how much the dogs shed... He quickly realizes it's to be placed in the drain to collect the hair, so he sets it in.

Most of the dogs seem to be okay with the idea of getting a much needed bath, but others are already making their discontent quite clear, grumbling and even plopping down on the floor just outside the door. Eustace looks at the stubborn ones while setting out the soaps, brushes, and towels, grinning a little in amusement.]

I'll work on the ones outside first, get their coats brushed out at least.

[...Though it's strange. The weird enchantment made him knowledgeable about a lot of things in the tree, but somehow the act of trying to get several dogs into a bath seems familiar in a more personal way...]

[That's the first time she's seen him smile like that since she got here, and Tifa finds herself staring a moment too long. She's only ever seen him with dogs like this once, in that café in Celliwig, but even then, it had felt so impersonal. Those weren't his dogs, and while these ones aren't technically his either, there's something to be said about the bond that the enchantment has implanted in all of them that makes this feel a little more real.

The fact that he's smiling at all is good, she thinks.

But Tifa breaks her gaze away, snatching it back when he talks about the dogs, and she holds the one in her arms a little tighter. It's whining still as it side-eyes the tub, but it's nothing compared to the show some of them are putting on outside the door, one of them howling as if the bath would mean its last day in this world. So dramatic, that it draws a small laugh out of her.]

Okay. This one's not so bad, so I'll get... [Tifa pauses, shifts the dog around in her hands, and lifts it up in front of her beneath its front arms.] ... her cleaned up.

[And she sets the dog down in the tub and reaches for the shower head.]

You know, I've never had to clean a dog before. [There's a faint note of uncertainty in her voice as her hand hovers over the faucet.] Should I just...

[Slowly, she turns the tap on, but with it being so old, the pressure sets off more water than she intends, spraying herself, Eustace, and a few of the dogs.]

Sorry!

[He's caught by surprise by the sudden spray of water, the dogs happy to get wet tippy tapping their paws and wagging their tails while the ones who are not whine and run away. Eustace just remains crouching where he is as he feels the water droplets before reaching for one of the towels to at least get his arms.]

It's fine. [He starts to hold the towel to her before he looks at the dog in the tub trying to hop out, already splashing water everywhere and likely soaking Tifa again. With a wry grin he pulls it back.] ...Hope you don't mind getting a bath as well.

[What is that did he just joke for the first time since they met today yes he did. Progress!?!?!]

Just use a good amount of the shampoo in the bottle and lather it all over their coat. It's a double coat, so you'll want to rub it in deep. After that just rinse it off and dry them as best you can. They shed, so don't be surprised if large amount of hair come out.

[Hence the strainer.]

[Progress!!! In spite of her hair now dripping and her clothes wet, she beams up at him before she cracks with a laugh.]

I don't mind. I could use a rinse to get all that dust off me anyway.

[The dog already in the tub won't get very far because Tifa's already scooping her back up and setting her down, not minding that it's now completely drenched her in water and covered her in the wet fur that's already started to come off. With some quiet reassurances, she sets the dog back in and this time, very carefully turns the faucet on, turning it slow until the water only starts to drip out, and then more and more until she has a steady, calm stream that she can pour over the dog.

And combing her fingers through, she can already feel the tangled tufts of her fur coming out. She gets to work with the soap, massaging it in deep into the fur, shielding herself when the pup tries to shake herself off, spraying soap and bubbles everywhere.]

How am I doing?

About as well as you can. They're probably worse than the pups...

[His voice trails and he stops from his brushing, a large pile of fluff almost half the size of the corgi it came from already forming. But Eustace sits there, his brows furrowing.

Pups?

What pups?

And when he thinks about puppies.... Why does a white blur appears as well?

So he's going to be oddly silent as he tries to parse through this strange feeling.]

[Tifa's hands almost freeze up when he says it, and even the dog has noticed the shift, looking at her with small whines that pull her attention back, and although she gets right back into the rhythm, she keeps her head turned far enough that she can watch Eustace through the corners of her eyes.

The pups...? Did he just remember the same ones she's thinking of?]

Which pups? Do you mean the ones on the riverbank?

[The questions come slowly and carefully, not wanting to trigger another one of those piercing headaches.]

I...

[He's uncertain, but if that pressing headache means anything, it must be related.]

...Did they have flowers on them?

[It takes all of Tifa's self-restraint not to shoot him with a hopeful, expectant look, and instead, she focuses on the dog in front of her, rinsing some of the soap out of its fur and only casting small glances his way.]

Yeah. Around their necks, sort of like... flowery collars...?

[Does he remember them? Clearly, it's sparked something in the banks of his memories...]

There was a mother, and her puppies. Can't remember how many, but there were more than a few down there.

...Four.

[He pushes aside the dull ache as more memories come to mind.]

There were four, two girls and two boys. [There's a sense of certainty in his voice, but then another flash comes to mind, one that's a bit more painful and he winces briefly before he looks over at Tifa for a moment.

She had said... A few names before. Names that managed to hit the spell hard.]

