melodiesoflife | I Don't Carrot All For This Quest

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I Don't Carrot All For This Quest

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.

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Having been taking time to do the Santa Cloud promotional thing as well as helping watch over those first facing their shadows, Cloud had been taking time off from the Ranch. So of course when he was able to show up for his shifts that meant the Old Man worked him double hard. Cloud was used to this by now, the Old Man always seemed to think that his being a Hero was all the more reason Cloud should work harder than the others, especially when he split his time to other things.

But it kept him in good shape and the work was good for his soul, which was a real help as their saga as Heroes went on. Sometimes Cloud wondered if the Old Man was actually doing all this to help...Well he'd never admit to believing in Cloud to his face anyway.

While Natalia worked in the field picking the greens, Cloud kept the birds busy so that they wouldn't try to steal any. The fences could only do so much to discourage a hungry or greedy chocobo after all. Eventually their work lead their paths to cross, Cloud keeping a firm grip on a ranch bird's lead while the princess walked past with her full basket.

"Hey there. Thanks for coming out to lend a hand with the picking. Is everyone treating you alright?"

Sometimes, albeit not so often, within the line of his work when Sephiroth couldn't scramble a shuttle ride nor find anyone who would mind to teleport him, for an urgent dispatch back to Esdham for new orders, there was only one last resort.

"Qw-arrrrk!"

The sound of an over-excited chocobo echoed loudly around the stables as her hero came to the front of her gate. She was brilliant and yellow, rearing up as high as she could suddenly -from where she'd been apparently snoozing on the floor- and flapping her short wings with joy. Sephiroth had first caught her within his first three months of being brought to Crystallis, but the occasions which he had actually come to see the -still nameless- chocobo were few and far between. This did not seem to dampen her ardor for her hero, though!

"Whoa...easy-" Sephiroth hooked his fingers along the inside latch and steadily opened the door, extending his leather-clad hand forwards to nuzzle at the beak of the bird. She coo'ed lowly and settled as if he had such great control over her; in truth this particular chocobo would do anything to prove herself to him.

Natalia turned, a response ready on her lips, but there was something very familiar about this young man. She regarded him, puzzled. "That voice... Do I know you from somewhere?" His brilliant blue eyes were a remarkable color, and she could swear she'd seen them somewhere before.

But where???

Giving herself a quick shake, as she must have appeared quite rude indeed to ignore his question, she bobbed her head once. "Yes. I haven't spoken with too many others in the field, but those I have talked to have been very kind."

Her gaze traveled to the large bird he was leading, and her eyes widened fractionally. "My, they're even more impressive up close! Is it all right to touch it?"

Natalia lifted her head at the sudden commotion coming from outside of the preservation room where the greens were being prepared for storage for the winter season. Having just finished unloading her basket, she decided there was no harm in indulging her curiosity for a moment before returning to the fields.

Had she any inkling that the striking silver-haired man petting the bird was the same man she'd harshly scolded her first day of awakening on Crystallis, her reaction would have been very different indeed. Instead, finding the scene grandly touching, she slipped the basket onto her elbow and brushed her sleeve across her brow to ride herself of any lingering beads of perspiration.

"My, it certainly is fond of you," she giggled, stopping a respectable distance away from the pair. "I take it this one belongs to you?"

Alisaie, meanwhile, had made a one singular reaction when handed the memo. T'was not that she had any problem with chocobos; on the contrary, she adored the creatures. It was the fact that only one other person had been assigned the request by Cid, and she had zero experience tilling the land. Hopefully for both their sakes, the other was slightly more capable of eliciting aide ~~and perhaps a teacher~~. Because of course she'd be willing to assist in the effort; she only hoped she did not, well... damage the greens in the process of harvesting.

...Half an hour in, and she was already regretting only studying mercantilism and other arcane arts in her travels.

Slowly, carefully, Sephiroth both stepped into the pen and ran his hand along the side of the chocobo's head towards the back of it's neck, softly stroking the softer feathers underneath as the large dark eyes closed some at the petting, her enjoyment of the affection communicated by some faint clicking sound.

Having seen the impression of a girl, peripherally, approaching before he stepped into the pen Sephiroth wasn't as surprised as he might otherwise have been at hearing a comment from behind him. He paused in his attentions towards the large bird and for the time being flung the straps in his other hand over his opposite shoulder. A simple riding arrangement, indicative enough of his reason for being here.

