closed ☁ in search of chocobo

[spikyheaded]

Who: Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie
When: First half of October, pre-event
Where: Around Solvunn
What: Chocobo wrangling
Warnings: None, will add if any come up

[There had been chatter lately of crops being stolen from homes and the farms around Solvunn. Many have wondered what could be picking them off, unsure who or what might be the culprit of this thievery.

Cloud didn't pay any mind to the gossip. At least not until he had caught two of the Solvunn natives staring at him, quickly looking away when they were caught, and whispering beneath their breaths about him looking like "the large bird on the loose" and how they had seen it near the gardens recently. Unfortunately, he'd heard that comment enough times back home that it immediately piqued his interest much to his chagrin.

After gathering some information, he, Tifa, and Yuffie set off into the surrounding woods in search of the crop thief.]

Didn't think we'd hear about chocobos in a place like this.

[Still new to the area, Cloud mostly stayed on the path, only deviating to search for familiar four-clawed tracks left on the dirt. Looks like everything Billy had taught them about hunting the bird stuck.]

Comments

[suplexer]

[ It's no surprise that the moment it came up that there were chocobos about (and Tifa doesn't even know how many — maybe it's just the one?), Cloud and Yuffie had been curious. This had been their routine, after all. Any time they reached a new region in Gaia, they would search out chocobos local to the area and tame a few for their use. ]

I should have mentioned I saw one before... but it was at night.

[ She doesn't mention that she'd also been scared out of her wits in that moment, even with Himeka at her side. Cloud might even tease her about that one, and Yuffie definitely would. ]

I wonder if this is the same one? [ She casts glances through the trees as they continue down one of the more frequented trails, also keeping an eye out for any obvious signs of a chocobo's presence. ] And if there's more than one, chances are they would flock together, right?

[ She's already scoped out a potential place they could take the birds if they were able to wrangle them. It would be like having a little bit of home here, and already she feels so much more at ease with Cloud and Yuffie at her side. She can still hardly believe that they've joined her, even if she still wonders about the others — about Barret, about Aerith. ]

[mogger]

Yeah, you should have! [ tifa, how could you withhold this critical piece of information? but yuffie is being playful. she's been humming the chocobo song (that she made up) the whole way here ]

There'd better be more than one available. [ because cloud, as the professional jockey, would probably end up riding it ]

Still, ya gotta wonder how a chocobo would get here. [ was it summoned the same way they were? or maybe there was another way? ]

[spikyheaded]

[Cloud's got to admit, at least to himself, that the song was catchy. At least for now. But his opinion on it might change depending on how long their hunt continues.]

There's probably a few of them. Find it hard to believe just one can cause that much trouble for the settlement.

[He'll leave the specifics to Tifa if she knows the how. He's as much in the dark as Yuffie was. Besides, he was preoccupied with catching the bird (or birds) before it wreaked more havoc among the natives and summoned alike.

Pushing forward, he takes the lead, moving further into the woods]

If there are more, maybe we can have chocobo races instead of goat races.

[Now there's a thought. Of course, it could also help with travel within and outside the settlement, but he remembers Tifa commenting on his being a jockey at Gold Saucer races while they were in the Skywheel. They've all ridden on chocobos during their travel, but the races were something only he was able to partake in. It could be a fun distraction.

And, just maybe, the familiarity of it might help them cope with this place, especially with the occasional spells of homesickness and worry about the others. Not that Cloud himself would ever preemptively admit that aloud.]

[suplexer]

[ Tifa, meanwhile, doesn't mind Yuffie's humming. A lot of her fondness for the youngest member of their group (Red aside — she's still processing that) has to do with the fact that Yuffie adds some lightness and energy to their group. Aerith covered a lot of that, but it was better if it wasn't all on her shoulders.

And Aerith isn't here.

It's fair to wonder where the birds came from, and Tifa had the same question. As Cloud pushes ahead to take the lead (like he always does), Tifa falls into step with Yuffie just a few strides behind him. ]

Himeka said that some time ago, rifts opened up all around Abraxas and different creatures came through. Some of them were dangerous monsters, but others were relatively harmless — like chocobos.

[ She's going to hope they do in fact find more than one, but if there really is only one she's sure they can find a way to share.

When Cloud mentions the idea of chocobo races, Tifa perks up. ] That would be fun! I never did get the chance to try out being a jockey back at the Saucer...

[ She jogs up to Cloud so she can ask him, with a sweet and slightly teasing smile: ] Does that mean you'll teach us how to ride like that?

[mogger]

[ well, yuffie did say that she'd bring youthful energy and comic relief to the group. and she has not disappointed in that sense ]

[ she also does break off from her humming. mostly to get excited about chocobos and the idea of racing them. for a girl who has trouble with motion sickness, she loves chocobos and somehow never manages to get sick riding them ]

Now that's an idea! [ racing chocobos? riding them together? hell yeah ]

[ she doesn't jog up to them, allowing cloud and tifa space to walk next to each other, but if either of them look back she will have a big mischievous grin on her face. yuffie's ship!!! she lets tifa do the talking (regarding riding) for now ]

Rifts, huh. Think that's our ticket back? Or they just dump creatures?

[spikyheaded]

[Cloud turns to look at the two, only to suddenly see Tifa by his side. He scoffs at her suggestion, the faintest ghost of a smile pulling at the corner of his lips.]

Depends. Think the two of you can handle it?

[He's teasing, of course, but he doesn't hide it in his tone. They both handled being on a chocobo well enough out in the wild. While it's not something he should liken to actually riding the bird in a race, he knew their experience on one would help them along the way. Even he was a beginner himself before Billy taught him all he needed to know.]

[Regarding the rifts though, Cloud figures it could be taken either way.]

If it were a way out, people would've already tried to use them. If anyone's tested them, they might've wound up facing whatever came thought.

[Whatever the case, it had brought at least one of the trusty mounts over, even if it was wreaking some havoc on Solvunn. Before long, Cloud notices a few tracks not far from the path they were taking. The outline of a large claw pressed into the dirt, leading deeper into the forest, a handful of stray feathers lay scattered by a bush it had seemingly walked past.]

Looks like it just passed by. Keep an eye out.

[Similar to how they did back home, Cloud slows his walk as he looks around the area, not wanting to frighten the bird away from them.]

[suplexer]

Of course we can! [ Tifa cuffs at Cloud's shoulder with a fist, though it's done lightly, meant as a tease just as much as his comment had been. ] You should know by now not to underestimate us.

[ Granted, riding a race chocobo will be brand new to her, but Tifa is confident that she can figure it out. Cloud was able to pick it up without too much trouble, so hopefully he'll be a decent teacher.

As for the rifts, she can't say too much about them when she only heard all this secondhand, but it's decent question. She glances over her shoulder back at Yuffie and shrugs. ]

Cloud's probably right. It sounds like they were only around for a short time, and from what I heard, they only sent things one way. You could double-check with Himeka, though.

[ Before she can give any more context to Himeka (she doesn't know if either of them have met her), Cloud points out the nearby tracks. There's no mistaking a chocobo track, but Tifa moves over to it and crouches down to take a look all the same, spotting the stray feathers in the process. They shine, almost golden, against the green shade of the bush. ]

Let's keep it down, then. [ She speaks barely above a whisper as she stands up and starts to search for a splash of yellow among the trees. ] We don't want to scare it off.