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[And off she and Valo go...

The first place she thinks to check is, of course, his house. Valo trots alongside her, whining every now and then with what she assumes is worry as they make their way down the street. His nose goes to the ground to sniff, trying to pick up Eustace's scent, and when he finds it, he runs ahead, beckoning for Ilsa to hurry! Maybe he really is still at home...!

Except when they arrive...

???

Why does it look like he had just been gardening? And why is there a giant wheelbarrow that's half filled with dirt and plants sitting in the middle of it all, like he'd just upped and left while taking care of it? So, so many things have been unlike him today, but this is certainly more proof that something is amiss. She never knew him as much of a gardener, but he would never leave a mess like this behind, no matter what it was.

While she looks over the terrible mess that is his lawn, Valo rushes up to the door to paw and claw at it to see if Eustace is home. He leaps up, whining and barking still, before he gives up and returns to Ilsa's side.]

No luck...?

[But they didn't see him on the way, which means...

Ilsa sighs.

He went somewhere else. Even after I told him not to.

Groaning, Ilsa turns on her heel and stalks out of the yard, leaving the wheelbarrow and the pile of blueberries behind. Valo picks up his scent once more as they make it back onto the road, and his nose leads them further into town... and to a... bakery? What the...? First the plants and the blueberries, and now, when she heads inside to ask about him, the bakers tell her that a man in a very good mood had come in to order two dozen cream puffs and left.

UGH!!!

Valo next leads her to a café down the road.

To no surprise, Eustace had been here, and he had still been acting very unlike himself, according to the baristas. They explain that he had run off after he was given his order of food. From behind the counter, they hand Ilsa a large box from the bakery and a bag of the now-lukewarm meal that he asked for. She doesn't want this!? But she takes it anyway...

Now Ilsa is not only confused, but she also has two dozen cream puffs... Okay then.

She's about ready to give up, and she leans down to give Valo a scratch behind his ears for a job well done, and an apology.]

I'm sorry that I couldn't find him... or stop him from doing anything crazy.

[She stares down at the box and the bag in her hands...

Maybe she should try calling him? Or even messaging him at this point? She feels like she's at such a loss at this point, and even Valo seems to be downtrodden about it. Why didn't she think of it before? Though, with how his mind is at the moment, she wouldn't be surprised if he was so scatterbrained that he completely forgot it at home, or worse... somewhere else.

Pulling out her phone, Ilsa flips through it to grab Eustace's number and—]

Hm? What's this?

[There are a ton of notifications on her phone. More than she's ever seen. It's for some kind of "game" that seems to be happening at the nearby pub. Something called "Never Have I Ever"? Scrolling through, she sees people on there that she recognizes, names that are familiar to her... more and more and more... and the further that she scrolls, the more dread she starts to feel in her gut. Please, primals, please do not let Eustace be on here.

...

.....

......

Fuck.

There he is.

And she almost chokes on the air in her lungs when she reads his message. Out loud. Because that's how terrified she is of what she's reading.]

"Never have I ever... slept with someone I didn't know"...?

[Her look of surprise fades into disgust, her stomach now turning and twisting around itself as she reads it over and over again. What in Alandus' Saggy Tits?

Eustace!? Participating in a stupid game like this? With something like that? If all the other things didn't just confirm that there was something terribly wrong with him, then this certainly does.

With a great amount of urgency, Ilsa looks down at Valo.]

We need to find him. Immediately.

[The dog senses the direness and immediately lowers his nose to the ground, trying to sniff out Eustace's scent again before he gives a loud bark.]

Do you have something?

[Valo whines, and the two of them break into a run. They need to save him before this gets too out of hand. Eustace has already wounded his pride with the townsfolk, and now he's about to do it with the others!?

The scent must be fresh, which would mean that they are hot on his trail. Down the road they go, through the main part of town, past all of the shops and the businesses, and the further they move, the more Valo's tail begins to swish back and forth until they finally reach a pub.