"Yes." He nodded briefly over his shoulder at Natalia, giving her the once-over with his near-glowing gaze as he did everyone he's not seen before. Not so much a size up as a general read of the body language. He'd seen some people picking greens out in the fields earlier, this girl seemed to fit the bill.

"Though I imagine I'll never know the ins-and-outs of it-" Sephiroth takes the straps down from his shoulder again and begins carefully trying to slip them around the chocobo's head. She seems less than cooperative, somewhat goofily trying to usher that sweet spot along the side of her jaw back towards her Hero's fingers. A couple of attempts later and the arrangement is knocked from Sephiroth's fingers with a cheery-wark.

"-come on. We don't have the time for this-"

He stepped away, then crouching to retrieve the strapping from the floor, shaking it to remove the stray bits of hay that had gotten caught. Yet the large yellow bird was quick to sidle up besides Sephiroth and nudged his one side; it took a great shifting of the soldier's balance not to be knocked completely over, yet with a harsh grunt he did get back to his feet with a bit more space away from the chocobo.

A glimpse to Natalia, only, before he stepped in again. At least, it seemed, the bird had decided to stay still for the time being.

At first Cloud was surprised at the question. Wasn't it only a few days ago that they met? And then it all clicked into place and he chuckled, shaking his head. If she truly believed or even if his costume was that convincing why do anything to shake the illusion?

"Maybe. I've been running around a lot lately. It gets busy when the new Heroes show up. Anyway I'm glad to hear it. I know sometimes the guys here can be a little rough around the edges, but as long as you aren't slacking off they'll treat you fine." He could tell she was doing her fair share and perhaps a bit more. And she was definitely helping them out in the long run.

"Go ahead. This one is one of the Ranch's so it's used to people and is pretty mellow." The bird quirked its head as it looked at her, letting out a conversational chirp.

[OOC: Not sure if this was only for K'pandolu or open, so here you go! I can delete!]

At the very least, harvesting plants was a lot easier than cooking, and far more difficult for Natalia to mess up. All she had to do was seize the greens at the base, twist, and yank. While she expected her back and arms to ache, she hadn't counted on the burn her thighs would endure as well from all the crouching and standing. In addition to providing plenty of feed for the chocobos, it seemed she was getting some exercise as well. She hadn't realized she would get some sort of personal gain, but it was a bright spot that she would appreciate...once her body stopped aching, of course.

As they worked, Natalia stood to her feet, looking out over the rows and rows of greens that had yet to be harvested. There had to be a more efficient way of doing this, but for the life of her, she couldn't think of any viable solutions. So she opted to work across from Alisaie, as they at least had something in common, so the work might seem to go faster if they had someone to talk to.

"Shall we work together?" she smiled, setting her basket down. "My name is Natalia."

An astute observer might note the subtleties that identified Natalia as highborn. The way she held herself, the luster of her smooth, ivory skin even beneath the smudges of dirt, the imperious lift of her chin... She was no farmhand to be certain, though she might pass for one to the untrained eye.

She certainly had a strong suspicion that this man had some sort of formal military or guard training, but his weapons and gear played a strong role in that discernment more than anything else.

Another person might have giggled at his troubles. Natalia, however, took no such delights. She stepped forward quickly, bent wrist against her hip. "Here now, that's no way to behave!" she chided the chocobo. "If you want more affection from your master, you must treat him with dignity and respect. Conduct yourself with pride, and obey as you ought. Understand?"

She'd heard the chocobos were more intelligent than mere beasts of burden. How far that intelligence stretched, she couldn't say, as she'd not interacted with them all that much.

The princess held up her hand, palm first, fixing the chocobo with a stern look. "Be good, and steady yourself."

Sephiroth hadn't asked for her help, and it was entirely possible she was butting in where she wasn't wanted. But she did have a knack for leadership with men, perhaps the same extended to animals.

"Well, not everyone I meet is going to have the upbringing of nobility. I understand that." If that was how they chose to communicate with one another, and if it didn't cause any offense among them, who was she to lecture them on the proper way to speak?

Now if they asked her to help them improve, that was another story altogether.

