Event || Crystallis de Chocobo

[melodiesmods]

Characters: All the Heroes of Light participating in the event.
Where: Chocobo Farm
When: The 16th of August.
Summary: One day after having received a letter from Biggs telling them to get a Chocobo, the Heroes of Light's Moogles will show them the way to the Chocobo Farm. There, the old man in charge of the place will explain to them how to capture their own Chocobos. This post is for all Chocobo related activities. Characters can start their own thread and engage in Chocobo activities, help each other, etc.

There will also be a thread for characters to question the Old Man and Moogle in charge of the farm, as well as another one for the Boss Battle against the Chocobo Eater. Please refer to the OOC Post for instructions on how to capture a Chocobo and what can be done with them. The specific content of the rewards will be posted once the event over.
Warning: Boss Battle against a Chocobo Eater.

Old Man & Moogle Questions
BOSS BATTLE: Chocobo Eater

Upon arriving at the Chocobo Farm, the Heroes of Light will be greeted by the old man and his faithful Moogle (who seems to be at least as old as he is, if not more). The Chocobo Farm looks exactly as what one could expect of a farm dedicated to Chocobos: vast areas where Chocobos can run freely, enclosures and stables where both regular and professional racer Chocobos are kept and of course a house where the old man and his Moogle live. East of the farm is a cliff, not a very tall one, but certainly tall enough should one stumble and fall. Chocobos can be seen passing by the area, but they're too far and too fast to be captured.

Noticeably enough, the enclosure is empty. And the old man is quick to explain why: a Chocobo Eater has eaten what little Chocobos hadn't been sold yet! Thankfully, the creature isn't anywhere to be seen, so for the time being the Heroes of Light can hunt Chocobos without having to worry. The Moogle will give each Heroes of Light a Chocobo Lure, along with instructions on how to use it and explanations regarding the different types of Chocobos. Thanks to the Chocobo Lure, Chocobos running in the distance will now approach the characters... Hopefully they will be friendly Chocobos.

Comments

[her_rose_is_red]

[She pouts, just a little. She knows he's right but that doesn't mean she has to be happy about it.]

I'm doing my best...

[holycrows]

That's ok! It takes a while to get better. I had to wrestle wolves for like a year before I was able to fight as good as I can now. You just need to be brave and go stab that thing in the face!

[To punctuate his point Henry points at the remaining monster.]

[her_rose_is_red]

Wolves...?

[He wrestled wolves? She's kind of impressed. She looks back at the monster doubtfully.]

You think I can beat it?

[holycrows]

"It's not really a matter of can you beat it. It's more a matter of we'll probably all die if you don't beat it!"

[her_rose_is_red]

Wh- what?!?

[That was.... direct. And possibly also true. Because it's getting ready to attack again. What should she do? What should she do? ]

Um, um, Th- THUNDER!!

[That works. She's at least figured out that, as a Red Mage, magic is her best bet.]

[holycrows]

"See! Magic did the trick. It always does! And I was just joking about the whole we all would have died thing. It was a motivational trick!"

He walks over to Ib and pats his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure our Moogles would have gotten away nyahaha!"

[her_rose_is_red]

Oh... Um, good.

[She can not even tell if he's joking right now. Or what part he would be joking about.

If.... he were joking.

Well, whatever. At least it's over. She lets out a relieved sigh.]

Were there monsters like that where you came from?

[He mentioned fighting wolves, but seems to know his way around monsters too.]

[holycrows]

Oh yeah, all over the place. Wyverns, unstoppable zombie hordes, pegasuseses. Not as many as there seem to be here, most of the monsters are what you see in the mirror every day!

[her_rose_is_red]

[Wow, his world sounds like a dangerous place. She doesn't quite get his last comment though.]

In the mirror...?

[holycrows]

Yeah. People. It's supposed to be deep and meaningful. I read it in a book somewhere.

[headfons]

[Almost an hour into his solo searching, the Thief finally caves to his own annoyance. He scrubs both hands through his hair, a groan releasing. While he's got the patience of a saint when it comes to some things, he is far from patient about things of this nature. This is a big deal. They need to find this damn creature...before it winds up eating all the damn chocobos. Not that he'd just...come out and admit that he cares a lot about the chocobos well-being. Actions speak louder than words, though. Considering he's out here busting his ass in this search? ...Yeah.

Luke happens to look up in time to see Ion flying. As he opens his mouth to call out to the little guy, he finds himself blinking, instead. Oh. Noticing that his friend is heading over to Karura, and then gesturing towards Luke, himself, the redhead reaches up a hand to wave to the female moogle. Ion must be explaining the situation to her -- which is, basically, that they found nothing. But, more importantly, if Karura's here...that means...

A smile appears as he discovers that he's correct.] Hey, Gaara!

[He waves as he calls out. And, with that, he's quickly making his way over to the White Mage. Stopping directly in front of the other teenager, he holds true to the smile. It's annoying that he's managed to find no clues on elusive creature, sure. But...he's happy to see the other young man, as always. Then, folding his arms over his chest, he glances to the side, brow tensing.]

