viva_la_materia | ℵ 30 ℵ

Easy, easy! Jeez, there's plenty for all of you guys, there's no need to fight!

[What could you do to reason with six very small, very hungry chocobos? They came up halfway to his knees, all fluff and beaks as they warked and chirped and moved about like a colorful dervish trying to peck at the treats he tossed down for them to catch. He knew they were in the bitey stage... they'd sooner not realize how powerful their little beaks are and he'd lose a finger in their enthusiasm! He paused when he heard his name, and he wound up and tossed the last treat particularly farther away from him. Chirrups of excitement rained from the little birds as they raced to be the first to it.]

Yup! Be out in a second! Just spoiled the babies, and now it's time for them to settle in with their fosters!

[And he'd work to settle them down and get them to the fostering stables. It was a good five minutes or so before he finally stepped out, dusting a few down feathers from his pant legs.]

Sorry for the wait! The stables we want are right over there. The racers are pretty feisty, but it takes a feisty rider to be able to handle them! Do you have a preference for a boy bird or a girl bird?

[He gestured to the next barn over, and off he went.]

[Okay, wrong door. Materia moved towards the one from which Night's shout had come, then hesitated when she heard a cacophonic chorus of high-pitched squeaks. Riiight, not opening that door. It sounded like he was being attacked by giant chickens.

When Night came out to meet her, she was sitting on a fence by the watering troughs, kicking her heels and looking up at the sky. She jumped down and trotted over as soon as he appeared, though.]

Girl bird, definitely. Hey, were those baby chocobos or what?

Yep! A bunch of babies appeared about a week ago, and they're growing quick! At least with all the stuff disappearing in Edensphere at least we keep getting new livestock and stuff!

[He pushed open the barn door, stepped aside to let her in, and followed. The air was cool today, so he'd close the door behind him. There was the smell of fresh hay, of dirt, and herbal... the bright greens that filled the feed baskets in each stable may have been the culprit. A vast array of colorful birds stood before them, some feeding, some napping, and others generally making noise out of wanting to be noisy.]

Okay! For racers, color doesn't matter too much except for the golds. They're the cream of the crop, the best of the best, but they're also super expensive and super rare. I've seen maybe five since I started working here, you know, and each one was bought almost immediately!

[He nodded, then looked around a bit. Dang... no golds in the stables at the moment, but he knew they were absolutely spoiled and well taken care of, wherever they were stabled now. He stopped before one of the stables.]

We check up on the babies when they reach maturity to see what qualities they have: Will they be hard workers, are they competitive, or are they very tame and well-natured? This one grew up with all the characteristics of a good racer, but she's not too competitive! She's got too big of a heart, I think. There's nothing wrong with that! If you want to race once in a while but also want a pet who doesn't mind walking now and then, this one's good.

[He paused to reach up and stroke the chin just under the beak of the blue chocobo they stood before, and she liiiifted her head and closed her eyes in bliss.]

How serious are you about racing, Materia?

[Following him in, Materia held her breath at first, but it actually didn't smell too bad, for a stable. Somebody took pretty good care of the place. Casting a sidelong look at Night, she grinned as he went off on an eager, surprisingly knowledgeable monologue.

Gee, who could that careful caretaker possibly be?]

Oh...

[Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the blue chocobo. It - she - was so pretty. She wasn't used to thinking of chocobos as pretty, so much as fast and kinda cool. Feeling suddenly shy, she stuck her hands in her pockets like a boy - what if this chocobo didn't like her?]

I...I dunno. It sounds fun, but...it takes a lot of work, right?

[Not that the idea of cash prizes or something wasn't tempting, but there had to be easier ways to make money than pouring long hours into riding practice. She could name ten ways that were already attached to her arms, for starters.]

[She could probably wager a guess at who took care of them, but he was one of a dozen people who kept everything working smoothly.]

Tons of work! The more competitive, "professional" racing circles are pretty picky about exactly what chocobo they want, and the rules and regulations are awful tight as well! If you want to go pro, you'll need a lot of money to pour into the perfect chocobo, and the upkeep of the bird is far different than normal: Very specific greens, extra care taken of the legs and talons, and the training of the bird to help build and overcharge its competitiveness!