Her green eyes lit up at the invitation, and she smiled as she gave one quick nod. "Right! Let us see how we get along, then." She hadn't been around too many animals herself, save for Cheagles, but that didn't mean she disliked them. Rather, she found them to be charming in their honesty and simplicity. She reached up, gently skimming her fingers over the bright yellow plumage. "What a magnificent animal. I'm most pleased to make your acquaintance."

Cloud's eyebrow went up at her reply. Her own status had not really been a thing on his mind, he was more just happy to have the extra hand here. Talking like that didn't make her sound much better than the gossips around the Ranch given the way it could be interpreted. He let it go though.

The bird quirked its head as Natalia reached out for it, not pulling away but merely trying to watch the hand coming at it as most animals tended to do. As she began to run her fingers through its feathers it shifted to lean into the contact, letting out a happy trill.

"They're good animals, and most of the time when you see a violent one it's trying to protect something. There's a couple ill tempered ones but they're social creatures mostly. And good judges of character too."

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."

[ooc: it is completely and totally open!]

"Of course," Alisaie replied, looking up from the latest (and albeit miraculously unharmed greens) harvest before placing it in her own basket with a faint smile. "Alisaie; a pleasure, despite the circumstances."

Not that she thought that their job was all that unpleasant in comparison to what she's done before, no. She's simply not looking forward to the laundry after.

Naminé and Sora had been wandering the nearby fields, slaying monsters for experience and to help her get used to the flow of battle. Frankly, it's exhausting for someone who has never been violent once in her short life. So when it seemed that she needed a break, Sora had been so kind as to escort her to the nearby chocobo farm to rest (and let her see the chocobos again, she suspects) before heading back out into the fields to train more. He'd promised to be back in an hour or so to pick her up again.

And now she's apparently acting as a cushion for half a dozen baby chocobo chicks. Naminé isn't quite sure how this happened, especially considering just ten minutes ago she'd been standing instead of laying down, but here she is.

The sound of shuffling nearby has her attempting to sit up-- much to the chicks' disapproval.

"Sora, has it already been-- oh!" She blinks and offers a hesitant smile to Natalia. "Hello again!"

She didn't notice anything amiss in Cloud's reaction, which was probably for the best as he'd severely misinterpreted what she'd said. She was far too busy admiring the gentle bird, and found just as much enjoyment in petting its feathers as it enjoyed the attention.

Natalia giggled, delighted at the happy sound it made. She didn't go crazy over cute things the way Tear did, but she could still appreciate something so endearing. "How darling!" she smiled, immediately falling in love with the bird.

The princess turned her head to listen to Cloud speak, intent on the advice he gave. She nodded slowly. "Can they understand human speech?"

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."

"It isn't so bad," Natalia smiled, kneeling down before the plants and placing her basket beside her. She found she could get more leverage this way without overworking her back. "But I admit that I've never worked on a farm before. I've never taken for granted the hard work that goes into tending crops, but I can certainly say that I can better appreciate it."

She wrapped her fingers around the base of a leafy plant and leaned back, popping it up out of the dirt. She shook the clumps of mud from the roots before laying the greens neatly in her basket.

"If I might ask, what did you request from Cid to be assigned this particular quest?"

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.

That misinterpretation was pretty much the point. At least he was giving her the benefit of the doubt. But chocobos were a better thing to talk about anyway, and just like he said they were good judges the birds seemed to like her.

"Mostly, yeah. The more time they spend around humans the more they seem to understand. They're pretty sharp." His eyes went wide and he whirled around, putting his palm out just in time to block the curious beak of another bird as it tried to make a move on the greens Natalia had spent so long gathering. "Nooooo. It's not mealtime yet."

"Nor have I, since we are being honest." Though it was likely incredibly obvious by this point, as they both kneel down in the dirt and attempt to harvest side-by-side. "Though since awakening here I've rather regretted not asking my family's servants how to perform basic household tasks, never mind harvesting one's own food."

In other words, two nobles asked to harvest... Cid certainly has a sense of humor. "I wished to take up the Bard Job. I figure it may come in handy later on down the road." She replied, gently pulling the vegetable from the base before brushing off clumps of soil. "What brought you here, if I may ask in turn?"

"Naminé! What a pleasure to see you again!" Weary as she might have been, it didn't show in the brightness of her genuine smile. Not many people she'd had the 'pleasure' of meeting in this world had been all that friendly toward Natalia, chafed by her insistent demands to lend their aid to Trano Golsaucia. But Naminé had always been pleasant and sweet. Natalia liked her.

