o8 | Written

[bustered]

[Actually, there are no words. Instead, there are a few leaves pressed in between the pages of the journal -- young things, early-budding plants or those that tolerated the chill of winter. Perhaps the impressions would translate across the journal, and perhaps not; for Zack, it's simply a safe place to put the things until he can get back to the Castle and look them up in the library. Not all the plants are familiar to him, and outdoor curiosity trumps indoor boredom.

But at intervals there is perhaps the echo of words spoken to one's mount, or the sounds of riding: the creak of leather, the chocobo's soft wark. And the Castle's grounds are vast, so it's entirely possible to come across one chocobo-riding SOLDIER if one is out and about.]

Comments

[whistles_the_blues]

[Blues is out sitting against a tree when he see's the man riding the... Overgrown yellow bird. Okay, that's certainly a new one. Blues is going to get up and follow along waiting to see if the man and bird are going to stop at any point.]

[bustered]

[Excuse you, giant yellow chickenish things are quite common in his world! And Zack's actually quite relaxed and somewhat content to be riding it again, but SOLDIER is still SOLDIER and he does eventually become aware he's being followed. Bitey the bird is reined in, so to speak, a pause to let the follower catch up.]

Hey.

[ooc: sorry so late! work happened.]

[whistles_the_blues]

[It's not too far from what he'd see in his world either a little later on. robot jet board dogs and all.]

Hey.

[It doesn't take him too long to catch up, when he does he looks the bird over before looking up to Zack.]

That's an impressive mount you have there.

[Don't sweat it!]

[bustered]

[Makes you wonder about all these people who come from 'normal' worlds...]

Heh, thanks. [He pats the side of the bird's neck. Bitey's a good mount, as long as one is careful of one's fingers when saddling him.] He's a chocobo. They're birds from my home.

[whistles_the_blues]

A chocobo? [He looks it over curiously. He reaches up to scratch it's neck.]

I can't say I've seen anything quite like it where I'm from, the closest was a machine.

[bustered]

Mm-hm. They're pretty common, but they've gotta be trained to be ridden.

[The bird clearly likes the attention, leaning into the scratching and giving a wark or two.]

Machines, huh? Lot of technology where you're from?

[whistles_the_blues]

This guy certainly seems to be well behaved.

[He'll continue on with that for a moment, his attention on Zack but he wont forget about the bird.]

About as common as your Chocobo and becoming more so.

[Blues himself was a machine, but it wasn't exactly uncommon for him to be mistaken for human.]

[rose_of_battle]

[Sheena recognizes the chocobo instantly, and her lips curl until a smile that quickly fades as she realizes the rider isn't who she had hoped. She watches the bird, glad to see that it's being taken care of, and wondering if this is the person who had mentioned Cloud's leaving...

If only she could remember his name.]

[bustered]

[The bird is being taken care of! Zack had never been the best chocobo rider but he's passably good at it, and getting more practice here at Paradisa. It's for the best, he figures, especially since vehicles and technology don't work in the Dead Zone. And it's something to do, especially good for someone who feels his world dropped out from under him. Again.

But he's not so far into his thoughts to be completely unmindful of surroundings! There's someone not far, and honestly it's the hairstyle that catches Zack's attention first, because he doesn't know many people aside himself with tendency toward unruly black hair. She gets a wave, and the bird is guided to a gentle alteration of course to bring them closer -- no use shouting across the grass at each other just to hold a conversation, right?]

[ooc: sorry so late! work happened.]

[rose_of_battle]

[The wave surprises Sheena, and it shows in her hesitation to return it. But nothing surprises her more than the change in direction. Is he coming towards her? Yep, he is, and she can only stare, dumbfounded.

As he draws closer, he'll notice that her hair is actually a deep, purplish color, bordering on black. The unruliness, however, he's dead on about. Although she's got the lungpower, she's going to wait until her reaches her before speaking. After all, she doesn't want to scare the chocobo while shouting pleasantries back and forth.]

[ooc: I understand!]

[bustered]

[Surprise is Zack's middle name! Well okay maybe not, but really he doesn't think it that out of the ordinary to change his course and approach. He's a pretty friendly guy, after all! Plus, Zack had come riding to look mainly for distraction, so he'll gladly find it in talking to another.

Once they're close enough for conversation that isn't at raised volume, he'll offer a smile.] Hey.

[rose_of_battle]

[Sheena's got too many middle names to count, but "stubborn" is probably the most commonly associated with her. She's also friendly, so when he's close enough for a normal greeting, she gives him a friendly smile in return and waves again.]

Hi!

[bustered]

Nice day to be out, right?

[You never know what you're going to run into outside the Castle, and the air still holds some of winter's chill. But it's a nice enough day for all that, and he's not in a hurry to get anywhere in particular.]

[rose_of_battle]

Yeah it is, actually.

[She reaches out to the chocobo with a soft "kweh" and sighs.]

I should have brought Onyx out, too. She probably would have enjoyed the ride.

[Maybe she'll do that later--after continuing her walk for training.]