[Well, great. She was on her own. Materia squeaked as a gobbet of wet greens rolled down her back and made a face. Right, that was enough.]

Okay, hold it!

[Reaching up, she clamped both hands around the bird's beak and stepped back to where she could give her a stubborn look in one big, amused eye. If this big turkey wanted to be a brat, well, Materia could be just as bratty. She felt a twist of nerves in her stomach - the chocobo's neck probably had more muscles in it than her whole body, and that beak was big - but the bird stayed calm, curiously meeting her gaze.]

Now, look. If we're gonna do this, you need to not mess with my hair all the time, and you definitely need to wait 'till your beak is clean, got it? I am a ninja and I'm not gonna let some big old bird boss me around.

[She jerked her chin at the blue chocobo, still standing docilely in her stall.]

I could still go for her, you know. At least she's got manners.