She peers through the window first, and she sees a large crowd of people inside, and it's just as she feared—all of them drinking, laughing, looking like they're having a good time. It looks a bit rowdy in there, which she knows is not to Eustace's tastes, so why...? But Valo's barking confirms that he is indeed in there somewhere.]

Wait here.

[She orders him to sit and Valo obliges happily, begging her with a whine to please bring his dad back safe and sound and NORMAL... And so, with one last heaving sigh, Ilsa pushes through the doors of the pub, immediately wincing at how loud it is, and searches around for Eustace.....]

Edited 2023-05-09 22:34 (UTC)

[And she will run right smack into him, making him stagger backwards with an, "Oof!" — And he staggers, almost tripping over himself but manages to grab a chair. Upon seeing who it is, his eyes light up.]

Ilsa!

[....

....

And then turn scarlet as he remembers some of the things he talked and thought about. Ooooh she might get mad... Or maybe not???? Uwaaa she looks so pretty right now....

Anyway he's going to stand there in a daze and reek of alcohol.]

Edited 2023-05-09 22:35 (UTC)

[The crash is a hard one, and Ilsa almost goes tumbling backwards right into the door, but only manages to save herself.]

What are you doing standing in front of the door—!?

[She's on her very last thread of patience when she realizes...]

Eustace?

[She knew, based on what she saw on the phone and Valo sniffing him out, that he would be in here, but... dear lord... As she looks him over, noting the way his face turns red again, her nose crinkles with disgust when the smell finally hits her.]

You stink of alcohol. How much have you been drinking!?

[Whaa whaaa what should he dooo he's spoken so much about her with others and now his feelings are all in a mess so his already flushed face is looking even redder.

BUT SHE ASKED A QUESTION...]

U-um...

[Tries to count in his hand but then gives up.]

Ten? Twenty?

[She'd spit her drink out if she had one, but all she can do is gawk at Eustace in disbelief instead. Both for the sheer number of them he's consumed, and the red face, and the... counting on his fingers?

She'll lift up her phone to show him the screen, and the incriminating post that's still blown up on it.]

And what's the meaning of this [Her voice grows quieter and a hell of a lot sharper.] This isn't about what happened, is it?

[He has to squint because WOW THOSE LETTERS ARE KIND OF BLURRY UUHH...]

—Oh, that?

[And exaggerated wave of his hand.]

It was bait. Bait.

[He's still a bit flushed as he leans in closer to whisper drunkenly (and not so quietly as he thinks).]

I only meant sleeping on the same room. Not sex. But everyone was talking about their sex lives so I said this to trap 'em.

[A strangely smug grin as his voice grows louder as he means to talk normally but again really isn't.]

Besides we don't count' cause we know each other and we only did—

[She might want to shut his mouth.]

[Never mind that he's so close, he's hardly whispering in her ear, and oh my god his breath—

Ilsa shoves him away by his cheek, and immediately regrets it because now he's practically yelling about her and them, so she chases after to clap a hand right over his mouth, eyes darting around to make sure that no one heard him. She didn't really mean it when she said she would kill him if he told anyone, but now she's starting to rethink that—]

Don't.

[Yeah, he definitely drank too much. Baiting people to talk about their sex lives? The Eustace that she knows is long, long gone now. He wouldn't give two damns about others or babbling about theirs... NOT THAT THEY HAVE ONE, but it's the principle of the matter!!!

There's only one thing that she can do at this point. A search mission has now turned into an extraction.]

I'm taking you home.

[He's trying to listen, really. But her hand... On his mouth... Her scent... Taste. Despite having been flustered earlier, instinct takes over and without thinking whatsoever, his tongue flicks out to lick her palm.]

[Why is there something warm and soft and wet pressing against her pa—]

WHA-UGH!?

[Her shout and her scrambling away turns a few more heads their way, and she stares down at her hand after snapping it back. Her face is flushed, her eyes wide with bewilderment, and her mouth hanging open...

Did he... really just...?]

What was that for?!

[Her voice may have gone up several levels.]

