abraxaslogs | [ CATCH-ALL ] don't tell me that we've grown

So? What do you think?

[ She's just opened the door to the stables and led Sephiroth inside, past Roach's stall, and Nixie's, back toward where Jaskier is stabling his very large, fluffy, yellow bird that looks exactly like the animal Sephiroth showed her in his domain.

Notably, Ciri is also carrying a basketful of round, red radishes. This is the closest thing she could find that looked like the vegetable Sephiroth had conjured there. ]

Is it really a chocobo?

Edited 2023-08-08 03:22 (UTC)

[He had heard tell of a chocobo now roaming about this world; or several, as it were, but this one, in particular, had been spoken about on the network, the one in which Jaskier informed the Summoned as a whole that there was a golden chocobo now present among them.

Sephiroth is curious, of course. He has no doubt what he's heard is true, but he wants to verify it with his own two eyes. Following her in, he walks up to the creature with yellow-gold plumage, eyes widening ever so slightly.]

Yes. A golden variant.

[Ah, and one that exists in "reality" rather than conjured up in the Horizon. Somehow, this makes it feel even more novel, more real.]

Just like... the ones from home.

[He reaches out, experimentally, towards it.]

[ He will find the chocobo behaves exactly as he might expect. She perks up curiously with a soft noise, friendly and eager to be petted.

Ciri also can't resist moving closer to stroke her feathers. ]

The sweetest, softest Big Bird I ever saw, aren't you? [ This is meant for the chocobo, not Sephiroth.

To him, she looks back up and says: ]

How many variants are there?

I wonder if it's just something similar that lives here, and we've simply never seen them before... it's a big continent. Some sort of exotic shipment lost in the desert?

I asked around at the university, but I couldn't find any records of birds like this.

[ The other option, left unsaid, presents... more uncertainty. ]

Edited 2023-08-17 19:07 (UTC)

[Well, far be it from Sephiroth to deny it a good pet. He does just that, scritching at its neck, eying the golden plumage that spans across the dark leather of his gloves as he does so.]

There are several. There is a place called the Golden Saucer where I'm from. One of the activities is racing different types of chocobos for a prize. Yellow, blue, green, black...

[An exotic shipment lost in the desert?]

I wonder. [A beat. He finally lowers his hand and levels his gaze at Ciri properly.] Chocobos are prevalent back on Gaia, and they have no trouble crossing long distances and difficult terrain... Especially a golden one. The continent is big, but these aren't creatures that like to hide away.

Racing sounds fun...

[ She doesn't sound as enthusiastic as she might normally be though. Despite the eager attention paid to Jaskier's newest prized pet, the implications of their shared suspicion are... concerning. ]

Some animals seem common across worlds. [ Then again, the Conjunction brought creatures from all over to the Continent, so maybe her perspective is skewed.

Ciri frowns. ]

Is there any way to tell if it did come from Gaia? The portals that have been opening up, depositing sea creatures on land and swans in the middle of the city...

I don't know. Don't want to jump to conclusions, but there has been a surge of highly unusual beast sightings on the roads. Have you heard anything at the outpost? The number of species supposedly no one's ever seen is too high to be a coincidence.

[Racing might be fun, but he's never tried. He was never one for the Gold Saucer, too bright and too loud for him.

But that hardly seems like the sticking point here, does it. He shakes his head.]

I haven't heard anything of use, other than the odd complaint of this new wildlife inconveniencing the local populace at worst. As for whether or not there's a way to test if they came from my Planet specifically...

[Well, that's a good question. Is there? For someone more magically-minded, maybe they could somehow "sense" any energies inherent in the creature, match it up to any signature Sephiroth might possess -- if such a thing even exists. But Sephiroth often thinks less in those terms, and more materially, pragmatically.]

I don't think so, no. Not anymore than we can ascertain where a swan's come from. [A beat.] You're worried. And I don't think you're jumping to conclusions, not really.

Portals opening up out of nowhere like this is cause for concern, even if they're only spitting out seafood. These birds are... quite large. If they have a connection to a different place of origin as well, like your home sphere...

[ She trails off again with a sigh and a shrug. Big Bird (temp name, Jaskier-unapproved) gets one more scratch along her head and down her elegant neck before Ciri steps away. ]

Thanks for coming out to look. Keep an ear out at the outposts. Judging by the pattern they've followed in the past, I suspect the Summoning ritual may be performed again soon.

[ If the Singularity is letting through creatures from other places, are the mages fucking about with the ritual early? Or maybe just... constantly, for all they know? Are they trying to call something else through?

She doesn't elaborate, though Sephiroth may be able to infer why she brought it up.

The chocobo lets out a hopeful kweh when she stops petting it. Ciri looks regretful. ]

Sorry, sweetheart, we can't stay here all day.

--oh. But I did also want to ask. [ This meant for Sephiroth, of course. ] Do chocobos have other dietary needs besides radishes? I mean, I assume your gysahl greens are just a type of radish... Can she eat carrots and other root vegetables, or various salad greens? Seeds?

...unusually large worms?

[Portals opening out of nowhere is never a good sign, even if it is a consequence of the mages prepping for the summoning ritual early.]

If anything of note comes up, I'll let you know. Hopefully a few stray, harmless creatures is all we'll need to worry about for a while.

[~~smashcut to the current monster event~~

Sephiroth gives the chocobo a placid glance, though his lips are upturned slightly when it gazes at him imploring, as though asking for another pet. Unfortunately, it's making doe-eyes at the wrong pair, and the SOLDIER returns his attention to Ciri.]