And right now, the girl was reminding her an awful lot of a certain friend of hers who also had an endearing weakness for cute things.

"Well well, I see you're making yourself useful," she giggled, hanging up her basket and tugging the kerchief from her short blonde hair to hang that up as well. "No need to rise for my sake. They probably like the warmth."

She couldn't help a fond little chuckle at the mischief displayed. She might have scolded the bird as she had before, but she resisted. For one, her last attempt had angered the silver-haired man that had visited previously. For another, Cloud's duty was to look after these animals. A chiding, no matter how well-intentioned, might be seen as lack of faith in his own abilities. She decided to just keep petting the chocobo that had been introduced to her.

"They certainly are spirited. Are all of them this playful?"

"I think you might be right."

She shifts her White Mage cape to reveal a particularly small chocobo chick huddled under it. It squawks indignantly and burrows back in, its tail feathers sticking out from under the fabric.

"Apparently they have their own blankets in the barn, but they like this better...I don't know what I'll do when it's time for me to leave." Naminé gives Natalia a helpless smile.

"Most of them yeah. We take good care of them here and so they're happy and lively. If you meet one out in the wild they'll probably be more skittish or aggressive, but there are monsters they have to deal with. Course, if you see a bird penned off on its own here it's probably best to leave it alone too." Cloud didn't want the princess catching the wrong end of a grumpy bird's foot.

The other chocobo nudged against his hand, trying to gently and insistently force its way past, but Cloud held his ground. Soon the bird gave up, raising its head and giving a loud chirp before wandering off.

"Yes," Natalia sighed. "The art of cooking in particular has always eluded me, despite my best efforts. You're of noble birth, then?" she asked, rather surprised to meet another person who employed servants. Naturally she didn't expect royalty to run about flaunting their status in a world where it mattered so little, but Alisaie was the first she'd met who gave any indication to having had a noble upbringing.

She smiled, nodding her approval of the job. "I have a friend who makes use of that job, I believe. She's rather talented. As for myself..." She paused, fishing a weed out of the ground with her nose wrinkled in distaste before casting it aside in favor of plucking up another head of greens. "...I requested the job of Santa Claus. I understand it's of vital importance in the month to come, so I wished to make use of it as quickly as possible."

Natalia chuckled, entertained at the sight. For such large birds, they began their lives so very small indeed. "Shoo them back to their mothers, I suppose," she replied, crouching down on her heels beside her friend.

"You're acquainted with Sora as well, it seems." He was such a friendly fellow, she found it hard to imagine anyone he wouldn't swiftly get to know better. "What brings the two of you here?"

So that was how they were managed. Natalia paid close attention, taking note of the silent but firm stance. The chocobo understood Cloud's will on its own and surrendered to it. She would have to keep that in mind.

"Is it necessary for all who are summoned to this world to acquire a bird of their own?" she asked, her expression thoughtful. "I wouldn't wish to waste time chasing after a pet when there's so much work to be done, but if it serves a greater purpose, then perhaps I should set aside some time for the task."

Naminé perks up, always happy to talk about her best friend.

"Oh yes, Sora and I are from the same world, and he's done so much for me." She sits up so she can properly talk with Natalia, and when the chocobo chick in her cloak complains again, she lifts it into her arms to cuddle. "I'm not used to fighting, and he thought it would be a good idea for me to start learning, so we set out today to gain some experience together. He's off on his own for a little bit, though. He'll learn more quickly without having to worry about me."

"I can't say I agree with his decision," Natalia remarked, her smile dropping as her lashes lowered imperiously. "Sometimes in the heat of battle one must be aware of their companions, as well as those nearby the field who may well need protection. It isn't just about improving strength."

Always with the princess lectures. It was no wonder she was unpopular with many of the veteran Heroes of Light, they likely already believed they knew all they needed to know without her unwanted advice.

"Are there any weapons that you've considered favoring?" Natalia asked, brushing some of the hay off of her tunic. She'd fetch her belongings in a moment, but for now, she was concerned about her friend if she was being left to idle as a chocobo babysitter instead of being granted an opportunity to begin her training at once.

