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 Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:27 am
"Originally from Midgar, moved not so far from here now actually. Small town coupla miles up." Chianni squaked a bit from behind her, and began to wander off towards the mid-field. Turning around to comment, Ty finally noticed the other chocobos present in the field.
"Oh hey..." her breath whisped out, "Nice... lil red one there's real nice lookin'." she turned back to face Falcon, stretching a bit.
"Costa Del Sol y'say? I've heard nice things 'bout there. Hear it's pretty nice." Still young, and with a hint of naivety, Tymara was still slightly clueless about their silent watcher. Beyond the extra chocobos, she simply assumed their owner was about, or perhaps a stablehand was letting them loose for some excersize. She had no immediate fear of harm or danger.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:32 am
Viper never hid his identity, his belt and cap both bore the sigil of the SOLDIER unit of Shin-Ra, deception was for the Turks he always said. He too had his sword with him, in plain veiw, sheathed in it's usual leather "holster" of sorts. However, at the moment, his weapon was of no concern to him, he was simply listening to two people having a casual chat. Out here, that was all it was.
Back in Midgar however, listening was a fine art, the SOLDIERs were the Shin-Ra corporation's attack dogs and most civilians knew it. Walls had ears and if they heard you speak rebellion, the SOLDIER unit would be the one sent to your door in the night. Viper knew this only too well and was glad to be able to turn a deaf ear on anything he heard outside Midgar. He wasn't a promotion hound like some of his comrades, he did his duty and little more.
He watched the two Chocos make their way about the feild, Metorian looking a little confused by the way Nattak kept nuzzling his feet when he stood still.
Indeed, it really was good to get a break sometimes and out here, under the blazing sun, you could forget what went on in the nighttime shadows.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:39 am
( Must pause here folks. I have to run to get my hair trimmed. Keep going if you want! )
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:07 pm
It was a nice day to go out for a walk. That sentiment had wandered, unguided and purposelessly, through his mind throughout the morning, persisting even among heaps of paperwork guaranteed to induce a headache in all but the most stalwart of applicants; it had occurred to him many a time throughout and between his five-minute breaks, and he had thought of it extensively, especially when he sat down to devour single-handedly a stack of vaguely edible materials slammed between two slices of bread.
It's a nice day to go out for a walk.
And so, as soon as he could, he had gone walking -- and walking, and walking; the sentiment transformed slowly, as most ideas do, to not so much an aimless, wandering walk to enjoy the countryside, but rather a visit to the Chocobo Farm... which was a place that his father had indicated to him some few days earlier that he might like to go and see. The letter had read badly, riddled with misspellings and indecipherable, scrawling script -- Drunk again, Haruki had thought, and sighed -- but its intentions had been clear enough: go and visit the Farm already, there's a couple of farewell gifts waiting, and make your old man proud.
So Haruki was making his old man proud, and visiting the Farm already, as he had been told. Nevermind his concern over what these farewell gifts could possibly be...
Now, the young man sidles along the edges of the corral, observing with inherent nervousness the movements of the gigantic birds; there is distrust writ boldly in his expression, but also a strange sort of awe, riding beneath everything else. Haruki clutches a wrinkled, tattered letter in one hand, although he spares no attention for it -- he is torn between constantly watching the chocobos (to make sure they don't decide to eat his hair, for instance) and being painfully self-conscious, especially once he notices that there are... others, here.
But of course there are others. It was a nice day, right?
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:12 pm
He nods his head while listening the entire time, still remaining aware of his surroundings. He noticed that the new man over there was off in his own world, and decided not to pay him any more mind for the time being. He was safe; he could feel it.
"Yep, Costa Del Sol, the number one vacation spot in the world." His smile is bright as if he were reflecting on memories from the beautiful beach. "It's great. You ought to go there one day. Some prime surfing if you're into that and of course, if you love the ocean it's magnificent. There's other things to do but really, the beach is the main tourist attraction."
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:20 pm
"I've never surfed before." Ty shook her head as she spoke, the pink of her hair glinting in the noonday sun. "Seen it before though. Once anyways. Felt bad for the people who kept fallin' off." laughing a bit at the memory, Tymara turned her attention off towards her two Chocobo who were wandering about further in the field.