...Is there a white... [He focuses hard on the blur. It's a dog...no. A little bigger than a normal domesticated breed. And...fluffier. It's when he recalls a howl that his gaze sharpens.] A white wolf cub?

[He remembers.

Baby steps, although this next part feels less like a baby step and more like a full step that she hesitates giving an answer when her heart leaps into her throat, and she forgets how to breathe for a moment. Slowly, he's getting there, but what will happen if it all comes back at once...?

She pauses in her rinsing of the dog, turning the tap off partway through, much to the pup's dismay as it whines at her to finish, but Tifa focuses all of her attention on him now, turning slowly to face and keep an eye on him in case this is what does it.]

Not any of the dogs here... [she starts carefully.] But you told me about one from home, a long time ago.

[ ... ]

Vitty...?

...Vitty?

[He slowly repeats the name, brows furrowing in concentration before he grabs his head, a stinging pain stabbing his mind like a terrible migraine. It makes him want to stop thinking, but he forces it. He's more prepared now, he knows he just needs to chase that fragment, to push a little more...

It's frazzled, but more images flash into his mind. A small village covered in snow. Flashes of people. The white wolf cub.

Voices.

"Eustace!"

"Big brother!!"

At first he's able to bear it, but then his own voice suddenly shouts in anguish—

You took everything from me!

There's a blinding flash, and echo of an explosion that causes him to gasp and clutch his right eye as he slumps forward. Immediately the dog he was brushing barks and tries to catch Eustace, scurrying so he falls over its sturdy body.

Although his head is reeling he tries to steady himself, but there's a strange yet intense wave of hatred and heartache. It's strong enough to manifest in the ground rumbling, burning ice slowly starting to appear. But it's different this time. He's actually trying to regain control despite being seized by such emotional turmoil.]

[Tifa helps to break Eustace's fall, catching him so that all of his weight isn't falling entirely on the dog, while the corgi in the tub leaps up with her front paws on its edges to bark, worried for him, and when he falls over, Tifa kneels next to him, her hand on his back and the other wrapped around his arm to keep him sturdy.

She lets him ride it out, but her fingers clutch at his back, balling into a fist as the ground starts to shake and ice begins to creep across the floors. She won't melt it away this time, wanting to give him the space to overcome this on his own—she won't intervene unless it starts to grow too high or pose a threat to either of them or the dogs.]

It's okay... [is about as much as she can say to him right now. There are no other words of comfort that she can offer him besides that and urging him to keep moving forward.] If it's too much, just take it a little at a time.

[Is that even possible? She has no idea, but even she's starting to panic again...]

[His breathing is ragged as he struggles, but her voice manages to come through and he latches onto it, a small thread to help ground himself.

He doesn't know what memory this is, and if anyone had amnesia like he has, they would likely be afraid and want to avoid it. It feels terrible, as if it would be better if he just forgot it all and lived this new life in ignorant bliss.

But he can't. He refuses. It's not him, and painful or not, he needs that memory. There was something deeper, special, happy buried in that hatred and pain, a reason why it seems terrible. Most importantly, somewhere deep inside a part of him has been trying to hold onto those memories and he feels as if he can't forgot them, as if he would never willingly allow himself and hate it more if he did.

Nails dig into the wood as he literally tries to claw his way out. He wants to chase after the memories but he the further he pushes, the worse it gets, and something else from deep within reaches him—a concern, a worry, a resolve to not hurt anyone with his own problems. As must as he hates it, he lets go of the tail he had been trying to grab, letting it run...for now. He needs to calm down, try again later.

At least he has something now.

So the ice won't progress any further, and some of the tension in the air weakens, the tremors subsiding. But he'll need a little bit before he's fully back in control, still trying to ride through the remnants of the emotional flood.]

[Through it all, Tifa is kicking herself for not being able to do more. If only there was something else that she could do to help, because sitting here repeating her words as if she's praying to some nonexistent god isn't going to get them very far and isn't going to stop these constant struggles that he finds himself wrapped up in when he tries to chase after those memories of his. She tries to tell herself that they aren't as bad as the first one, and that the more he regains, the better he seems, but it doesn't do much to console her.

The corgi hops out of the tub, dripping water everywhere as she trots up to join them, her nose bumping against the side of Eustace's face in a small gesture of comfort—more than anything Tifa can offer, and it deflates her even further.

Would it be so strange for her to grab hold of him and offer up her strength? Her shoulders and arms and hands, and her support?

Given all that's happened, and how their memories are so much more misaligned than they were even before all of this, she figures so...]

What did you see...?

[Curious, but cautious.]

[The cold, wet nose helps jolt Eustace out of that haze, and he smiles weakly as he reaches out to fondly pet the worried dog's ears. He can feel the others gathering and nosing him as well...but he also feels Tifa's support, and he looks up at her when he hears her question.

There's a stretch of silence before he finally answers in a quiet voice.]

...My family.

[It's just two words, yet it sends another crushing wave of sadness through him. Yet, even if he feels like he should cry, nothing comes out. As if he's lived with that pain for so long he no longer can. He feels he's getting mixed signals, as if he's getting both a "before" and "after" experience. Perhaps early on in his life he mourned, but as he got older, although the pain remained he was able to move on or at least carry it better.