Unusually large worms. [He echoes with some amusement.] Yes, actually. They're omnivores, or at least in the sense that they'll eat plenty of vegetables along with insects. But do you happen to have unusually large worms at your disposal?

The real question is whether Jaskier has any unusually large worms...

[ She laughs, the concerned wrinkle in her brow smoothing out again. They can keep theorizing all evening to no avail. Or-- ]

I'll let him know.

Why don't you come up for a drink? Since you made the trek all the way out here.

[He actually huffs out a small noise of amusement at that, trying to imagine Jaskier touting around an armful of overlarge worms.

But no, there's no point in overthinking anything right now. Sephiroth's expression eases a little at her offer.]

Of course. I was hoping to spend a little more time with you than just meeting your ["your"] new feathered friend.

[ Sorry, Jaskier. This is a family bird now.

Ciri smiles, giving the chocobo one last pet before leading the way out and back up the street toward the bakery. She peers over his shoulder at Sephiroth, and after a slightly awkward silence adds: ]

Like... a date?

[He follows diligently enough, taking each step one at a time. Though there's a hitch in his gait, bootsteps faltering at the question.

Sephiroth blinks and looks up at her.]

Like... a date.

[The concept itself shouldn't be a surprise, but to hear the word in the wild like this isn't quite what he expected. They've certainly not labeled what they have as dating; they haven't labeled it much of anything, have they?]

Yes.

[He thinks so. Is that the right answer?]

[ In Ciri's defense, the idea of dating isn't really something she's familiar with. It's a matter lost somewhere in the cross-section between differences of worlds and times, social class and her personal situation of running all over the damned universe trying not to get got.

She falters too. Her pace slows so she's not bounding ahead but walking beside him, though Ciri doesn't reach for him either. ]

Hilda asked me on a date. [ she blurts. What is an appropriate lead-in to that anyway? ]

Except, then she said she would withdraw her request if you and I are... dating.

I said I wasn't sure.

[In that, they're the same. Dating had never been in his vocabulary, either, not as a SOLDIER, and before that? Certainly not as a young man, having grown up in laboratory conditions. Sephiroth glances askance at her while they walk together, now, trying to get a read on her expression.]

I...

[Hilda asked her on a date? He's equal parts surprised and equal parts not; of course the very same things that drew him to Ciri would be noted by others. Why wouldn't they? It's clear he has to take a moment to suss out what he wishes to say, how he should react. Should he apologize for leaving room to doubt, even when he isn't sure?]

You're the only person I've ever met that I would be... [A beat.] ...interested in dating. If we aren't already.

[They're certainly close, both emotionally and physically. They spend plenty of time together when they can manage it. Is that enough to qualify?]

But I don't want it to be the kind of relationship where either person feels chained to the other if that's not what they want. Do you want to go on a date with Hilda?

[ Ciri doesn't mind. He won't get the sense from her that she's waiting impatiently for an answer, and she doesn't stare at him; a glance tells her he's thinking, and so she continues walking apace, giving him all the time he needs.

It is rather flattering what he ends up saying. The only person? A smile flickers at the edges of Ciri's lips. The poor man sounds as confused as she feels.

After a moment, she reaches over to take his hand. ]

I've spent most of my life having choices taken from me.

Here, I find myself faced with more than I could have thought possible.

[ She gives his fingers a squeeze. ]

What I want is to enjoy that freedom.

[ When it comes down to it, she does have an interest in Hilda. She might have an interest in others, too. It's all relatively new for her, and she wants to experience it, now that she has a chance to slow down and do so. Whatever constant trouble the Singularity or the political bullshit in Abraxas throws their way, to Ciri, most of it is still easier to handle than where she'd been before. And, most importantly, she's not alone. ]

[As she grasps his hand, his own curls around her fingers, squeezing in turn. There's something about I've spent most of my life having choices taken from me that strikes him to the core, and it always will, no matter how many times the idea's uttered.

He, too, never had a choice, only ever meant to be one thing: a weapon for Shinra. The man who won its wars. The investment that could never go wrong.

Here? Sometimes the freedom still feels like too much to know what to do with. He has more than he thought possible... Much like her.]

Of course I wouldn't deny you that, Ciri.

[He would never. To do so would make him a hypocrite, and he would feel like utter garbage for it.]

I want you to live like you've never had the chance to before. And if that means going on dates with others who catch your eye, why would I even try to stop you?

I'm still learning what a 'date' even means. [ She laughs. ]
So I'd like to figure it out with you, too.

[ I want you to live like you've never had the chance to before.

Something in her chest that she didn't realize had tightened starting to unravel again. Another laugh escapes, a breathy, uneven exhale. ]

Oh! And of course-- I mean, I don't mind if you also... take other lovers.

[ Ciri fumbles, embarrassment chasing the tail end of that relief for some reason. It had been important to her that she make sure not to lie to him or hurt him, but that's about as far as she'd gotten in her own head. ]

We're the same in that, then.

[In regards to figuring out, exactly, what a "date" is. If they've been having "dates" up until this point at all.

Her addendum, on the heels of a breathless laugh, actually pulls a similar sound from him. Not because the idea is absurd, but her consideration is not one he'd even thought to give to himself.]

I appreciate it. But I have no interest in that for now.

[No one else has really caught his eye; and he doesn't imagine he needs anyone else, not as long as he has Ciri.]

[ Well, as long as they're on the same page. Though Ciri does find herself still flattered she's apparently the only one he's had an interest in. And glad that her lack of desire for more doesn't deter him completely. ]

All right. [ She agrees with a nod, smiling, and tugs him down the street faster. ] I'm glad we have this time to spend together.

[ CATCH-ALL ] don't tell me that we've grown

for sephiroth.

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