"Oh no, he's very aware!" she says earnestly. Letting Natalia get a bad impression of Sora just wouldn't do. "He's always traveled with two of his other friends, and he's escorted many people to safety too. He's one of the best fighters I've ever known. It's just that I got tired that he decided to let me rest and go out on his own for a bit."

The chocobo chick lets out a little wark at this point, which reminds Naminé of one of the ideas she'd been toying with for a while.

"I was thinking about taking on the Chocobo Knight job, or maybe the Archer job." The latter was Sora's suggestion, in fact. "I think I would be better suited for support from the back of the team."

'Give them an inch and they'll take a mile'. This phrase was true of many people and creatures, and while the bird might only be surrendering to Cloud's opposition for this single engagement it still knew when not to make more trouble for itself for short term gain.

"It's not necessary, no. But my world, Gaia, it's another world that has chocobos in it, and I've seen more in this world than I ever saw back home. The only real place you could find them close to Midgar was at a farm that was still a few days away. You'd see a few in the city, but even out in the backwater towns people were shifting over cars and trucks." Placing his hands on his hips he took a long breath while looking around, from the birds in the barn to those who were brave enough to stomp through the snow for some exercise.

"They're not just pets. They're companions. And they work as hard as the rest of us." His eyes turned back to Natalia, his gaze critical but not angry. "If you don't consider taking care of one worth it, or if you don't think you can handle it, then a chocobo might not be for you."

"Oh. Well then, so long as you are content with the situation." Natalia knew it truly was none of her business, but she was fully prepared to deliver a royal (but friendly!) scolding to Sora if it seemed he wasn't giving his friend the proper opportunity to grow.

She'd started to turn toward her belongings again, but stopped at the mention of wanting to become an archer. Natalia turned her head to look at Naminé, then turned the rest of herself as well.

"While I confess I know little of chocobos or the knights who ride them, I am considered one of the best archers in my kingdom. If you wish to learn, I would be happy to offer lessons and tips as you see fit." She made the claim plainly, for while she wasn't inclined to brag, she also had no intentions of undercutting the results of years of training and study. She'd earned her title as a master of Lanvaldear-style archery and was proud of her accomplishments.

She started to state her approval once he'd made it clear that chocobos were not considered pets. That wasn't what she'd wanted, as such pursuits were frivolous and unnecessary. She could have plucked up a stray kitten if that were what she desired.

But it seemed she'd been misunderstood once again. Natalia held up her hand to quell his critical gaze. "I didn't say any of that, please don't presume otherwise. I only wanted to ensure that this was time well spent, knowing how little of it we have available to us. I would be glad to take a chocobo as a partner. I just wasn't certain what role they played: pets, or companions that could prove helpful in the days ahead. If you truly believe the endeavor to be time well spent, then my concerns are laid to rest."

OH!

Cloud smacked his forehead, realizing how he misunderstood. "Oh. Sorry. No. A lot of the other Heroes took the time to get a chocobo when they arrived but you're right. There's a lot we need to do to find a way to save the world. At the least, having a mount you can depend on has been helpful for most of us, but I guess I understand what you mean. You want to make sure that you make whatever you do count for the greater good."

He took a breath, crossing his arms and looked around as he tried to unfluster himself. "I guess it's down to everyone's personal preference, but I think it's worth it. And I've been able to take care of other people's birds so that they can focus on the things they're good at."

He glanced back at her and chuckled, "If there's one thing I've learned here, it's that there's no shame in being good at something that seems mundane. Being a Hero doesn't just mean you have to be a great fighter or a great leader. Sometimes being a good friend or support helps too."

Natalia inclined her head, relieved that they were starting to better communicate. It certainly had been a rough go of things from the very beginning. "Very well. I'll speak to the gentleman in charge of the ranch and borrow the lure. I am certain there will be times when I will need to make haste, and I know they're fleeter of foot than I am."

She pet the chocobo in front of her once more before stepping back. "Whether I'm regarded as a great hero or not, my only goal is to serve the people. Every action I take must be done so with the knowledge that it will have an impact upon their welfare. It's as true here as it was on our world of Auldrant. Not that I'm disagreeing with your statement," she smiled. "Any talent that supports and benefits others is worthy of praise. I hold myself to a particularly high level of accountability, as is my duty and privilege."

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

I Don't Carrot All For This Quest

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[A rare occasion at the Chocobo Farm]

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