Or maybe hide it?

He's still not clear, but he's getting bits and pieces.]

[The fact that his memory loss has stretched this far back is concerning, to say the least, but Tifa tries not to let it show as she slumps down on the floor next to him. Thankfully, she has a moment, because all of the dogs, including the one that's dripping with water, are too concerned about him to worry about bath time.

She really shouldn't continue to get her hopes up about it all, considering how slowly it's coming back to him, but each time he seems to remember something, her stomach does a small, expectant, nervous flip only to be left feeling somewhat let down at the end. She doesn't know why she's so pressed about it, and about wanting him to remember the—frankly—awkward memories they share together, but it's still bothering her. Enough that it's beginning to seep through in her expression, the way her brow furrows, and how her lips press together in a disheartened line.

At least... at least they're getting somewhere.

...]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to... you know.

[Cause such a ruckus inside his head.]

I wish there was more I could do...

[He gives a small shake of his head.]

No... You already helped me snap out of the spell to begin with and it's starting to come back in bits and pieces. ...Though it seems I have a stronger backlash when it's my personal memories before coming to this world.

[He then shakes his head again as if to clear his mind.]

Right...

[And then, some part of her wishes that it was memories of the world she had come from before here, hoping that maybe there would be something that could spark those ones too. That would make Eustace remember her the same way she remembers him...

She picks up the damp pup and holds her in her arms, clutching her into a hug.]

Well, I'm not going anywhere until you have them all back, so...

[The dog whines as Tifa sets her back down in the tub, and turns on the faucet again.]

Might as well finish cleaning them, yeah? Maybe more will come back again.

[Although it takes him a moment, he catches how she seems...off. Disappointed almost. He's not sure why...and before he can try and think it through he feels a nudge on his arm from a certain fluffbutt who wants his attention and finish his brushing.

So he just watches Tifa for a moment before he nods.]

...Yeah.

[He almost wants to ask her more about the fairy dogs and how she knew about them, but he considers how strangely worn out her feels and decides to hold off for now. So a strange silence settles between them as the continue caring for the dogs.]

[The silence is too loud, ringing in her ears and drowning out the sounds of the water and barking and whining as she bathes the dogs one by one, falling into a lulling rhythm that could put her to sleep if she really wanted it to. She's just going through the motions, washing and brushing, washing and brushing, brushing and washing... quiet except for a few affirmative hums or reassuring words at the more restless dogs until the last of them is cleaned.

How long had it taken them...? Feels like time had both stopped and completely flown by.

She stands up, satisfied with the good work they've done, and is about to drape a towel over the last of the pups to dry them off...]

That wasn't so—

[When she feels something knock against her feet with surprising force. One of the dogs is so excited that it leaps up with its front paws onto her legs, tripping her back over herself with surprise. Her knees hit the edges of the tub, and—

SPLASH!

If she wasn't soaked from head to toe already, she sure is now, as she falls backwards into the tub, her hands grasping through the air for purchase—for anything to hold onto before she's immersed herself in the water and spraying it all over the place in the process.

Okay, she takes that back. It wasn't so bad, but now it is.]

Edited 2021-12-03 23:44 (UTC)

[Normally he likes the silence and the peace that normally accompanies it...but he also feels the strange awkwardness and tension in the air. Rather than dwell on it, he focuses on the dogs, the movements he makes definitely familiar. Even the pruning through their leafy floofs, taking out the stray withered leaves and twigs before carefully raking through to smooth it out. Considering the large pile growing next to him one might think he was raking leaves inside the tree.

Every so often the corgi he's brushing momentarily turns into one of the fairy dogs in his memory, and he begins to remember more things. Where they live, their names, the riverbank. And eventually he remembers other faces though their names escape him. A young girl riding on the cart pulling the dogs to the neighborhood. The number of people who stopped by to help take care of them as he got them situated.

Yet it's only around the tail end that he also remembers Tifa and how she was involved with them as well. However, why does it seem like it's not a great memory...

Eustace is pulled out of his thoughts when he hears the Tifa finishing up and turns just in time to see the dog hopping up excitedly. Already sensing something might happen, he immediately jumps up to try and to grab her—

But of course, one of the dogs also runs between his legs, knocking him off balance and now falling forward with her. It takes him a moment after he hits the water to pull out of the surprise daze and sit back, reaching out to try and pull her up and hoping she didn't swallow too much water.]

Tifa!

[She's clambering along with him, trying to pull herself up and reach for his hand as if she'd just been submerged in that river all over again. She manages to find it, her fingers wrapping around his wrist so that she can use it to anchor herself and allow him to pull her up out of the water, where she's immediately coughing the air back into her lungs after the surprise had knocked it out of her.

Tifa sits up on the other side of the tub and wipes the water from her eyes so that she can look across at him, checking him over for any sign of injury, the water splashing around some more as she moves closer to him. It was a pretty fast fall...]

Are you okay!?

[Meanwhile, the dogs are barking, their tails are wagging, and they're standing with their paws up at the edge of the tub staring at them, their tongues hanging out of their mouths while they look pleased with themselves.]

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