Well...We've had no luck, so far. What about you? See or hear anything?

[no_dreams_for_you]

[Karura flutters over to Ion with a happy smile, immediately grabbing onto his paws in greeting. Not far behind her, Gaara notices the action and quirks a brow in curiosity. They seem to be... getting along quite well, which surprises him, considering their difference in personality.

Gaara shakes his head in response to the inquiry.] I have not. [Luke seems frustrated, in spite of his warm smile. That must mean his search has been entirely unsuccessful. But there are other warriors searching for the monster as well, and no one knows for certain where it is, exactly.] Perhaps the monster is in a different vicinity.

[He has to question whether or not it's a wise decision to leave their chocobo unguarded, back in its pen.]

[her_rose_is_red]

You read some weird books...

[headfons]

[Of course, Ion accepts her paws without hesitation. With a soft smile, he asks about her and Gaara's well-being. As for personality difference, Luke hasn't thought much on it. He and the ninja are pretty different, after all. Yet, they'd gotten along, right off the bat. His mother and father are married, and are complete opposites.

To Gaara's last sentence, Luke gives a nod.] I was thinking the same thing, actually.

[And, speaking of thinking the "same thing", Luke is already considering the bird's safety. Lowering his arms to his sides, he lets out a sigh. One hand moves to rest on a hip, his head shaking.] We should probably go check on the chocobo, first. Uh...

[Glancing back to the moogles, he makes a thoughtful face.] We could let them fly out and scout for information, in the meantime. That way, we're wasting less time, by backtracking.

[no_dreams_for_you]

Master is worried about your Hero! [Karura doesn’t hesitate to blurt out. Somewhere behind her and Ion, Gaara is blanching a little. His Moogle needs to learn the concept of discretion…] Why did you two leave by yourselves? I thought we were a team, kupo!

[Intentionally moving his attention away from the two socializing Moogles, he nods in response to Luke’s suggestion. He had already figured Luke would be particularly concerned about its safety, which is why he felt surprised by his willingness to leave it unguarded. Gaara isn’t quite as… benevolent. If their chocobo gets eaten, he would merely suggest capturing another one.]

Very well. Karura, come. [He summons his companion over to his side, and swiftly gives her the instructions. Of course, she wants to go together with Ion. She seems to enjoy spending time with the other Moogle. And then, he directs his next inquiry toward Luke.] Shall we return, then?

[headfons]

[The redhead blinks at about the same time Ion does, upon hearing the first sentence. Of course, that's nothing on their expressions, after they hear the second and third sentence. Whereas Ion is -- pretty much immediately -- giving a sheepish smile, Luke is looking...a little surprised. And, then, he's turning his head to give his Moogle an exasperated look.] Forget something, Ion? [Luke's words are met with a nervous glance to the side, by the furry creature. Ion gives a soft "k-kupo", before nodding.] That's my fault. I got so caught up in what was happening, I forgot to send you two the message... I-...I'm sorry, kupo.

[At the fact that Ion looks about ready to cry, Luke quickly shakes his head.] H-hey, it's not that big of a deal, now, right? We all make mistakes. Just learn from this, and tell yourself you'll do better, next time.

[Fortunately, the words seem to do the trick. Luke's shoulders lower, in relief, as Ion -- after a few, short seconds -- manages to nod and give a small (in spite of being somewhat tentative) smile. Then, after the instructions are given, and both Moogles have agreed, Luke is turning back to Gaara. To his question, Luke nods.] Yeah, let's go. [And, with that, he begins walking.]

[no_dreams_for_you]

Oh, that’s okay! It was just a mistake! [Karura chirped happily at hearing the explanation. She squeezes Ion’s paws and gives him a sweet smile of understanding.] Honestly, there are so many letters to deliver, all the time! Just try not to forget next time, okay?

[If Ion had started crying, she would have felt bad! She didn’t want him to cry – it was just that her Master seemed really worried about them… But they could make up for it by doing a great job at scouting! So, with a gentle tug on Ion’s paw, she started flying off in the direction as instructed, keeping her eyes peeled for any sight of the ferocious monster.]

......

[Once left alone, Gaara allows his gaze to linger for a moment longer – before veering it off to the side. He had felt a little surprised by Ion’s rather strong reaction, and remarked calmly.] You seem rather skilled at offering comfort to others, in times of distress. It is a beneficial quality to possess.

[headfons]

[The smile and squeeze to his paws has him giving a slow nod. Giving a soft smile of his own, after Karura finishes speaking, Ion's managing to speak in, at least, a somewhat reassured tone-] R-right! I'll do my best, kupo!

[Luke watches the two Moogles fly off, and then glances back down to Gaara. There's a blink as he hears the words. The replica reaches up to scratch at the side of his face, a sheepish smile appearing. Leaning forward, he places a quick kiss to the ninja's cheek, and then turns and begins walking. Folding his arms behind his head, he looks up at the sky.]

I remember what it feels like...to beat yourself up. [Not that it's something he still does -- no, of course not.

