I Don't Carrot All For This Quest

[worstintheworld]

WHO: Natalia L.K. Lanvaldear, OPEN
WHAT: The Old Man at the Chocobo Farm needs help harvesting greens before the first snowfall. Natalia accepts this quest so that she, too, may one day be a Santa Claus. She'll wrangle anyone she can get her hands on to helping the Old Man, since letting chocobos starve is deplorable. This might be enough to sway her into pursuing a chocobo of her own for easier transport. There may also be monsters in the fields. Bring out your prompts!
WHEN: Early to mid November
WHERE: Chocobo Farm and Nearby


It wasn't as if Natalia were ill-prepared for the hard days of labor ahead of her. She knew how hard her own people worked to provide the capital of Baticul with good food, surely this could be no different. She was also healthy and accustomed to traveling outdoors since joining the little group that was working so hard to save the world of Auldrant.

But that didn't mean the work wasn't hard. She toiled diligently, dirt rubbed into the knees of her leggings, her leather gloves dirty and smeared as she pulled up the plants and laid them in the large wicker basket that she carried from row to row. Everything had to be pulled up and preserved before the first snows of winter came down, so there was no time to waste.

Her muscles ached terribly, particularly her shoulders and back. She had to resist the urge to wipe the sweat from her brow lest she smear her face with more dirt and grime. While it was cold outside, the constant movement and physical labor kept her plenty warm. When she returned home, she was often filthy, sweaty, and very tired. Her stomach growled, but she refused to enter any dining establishments when she was in such a dreadful state. Only after she was bathed and dressed in suitable attire did she make her way to the cafe. There were some nights where she simply didn't eat, too tired to even think of food.

And yet, all the while, Natalia never made one word of complaint. This was a job that needed to be done, and she would do it. It was as simple as that. Until she finished, she wasn't going to give it any less than all of her best. Besides, the sooner she finished, the sooner she could equip the Santa Claus job and return to Trano Golsaucia to resume her efforts of fortifying the city.

Comments

[shinrasfinest]

Upon his first observation of Natalia, Sephiroth hadn't been looking for subtle details that might make sense or not. Though he'd swear by his intuition when it came to getting somewhat accurate reads on others, he had been wrong before. Besides, he'd seen dirt and just put two-and-two together. She did have a basket as well which backed up his assumption.

But her reaction to his chocobo goofing off immediately drew all of that back into question. Sephiroth paused abruptly at the mannerisms she showed no restraint in conducting herself with around the large bird, as if his chocobo were some servant or something rather than the long-time companion that it would have been for Sephiroth just like others if only he'd put the time in. As it was, both eyebrows shot up as he took much longer of a look about Natalia, one question at the front of his mind; who gave her the right-?

The chocobo cooed lowly beneath the discipline given, though. Slowly lowering her head to lower than Natalia's waist and becoming more interested in staring at the hay on the floor of the stable. It almost seemed quite sad as Sephiroth took the opportunity to step back in between them and slipped the straps on smoothly around the chocobo's head; he didn't meet Natalia's eye contact, either, as he was waiting for that spike of irritation to cool off first.

"I'll take it from here." He went back to stroking the back of her head again and eventually the bird pulled it's posture back up straight again, Sephiroth had at least succeeded in restoring some of the confidence that Natalia had sternly smashed down.

"I don't know who you are but-" Gently he started to lead his chocobo out of the pen, slipping a handful of greens to her from an inside pocket as he did so. She seemed to brighten again, ruffling her large tail feathers, yet there was still a drop in the chemistry between both Hero and bird.

"-don't do that again."

[worstintheworld]

As the chocobo lowered its head in deference, Natalia's stern expression softened, and she started to reach out to pat it. As long as it understood, there was no need to--

She stepped back in surprise as Sephiroth intervened, a little surprised, but willing to allow him to handle the rest. It wasn't until he admonished her that she was truly startled. What...? But she'd calmed the chocobo, hadn't she? She didn't understand. Now who was the abashed one of the trio?

"But I...!" Natalia moved aside, distressed, to let them pass. Was she wrong to try and help? It seemed so, as his voice was rigid and cold. She drew a curled hand to her mouth, deeply concerned. "I see...I was misinformed on how to handle animals. I'm sorry."

[shinrasfinest]

In short, Sephiroth did not have the time to concern himself with the fact that he probably had come across a little harsher than he'd intended to, but at the same time there was something in the way she had spoken to the bird that had rubbed him up completely the wrong way. It could be as a result that it was partly down to his own short-comings, of that he knew; he didn't visit the stables as often as perhaps he should. It could be argued that he had hardly claimed his chocobo at all, still without a name as she was.

She'd only been vying for his attention, and he hadn't been all that mad with it himself, yet the way that Natalia had dealt with it had certainly chilled the atmosphere, like a cold snap. Not that he wasn't a stickler for discipline himself, but it wasn't like a young trooper -or a servant- that were made by such strict rules. Animals, in particular this specific chocobo, he'd found to be better responsive to softer encouragement.

Sephiroth nodded silently back over his shoulder at Natalia, a wordless farewell but an indication perhaps that the soldiers strong sense of manners didn't allow for him to simply march off no matter how much she seemed to have irritated him. He took the next few strides away at a swifter pace though and was atop his chocobo before reaching the open doors at the end of the barn; vanished off into the fields.