Hmm...

Just wanted to?

[Kind of wants to do it again...]

[Ilsa shakes and wrings her hand as if she means to shake his cooties away...]

Well, don't.

[She's still... in shock from what just happened, her mind spinning, but she pauses to look around the bar.]

Have you settled your tab?

[She's not going to continue this here...]

Valo is waiting for you outside.

Ah, it's free because it was all part of the game.

You sure you don't want to try it? It's fun! Valo could come in, too!

[Just drag him out now—]

[...

Ugh. No wonder he reeks of alcohol... but now it begs the question of how many of these games he actually played... and admitted to. Ilsa isn't ignorant to the nature of them, or how stupid they are...

She just gives him A Look when he mentions Valo.]

I will not participate in these grown-up childish games. And your dog will not be either.

[VALO WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IN YOU IF HE HEARD THAT...

And yes. She's just going to take him by the arm and forcibly drag him out. Be grateful it wasn't by the ear--]

Come. We're leaving.

Huh??

[AND STUMBLING WHILE BEING DRAGGED.]

But I haven't said bye—

[She's not going to stop until they're outside.]

It's better that you don't. You can thank me later.

[And once they're through the door, Valo will immediately walk up to Eustace and sniff him, his tail waggling happily and hopefully, only for him to recoil with a low whuff when he gets a whiff of the alcohol.]

[There's going to be an extreme emotional whiplash right about now.

First it starts with Eustace fretting a little for not saying goodbye to his new!! Friends(???)!!!]

Edited 2023-05-10 22:18 (UTC)

[Then he notices the strong grip Ilsa has on his arm and suddenly his heart flutters and his face flushes because oh what a strong grip and what would it be like if—]

[But that questionable thought is interrupted when he sees Valo and his eyes brighten, a wide smile forming.]

Valo! It's Daddy!!!!

[But all that excitement and adoration is instantly shattered when Valo whines and backs away from him instead.]

Nooooo!!! VAAALLOOO!!!

[And now he falls forward as if to go on his hands and knees.... WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES. HEART IS BROKEN.]

MY BABY HATES ME!!

[This is a nightmare for everyone.

Also he may be feeling a little nauseous right now—]

Hurk—

[Just when Ilsa thought she couldn't cringe any harder, watching this man's emotions spiral out of his control is difficult to watch. Even Valo looks confused as Eustace falls to his hands and knees, while she stands there and just... stares... dryly... blankly... as her ears pin all the way down and back.

And Ilsa looks like her own soul has left her body.

...

.....

And she's just going to turn around on her heel.]

Come, Valo. He'll catch up when he's ready.

[Just some gross sobbing as he remains in the ground.]

Vaaallllloooooo!!!

[And now Valo is torn because CLEARLY SOMETHING IS WRONG but he's not sure if leaving Eustace there is really such a good idea... And it sounds like he may be attracting attention.

With some laughter and sniggering somewhere not too far away.]

[Dear lord... He is so far gone.

Ilsa is already starting to walk away... slowly... hoping that Eustace will find it within to at least stop his sobbing and pick himself up off the ground. Does she really have to do it for him!?

...

Okay, she feels a little guilty as he continues to sob, and with a groan, she's about to turn around when she hears some snickering from around the corner. Who the hell is giggling!? This is no laughing matter!!!]

Hm? If you've got something to say, then come out and say it.

[Like hell they'll let themselves be known. Before they run off, she'll hear the words, "We really got him good" and "That's what he gets" and something about enchantments and revenge for scaring their friend. Should Ilsa try to run after them, they'll be long gone, and Valo is slowly inching towards Eustace with a sad whine...

Only to yelp when Eustace reaches out to grab him and hug him close to his chest.]

Vaaalllooo!!!! Daddy is sooorrrrrryyy!!!!!!

[MAMA ILSA HELP PLEASE.]

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TIMESKIP POST NHIE (forgot to label lmao)

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1/6

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done destroying this man's dignity forever

ARE YOU SURE...

NAH

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