Ion tends to beat himself up, quite easily, over mistakes. Talk about deja vu. Arms lowering to his sides, he lets his gaze drop to the ground, steps slowing as he gets just a bit lost, in thought. He softly mutters, more to himself, than Gaara.] ...It's like looking back into the past.

[holycrows]

"Oh that wasn't even the weirdest! The best are the ones about indescribable forces of concepts man isn't even meant to understand. I loved spending a weekend afternoon cracking open their flesh bound bindings and reading to the sounds of their eternal screaming."

Henry sighs wistfully, while beginning to stare off into the distance.

[her_rose_is_red]

"Umm..."

She is not even sure where to start.

"The books were....screaming?"


That doesn't sound like a pleasant afternoon to her.

[holycrows]

"Wha-"

Henry snaps out of his nostalgia.

"Oh yeah. Some of them. Some of them just whispered things. Really depends on who wrote it! So we wanna go beat up that big chicken now that the real monsters are gone?"

[no_dreams_for_you]

...!

[Gaara blinks at the unexpected gesture, a light flush quickly spreading over the cheek that had been kissed. He is still looking away, trying to maintain composure to the best of his ability. Luke has the tendency to easily catch him off-guard. Despite having been in a relationship before, this one is... different. Gaara suspects that it varies, as each bond does, in general.]

The destruction of the mining town. [Luke, you are still a terrible liar. Gaara is socially-challenged, not a complete idiot. He remembers that conversation they had, back in the previous city.] Your nightmares... they have been occurring less frequently, as of late.

[Because he is a light sleeper, whenever Luke wakes up, he doesn't hesitate to hold him. Giving comfort to others is not an attribute that Gaara excels at, but he tries, for certain people. Right at this moment, as he observes Luke's body language, he decides to reach out and grasp a hold of his hand, squeezing it gently.]

The past is part of who you are. However... it doesn't cement your future. You won't repeat those same mistakes. [A wry smile touches his lips as he quips candidly.] You don't have the ability to disintegrate an entire city, in the confines of this world.

[Gaara should never ever be allowed to make jokes.]

[headfons]

[That light flush on Gaara's face had earned a sheepish grin, a hint of color appearing on his own face, in response. For some reason, he finds...some kind of enjoyment in catching his boyfriend, off guard. Maybe it's because it's one of the times he gets to see some kind of actual reaction, out of him.]

...Yeah. [He answers, giving a nod. At the mention of his nightmares being less frequent, he blinks...and then gives a soft smile.] I think that's...thanks to you. Having you there is comforting.

[He can tell he's trying...and that means a lot. While he can tell it doesn't come second nature, it's the effort that counts. Blinking down as he feels his hand get grasped, he looks up and smiles. Wrapping his fingers around the hand within his own, he nods to the initial words.] Yeah...

[The last sentence has his hand tensing, briefly. His smile turns wry, and he reaches up to scratch at the side of his face. He knows the other teen likely didn't mean anything bad by that, so he doesn't say anything other than-] True...

[It's okay, Gaara, you tried. :|]

[no_dreams_for_you]

[That’s it, Luke. You get no more reactions, from this point onward. Ever. Only linefaces.

His expression softens with some surprise.] …Really. [A brief pause as he squeezes Luke’s hand in acknowledgement.] I am… glad. To hear that.

[It’s a strange concept to him, for his presence to actually be comforting to someone. People are usually eager to get away from him. Then again… Luke does have quite the charisma, and a high tolerance level. Perhaps he can stand his questionable nature because of it.

And all the protag swag. Can’t forget about that either.]

......

[He realizes belatedly that such a remark might be inappropriate, for an instance like this. While he is doing nothing more than state the truth, Luke most likely doesn’t feel comfortable with the subject. Really, it’s no surprise that the inept ninja still doesn’t understand the concept of humor. Turning his gaze off to the side, he mutters quietly.] I apologize, if my comment brought you any offense.

[headfons]

[Well, that's certainly no fun. Rude.

To the surprise, Luke's giving him his own look of faint surprise. Letting his thumb briefly stroke over the ninja's hand, he gives a soft smile and nod.] I enjoy having you around, you know. It makes me be happy, to be around you.

[Gaara has done a lot for him. At least, that's how Luke feels. He can tell that the other redhead doesn't hold himself in high regard but, gee, where would he have ever seen something like that, before. That's why he's slowly forming the habit of saying things to reassure the other teen. To...remind him how much he means to him.]

Oh, no, it's fine. You didn't offend me. [Shaking his head, he offers a soft smile. Firming his hold on his boyfriend's hand, he looks upward. And, honestly, it's nothing compared to some of the things he's had said to him.

...Not that he'll run a mental list, any time soon.] It's time I accept that there was nothing I could have done to stop that. Even if I had known it was going to happen, there's still a huge chance that it still would have happened. Van...was incredibly smart. He was a talented manipulator, who possessed a ton of willpower and determination. All I can do is learn from the mistake of allowing myself to be blinded by empty praise...to the point where I became a pawn.

[His voice became just a tiny bit firmer.] We're not just the mistakes we've made in the past, right? [He looks to Gaara with a faint smile.] It's like I said, when I was younger -- you can't go forward if you keep looking back...