melodiesoflife | Chocobo Roundup

Entry tags:

Chocobo Roundup

WHO: Rukia Kuchiki, OPEN!
WHAT: A group of adventurers sets out to find themselves some new feathered friends, as well as spend time together camping out and battling monsters. On the last day, the adventure is capped off with a battle against a chocobo eater.
WHEN: November 7th - 9th
WHERE: Calm Plains

OOC NOTES
There will be two threads for each day: one for mingling, and one for fighting monsters/encountering chocobos. The encounter schedule is listed below. Assume encounters A-E happen in the daytime, and F-J happen at night. We can assume that most of the encounters are handwaved, so if there's one you'd love to play out, start a thread with the encounter listed in the subject. Example: Day 2, Encounter X: Five Hamsters.

Note: We will not find five hamsters. No one is allowed to die horrifically in this fun-filled expedition.

Some chocobo captures are reserved for those who signed up, and have been marked accordingly. You can claim one of the encounters on this list, if you like. And if you're a new character, you can join too! Either assume Rukia mentioned it to them and invited them along, or PM me and I'll have Rukia meet your character in the intro log if she hasn't already.

Day 1
A: Enemy female yellow chocobo (accompanied by two Buers)
B: 3 Red Elementals
C: Friendly female aqua blue chocobo - Claimed by LEVY
D: TREASURE CHESTS! (surprise it's two Mimics)
E: ANOTHER TREASURE CHEST! (still a Mimic though)
F: Friendly female green chocobo
G: Enemy female yellow chocobo (accompanied by 2 Gargoyles) - Claimed by RAMZA
H: 1 Mandragora
I: Friendly female yellow chocobo
J: 1 Hamster (run)

Day 2
A: Friendly male yellow chocobo - Claimed by FAI
B: 2 Geezards
C: Unfriendly male yellow chocobo - Claimed by YUNA (AU)
D: Enemy female yellow chocobo (accompanied by 2 Wyverns) - Claimed by K'pandolu
E: 3 Goblins
F: 1 Gargoyle
G: Friendly female yellow chocobo
H: 8 Goblins
I: Unfriendly male yellow chocobo
J: 2 Touch Mes

Day 3
A: Unfriendly female yellow chocobo
B: Unfriendly female yellow chocobo
C: Friendly female purple chocobo - Claimed by KIJA
D: 3 TREASURE CHESTS! (Nope still Mimics who puts a treasure chest in the middle of the plains seriously)
E: Enemy female yellow chocobo (accompanied by 2 Mandragoras)
F: Unfriendly female yellow chocobo
G: 9 Buers
H: Unfriendly female white chocobo - Claimed by RUKIA
I: Unfriendly female yellow chocobo
J: CHOCOBO EATER (small)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That's... a lot to take in. Not just the length and detail of it, but... the emotional weight, too. Especially her admission at the end.]

So you-- [Ven stops himself, abruptly.] So...

[It hurts just to ask; he can't imagine how it must feel to tell it from experience, or, worse, to have gone through it.]

All of them? They really had to...?

[He doesn't ask if there was any other way -- he's positive she would have found one, if there were.]

[Yuna closes her eyes feeling tears gather. She hasn't forgotten the feeling that day. She knows that it's what they wanted but it still hurt knowing that she had to fight her friends. They had traveled together and fought together and the best she could do is to let them rest.]

Yes.

[Her voice almost cracks but she manages to keep it composed.]

It the end we won but... I lost so much.

[The story doesn't end there but Yuna isn't sure how much more she can say in one night. It's the most she's said in a long time.]

[It seems like a lot of victories are bitter, Ven's coming to realize. It seems like some price always has to be paid -- some bigger than others, but it's always a sacrifice. He learned that firsthand, and he hasn't seen much to contradict that thought since then.

At the pause, he reaches over with his free hand to cover one of hers, his expression concerned and sincere. He doesn't know if there's more to tell, but either way, his voice is quiet and gentle.]

It's okay. You don't have to talk anymore.

[Yuna keeps her eyes closed but there is a light smile that pulls just at the corner of her lips. It's nice of Ven to comfort her, this is one of those things that's hard to talk about no matter how much time passes.]

Thank you, Ven.

[She opens her eyes then and feels the tears retreat.]

I was 16 then. It's been... 5 years since? Things seem to have only become more complicated.

[All because she lived.]

[He gives her a half-smile at the gratitude, and then bobs his head slightly in sympathy.]

"Complicated" is about right. For a lot of things. [That's life, he's coming to discover.] But you're alive now. That's what matters, isn't it?

I shouldn't be alive Ven...

[She states it like a fact though her tone whines slightly at the end as if he might understand what she meant when she said that. If she had died then Tidus and the others would still be alive. The summoners were suppose to die and yet, Yuna was the high summoner who didn't. Seeing her other self here only brought up those wounds again.

How can you live if your life came at the cost of someone else's?

Yuna sighs softly and then rolls over. Ven is shorter than her but her frame is smaller than his so he'd easily be able to peek over her shoulder and see the sad expression that's covered her face.]

[His smile fades, and when she turns away from him he doesn't try to keep his hold on her hand. Withholding a sigh of his own, he stares at her back for a few long seconds.

Given the way he was raised, Ven has no issue with this kind of casual intimacy -- of sharing close spaces, even sleeping spaces, or affectionate gestures. He slept beside Terra and Aqua plenty of times, has done so with some of his housemates here more than once when he was upset; in his mind, there aren't any social restrictions on that kind of thing.

So, after a moment, he figures the best response he can give is to move closer. He touches his forehead lightly to the back of Yuna's head; when he speaks, he can see his breath moving some strands of her dark hair.]

