second shot ⊗ open november log

[flamekthunder]

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.]

Comments

Fairy Corgis and Save Eustace Quest; Alice's Side

[madventure]

Arrival- Watch Your Head!
Alice was still standing within the open doorway of the treehouse, a few of the younger corgis just behind here and keepin close while the larger ones either guarded the staircase within or milled about the inside of the house itself. Waiting for those who answered her call to come-

“Do watch out! He seems to be taking shots at anything that is coming too close and I’m not sure if you might count!”

Warning might come a little too late for some of the sniper-esque shots, but she could only see so far herself.

A Search of Flowers and Things
“Surely there’s something here, right?” There was definitely something wrong with Eustace, a lack of memory and the dangerous need to protect this place and everything within it- that, and the fact only once Alice had okayed it with the numerous corgis would they let anyone else within the treehouse definitely had some suspicions arise about what was going on.

The answers must be within the house itself. Some slip of paper, anything to give a clue as to what would break this enchantment that had taken hold of the man.

“The satchel had a picture within it, do you suppose it may help?”

Comfort Blanket
The satchel that Alice had carried along with her was set at her feet, unwrapping an old and do fur covered blanket with a bit of a sigh. “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to clean this up for them. Give the dogs something to help remember.” Sad as they all seemed to look despite never leaving the inside of the tree.

“Any ideas for the best way to clean a blanket?”

No Bones About It
There was still the full skeleton of the man outside of the tree to deal with, Alice sitting on her feet with arms folded across her knees.

“This won’t do at all,” and no wonder the corgis were so sad if this man was the one who held responsibility for them. They’d missed him terribly and- “The least we can do is give him a proper burial. Does… anyone know the best way to lay this man to rest?”

Other than just digging a hole and making some sort of marker for that.

(OOC: I will reply in brackets if tagged as such!)

c-2

[starshower]

[It had been several weeks since Tifa and Eustace had seen each other. After what transpired in Halloweentown, she made intensive efforts to avoid him, and it would seem so has he. Any time they would accidentally approach each other on the streets of Reverein, Tifa would tuck herself into the nearest shop or alley and pray that he would either not notice or continue as if he hadn't. At some point, they must have gotten too good at it, because she had stopped seeing him altogether.

Of course, when you suplex someone after they've almost sunk their teeth into your neck, what else is there to do but evade one another? She'd rather not revisit what happened, ever, so avoiding seemed like the best option until they could either repress the memory to where it may as well no longer exist, or until she was sure she had gotten over what she experienced. That fear, the dark desperation in his voice, and the odd, inexplicable tingle that raised goosebumps on every inch of her bared skin...

If that day would ever come.

She wishes she could say that none of it would matter when he needs help, but Tifa would never forgive herself if she sat back and let him fall to the whims of the world's strange, and frankly terrifying enchantments. When the call for help comes across the journals, she has to push that all aside. Awkward feelings be damned, if he's in trouble, she's going to help—he's a friend, and more than that, she still feels she owes him for everything she has and is about to put him through in Camelot.

After a brief argument with him at the base of the tree, she's let in and practically soars over the growling, wary corgis to the spiral stairs. Chase her all they want, she's quick, and she makes it up to his perch with only a few minor bites around the ankles, only one managing to get past the thick stockings on her legs.

Spotting him, she stops at the window where he's positioned, hands pressing to the frame so hard that she might just splinter the wood. Her brows are furrowed, and she has a glower to match his, as if daring him to aim that stupid thing at her again, unaware that he's lost his memories. If only she'd stayed back long enough to listen to what Alice and the little bird had to say.]

Put your gun down.

[Listen, she knows it's rough to see each other but do they really need to go this far!?

There's a beat, and something in her expression softens a touch, replaced with a sense of urgency.]

Please.

C-4

[brokenlight]

[It might be a bit difficult for Ventus to initially recognize Eustace at first by name--considering they never really introduced themselves. But he also couldn't ignore Alice when she asked for help.

So getting the corgis to realize he's not a threat is a challenge when he managed to get inside of the treehouse. He makes himself seem unassuming, never letting himself be seen as a possible threat to the corgis--or to Eustace. He really doesn't want to fight him. Nor does he actually want to endanger the corgis, but he also knows it can't be good for Eustace to stay here either.

But a good look at the flowery/leafy dogs almost makes him want to huff at how...unkempt they look.

It takes finding a good brush somewhere in the treehouse and crouching a bit to the corgis that he gives a soft smile as he beckons to them.]

I just wanna give you guys a brush. I bet it'd feel better without all of that stuff in your fur, yeah?

[Ventus does glance over at Eustace as if almost ready to move in case the older man deems him as a threat.]

b-2

[hearthwarming]

[ Ori, too, has been putting in time helping herd the cotton candy sheep since her arrival, having gotten the hang of creating the candy chimes and ushering them to their respective pens. She's managed to get by so far without having to cast a spell so that she could talk to them, at least, so that's nice—

Ah, there goes one, breaking away from its herd and running... towards her. She doesn't quite notice that it's headed right for her right away, but Ori springs into action before it's too late. She's tied the candy chimes to the end of her staff and she waves it a bit in hopes of catching the runaway sheep's attention, but for good measure she mutters a spell under her breath and says to the sheep, ]

Hey there, friend! Where are you running off to? All your friends are going that way. Come, let's go back to everyone together, okay?

[ She's still speaking as she normally would, but the sheep seems to slow its pace, ears twitching in a vague recognition that it could understand what the tiefling just said. Ori looks up to try and see whoever it was that had called out just before and, when she spots Eustace with the herding dogs, she waves her arm and calls out in return, ]

It's okay, I'll bring it back!

a

[silentends]

[The last time Nier saw Eustace was during the entire mutton man fiasco a while back. He wanted to go check up on Eustace just to make sure everything's fine. They had a rough battle and the mutton man was even more difficult than he imagined. Thankfully, they're still alive in one piece. Nier was really hoping settle down and have some tea or something. It would be nice to relax for once. When he looks over to the treehouse he notices a bunch of puppies in the area. ]

Eustace? I wanted to speak with you but, you look busy. [ WITH DOGS.]

I hope I didn't come at a bad time.