Chianni was, once more pecking and scratching at the ground, no real care in the world outside of the possibility of food and more food. Plia, on the other hand, was perked and bound for another highrolling adventure of bug chasing. You never knew where that could lead you afterall.
Smiling inspite of herself, Tymara turned back towards the taller man, "Sounds great overall. I'll haveta take your advice and check it out sometime then. " turning her head, she then noticed the other young man in the corral's general vicinity, "Looks like more people showin' up now." a lopsided grin fell over her features, "Nice to see people out n' about."
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:58 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:03 pm
He isn't trying to eavesdrop. It certainly isn't purposeful -- after all, that's rude! But, edging along in the general directions of the stalls (where should he be looking around for these gifts, anyway? He pauses to think wryly, Couldn't have made things simple, couldn't have said it in the note...), Haruki can't help but overhear...
...that they're talking... about the beach? About surfing, specifically, which is a sport that Haruki never quite got the hang of -- mostly because all of his boards were surely possessed and kept slipping out from beneath him. Slightly, trying hard not to seem as though he is doing it (and therefore being all the more obvious), Haruki cranes his head sideways, in the general direction of the conversation -- under the pretense of sidling away from one chocobo who is getting a little too curious.
"...Junon or Costa del Sol?" Haruki calls at last to the pair, releasing his reservations with something of a resigned sigh. So much for secrecy... and so much for relaxation; the approach of the vividly purple chocobo arrests Haruki's attention at once, so that he spins on his heel and steps hurriedly away from the corral fence post, glancing nervously to the side with both hands slightly lifted. Not me, officer! his mind pipes up; I've been here the whole time!
It's very hard not to laugh about it, but Haruki manages. No need for these people thinking him insane already, after all.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:17 pm
Falcon can only laugh at her words, his smile always bright and happy. "Well, that's always bound to happen. Hell, I even fall off." It sounds like he's got an ego when it comes to surfing -- among other things. "You oughta try it if you go out there. And hey, if you see me around, I can give you a free lesson or two." Was he flirting? No, not really; that's just his character, being friendly and all that.
A glance around at her words, giving a nod. "Yeah, sure looks like it." He blinks, tilting his head at the shouting voice from the stables. A grin, and he cups his hands over his mouth to echo out his response, "COSTA DEL SOL MAN! SCREW JUNON!"
Junon had always had a bad reputation in Falcon's opinion and Costa Del Sol was certainly far more beautiful than that trash heap of machinery.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:23 pm
"I'll have to keep that in mind for if I ever get down there then." sticking out her tongue, her childlish manner slipped as Falcon cried out against Junon.
Laughing, she moved about so she could lean against the rail beside him, not so keen on having her back to the complete open, she could also keep her eye on Chianni and Plia this way. Laughing at the abruptness of it all, she called over to the two fluffs off in the distance. Chianni turned, almost seemed to snort, but began a slow saunter back. Plia however came hurtling back towards the teen, quickly flapping awkward wings as if she could actually fly, and jumped into the girls arms.
"Silly thing..." she ruffled the feather's atop Plia's head.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:05 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:26 pm
It is, really, all Haruki can do not to cower away from the colorful chocobo as it goes sprinting by; the slipstream of the bird's passage flutters and tugs at his shirt and the legs of his trousers, and moments after chocobo and rider have already passed, the breeze pulls his bangs into his eyes again. Haruki has just blown swiftly upward, once more freeing his vision from sifting shadows and tucking his hair behind his ears, when there is a call returned.
Haruki gapes, wordlessly aghast. "Buh -- !" The young man blinks owlishly in alarm, sputtering incoherently, obviously distressed. "Wh-- nnn--?" For a moment, there are no thoughts for him but thinly recalled words, as abrupt and sudden in his ears as though his father had manifested directly behind him and spoke; he had been lectured once, years and years ago, told again and again throughout his childhood to respect those bigger than you, because they'll take notice of it and --
Another moment passes before Haruki can formulate a decently coherent reply; and then he yells back, feeling furiously pathetic, "YEAH, WELL -- YOU CAN TAKE YOUR HIGH-AND-MIGHTY BEACHNESS AND SHOVE IT, MAN!" He whirls on his heel and strides toward the barn, shoulders hunched and his father's letter about to tear between his hands; Haruki isn't afraid of the chocobos anymore, at least, mostly because he's afraid of what will happen to him now... if anything -- it had hardly been a witty comeback, after all.