I said before that I was supposed to die that time, you know? But... that wasn't the first time. I almost died a few years before that, too. [It's enough of a fact in his mind now that it no longer hurts to think about it; if he tries to recall too much, it does, but a glancing mention like this is safe.] If I had... that might've stopped some bad things from happening later. I know that now.

[His voice is serious and solemn -- but not upset. He's made his peace with his mistakes, or as much as he can, at least. There will always be things that bother him, missteps he could have prevented so easily, and chances are good he'll make more of them in his life. But each cycle of depression and acceptance has made one thing clear: at the end of the day, he'll still have people who love him. As long as he does everything he can to protect them, as long as he makes a difference in their lives, then his survival thus far hasn't been pointless.]

I'm not sure who or what says we should or shouldn't be alive. I think... that's something we have to decide for ourselves. But it's not just how we feel about it that matters -- it's what we do with the second chances we've been given. It might not seem fair, when we're okay and others aren't, but... that just makes us responsible for them. For carrying on their memories. Sometimes... we're the only ones who can.

[Yuna can feel his breath tickle her neck and the pressure of his forehead as he gently rests it against the back of her head. She doesn't know what to say but before the end of his sentence tears begin to roll from her eyes. Her fingers cover her mouth and try to wipe away the tears but they only continue to grow more fierce while her body shakes with stifled sobs.

She doesn't want to cry. She's suppose to be strong and yet his words dig deep into her heart where a deep wound had been ignored and forgotten.]

I'm sorry.

[Yuna tries to wipe up the tears again. She shouldn't be crying and yet she can't stop the silent flood staining her cheeks.]

[...Well, that wasn't supposed to happen.

As soon as she starts shaking, Ven draws back some and leans up on his elbow, slightly alarmed as he realizes that he's gone and made her cry.]

Yunie?

[ugh fantastic, he didn't mean... for that...]

I'm -- I'm sorry, I didn't...

[Yuna shakes her head slowly as she shifts to turn back towards him. She doesn't want him to see her cry but she isn't sure what else to do. She feels so weak, so lost and she doesn't have a clue as to how to handle that. Realizing that her tears won't stop she lightly presses her forehead against Ven's chest. She has to move down to do it but the whole turning back over to face him was awkward so this was just an addition to that.

And she cries.

She stops holding back and she let's the wound fill with her tears and bit by bit the edges begin to heal.]

Don't be sorry... sometimes... you need to cry... will all your heart.

[Yuna spoke in between her tears, her fingers trying to wipe away the floods of liquid. At least it's raining outside too.]

[Oh... Well, if she needs to get this out, who's he to try and stop her?

There's a fleeting instant during which that awkward feeling of late starts to rear its head, making Ven freeze up for a couple heartbeats; but looking down at her, watching her tremble like she is... the feeling fades just as quickly, replaced by his usual compassion and concern.

He's used to being held when he's upset, not holding others when they are. Still, he knows how it's done. He puts an arm around her and settles his chin on her hair -- and doesn't say anything. Not yet, anyway. If she needs to cry, he'll let her do just that without any interruptions.]

[Yuna continues for a moment longer, her sobs slowly begin to soften and the trembling eventually stops. She's silent for a long time before she finally says something.]

You smell a little bit like the ocean.

[Her voice is soft and she slowly shifts to pull away while making sure she hadn't stained his shirt with tears. Her eyes are a light puffy red and she looks tired but her eyes shine a little brighter than they did before.]

It's... nice.

[He doesn't mind the silence. He doesn't try to break it, but just listens to the rain and Yuna's quieting sobs, and then finally her breathing once her crying subsides.

Her remark makes him blink as he also pulls back to look at her, but then he gives a quiet laugh. Whatever helps her feel better, he's glad to provide.]

You okay?

[Yuna nods and then begins to try and wipe the red from her eyes. It doesn’t really work but this is sort of embarrassing. Her cheeks are flushed, she’s suddenly very tired and she feels as if she’s cried out every drop of sadness inside of her. It’s a light feeling that surrounds her now and it’s a feeling she’s only felt one other time before.]

Yeah, sorry about that.

[She laughs softly.]

I don’t know what came over me.

[Yuna feels a little awkward and the embarrassed feeling doesn’t go away.]

Hey -- you just told me not to be sorry. Same goes for you. [It's a gentle kind of teasing. Ven doesn't think of crying as shameful at all, whether it's himself or someone else doing it.] There's nothing to be sorry about. Especially if it made you feel better.

[Yuna looks at him with a smile.]

Then I'm not sorry.

[She sighs and then relaxes against the pillow. She's emotionally drained and she's beginning to feel physically drained as well.]

Good. [Still smiling, he moves onto his back with his arms crossing under his head again. He guesses it's pretty late by now, although the rain hasn't let up at all. He closes his eyes as he listens to it, and it's not long before he realizes how tired he is himself.]

You going to sleep soon?

I don't know.

[Yuna doesn't realize that she's tired and as the rhythm of the rain fills the tent she finds herself slowly drifting into her dreams.]

[Ven glances sidelong at her, watching her for a few seconds -- and maybe a few seconds longer than he would normally -- before looking up again with a quiet hum. He'll leave her be.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Chocobo Roundup

Day One - oh no D'8

Day One - oh no D'8

Day One

Day One

Day One

Day One

Day One

Day One T-T

Day One 8'(

Day One /hugs!

Day One /hugs back!

Day One :3

Day One <333

Day One <333

Day One <333

Day One <333

Day One <333

Day One <333

Day One <333