Well, he was bigger than me... But I had a right! Of course he did. Still does, in fact: the right to Run Away, Really Fast.
Felicity will know right away, then, that she is not alone, as Haruki storms into the barn and stands for a moment, huffing in the cool, shadowed air. "Screw Junon, thinks he'll screw Junon does he, I'll show him screwing..."
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Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 2:42 am
Viper had said not a word as the others chatted, insteadhe had gone over to the stables to fetch a brush, then had entered the pen where he brushed a somewhat obliging Metorian who even held out a wing to get it groomed. The SOLDIER only cast a sidelong glance over at the group when the tanned guy, whose name he didn't know called out to someone else regarding Junon or the Costa del Sol.
Viper preferred Junon of the two, but perhaps that bias came from his training that took place there and how much of a home it had been to him for a few years. He had met a few friends there that he would still remember twenty, thirty years from now. If SOLDIER training meant anything, it was that you were all in the same boat. He had only ever been to the Costa on a form of recon, making sure that there were no terrorist factions laying low there. Most of the soliders sent treated it as leave but the First Classes were not permitted that luxury. They caught one guy and brought him in for questioning there, masquerading as a sun tan lotion merchant.
The Costa del Sol was too salty and humid for Viper.
He watched as yet another person seemed to arrive, this one astride a purple chocobo, but he didn't pay too much heed to her, she seemed preoccupied with her mount anyway.
When he was done grooming Metorian, he moved onto Nattak, fetching a soft bristled brush for his more downy plumage. He peeped happily as Viper tended to the dust and grime that had settled on his crimson crest and wings.
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Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 7:13 pm
The girl's footsteps were muffled by the pale straw that was sewn about the barn's floor, softening the harsh clomp of her steel-toed boots. She hated it when she had to walk on pavement - it was too loud, and too noticeable. Of course, if you were to walk silently in a city... That would be viewed as suspicious, but less noticeable than someone walking loudly in the woods. A soft, frustrated sigh came from her as she thought about this, quickly perishing the thought with a toss of her head.
Felicity shifted the saddle in her grip, lifting it a bit higher as she walked. When Haruki entered, she couldn't help but to stop. "...Are you all right?" She asked after staring for a moment, shaking her head slightly before belatedly remembering her task and excusing herself quickly. She vanished into the room near the front of the barn and placed the saddle she borrowed onto its empty saddle-post, turning and picking up the clipboard hanging on the wall and signing it after writing down the time, returning it. When she reappeared, she leaned against the door's frame, studying Haruki curiously with her hands in her pockets. "Can I help you? I used to volunteer here, so I know my way around fairly well..."
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Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 9:46 pm
A moment before Felicity speaks -- a moment before Haruki realizes that he is not alone -- the young man with the dusky hair stands, shoulders hunched to brush the lobes of his ears, wondering glumly at his furious outburst. What had possessed him to get so upset over something that he would not have ordinarily taken such offense to?... certainly he wasn't stressed; Haruki is not, after all, the sort of boy to get stressed.
And it's not homesickness, so don't even start.
But then there is a voice, and then Haruki's head lifts, and then he is suddenly, boldly ashamed again, and flushing with it in a single flourish of red across his cheeks. The tip of his nose in particular grows uncomfortably hot, and the young man shuffles back a step, lifting his hand to brush across his face and finding the letter -- the wrinkled, sweat-dampened letter, not yet torn but fraying at the edges, weak and soft. He is aware when Felicity goes away again, and Haruki frantically uses this moment to compose himself, so that he is smiling when she returns.
"Actually," Haruki says, somewhat surprising himself with the unflagging cheer in his voice, "you could help, I think, if you know your way around here. My Dad sent me this letter --" he lifts the tattered scrap of paper to indicate "-- and he said that there were... well, his exact words were farewell gifts around, but with my old man, that could mean anything from a bundle of shiny greens to a chocobo chick." Haruki laughs and shrugs, communicating with even this simple gesture the maddening refusal of parents to be understood or reasoned with.
But then his smile is back, and Haruki tilts his head slightly to the side. "If you've heard anything about anything new, seen anything out of the ordinary...? Might be mine. Maybe. Somewhere to start out, at least."
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