...I personally don't like the super-duper racers. They're so focused on winning they get downright mean to whoever isn't the jockey! One sent a guy here to the Clinic for a week for severe injuries...

[He sighed, then shook his head, waving a hand dismissively.]

Er- he's fine now! He just doesn't work with them anymore. Moving on! There's the blue I mentioned here, she's a good girl, and then...

[He moved to the next row of stables, stopping before neighboring stables. One held a red chocobo, and the other a green. They both chirruped upon seeing them, the red going so far as to immediately begin preening Night's hair. He pushed the bird head away and continued. By word four, the chocobo was back to preening.]

...You have these two! They're strong racers, very competitive, but one trait makes one different from the other!

[He pointed upward at the bird preening him.]

She likes hair. A lot. She likes to preen and make chirpy noises and is a bit of a cuddler. Once she thinks you've been loved on enough she's ready to race! The green is kind of a brat! She only likes certain greens and is very picky when it comes to people, and will fluff her feathers and turn away from whatever she doesn't find suitable. ...She doesn't like me, of course, but she's pretty affectionate and loyal to those she likes.

[The green finally pulled her beak away from the greens she was eating and fluffed her feathers while staring at Night, as if to say "Oh. It's you again." ...Then to Materia, clicking her beak and canting her head quizzically, trying to decide...]

[As fidgety as she usually was, Materia surprised even herself by listening intently to what Night was saying. She made a face at the red chocobo - if she wanted her hair fussed over by a friendly ginger, there was a much cuter one at Smoke's who was a lot less likely to get bird slobber all over it.

The green one, though... Torn, Matera glanced back at the pretty blue chocobo, and hesitantly held out a hand to her. The bird gave her a benign, puzzled look, as if she wasn't quite sure what was going on - and at that moment, the green chocobo fluffed her feathers up again and warked, loudly.]

Ah! Geez!

[Startled, she whirled around and gave the bird a Look, clambering through a row of stalls to prop her hands on her hips, feet planted solidly apart, and frown up at her.]

Don't startle me like that! You - ah! Ahahaheehee, quit it!

[The green chocobo had arched her neck around and was thoughtfully nibbling the short hair at the nape of Materia's neck, dropping bits of greens down the back of her shirt in the process.]

Ah, ahahahelp!

Ohh no! She'll bite off all my fingers and keep preening you while I deal with the stumps if I so much as got any closer! You're on your own, Materia!

[He spoke at a laugh, clutching his aching stomach.]

C-come on, you heard her! You stop that right now!

[Yeah, that green wasn't gonna stop until she FELT like stopping, it seemed.]

Hey, at least she seems to like you!

[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.

[The laughter died immediately with her shout, and he took a step forward when Materia grabbed the beak, an icy jolt of adrenaline beginning to kick in. He watched the feathers at the green chocobo's neck, chest, and back carefully... any fluffing indicated stress, and the moment Night spotted any of that, it was time to grab the ninja and pull her the heck away before she lost a limb.

...But no fluffing came, and the bird and ninja looked each other in the eyes as she offered an ultimatum. Then Materia struck the green chocobo's weak spot - her pride. Choosing the blue one over her, the prettiest and very best chocobo in this entire stable? Hmph!]

...I don't believe it...

[Night's arms fell to his sides incredulously. Why hadn't he thought of fighting a stubborn chocobo with a stubborn girl?]

This one was bought three times, and returned three times. People find her too stubborn, too wild. My boss was thinking of chopping her sell price down... if you're looking to buy, of course!

[Materia's eyes widened in horror at the word "chopping", and she gave a little sigh of relief a second later when she realized he just meant the bird's price...

Oh. Price. Materia's heart sank.]

I...don't think I can afford her.

[She mumbled the words, ducking her head against the bird's fluffy cheek. The chocobo made a puzzled noise, nudging at her as she let go of its beak.]

My apartment...um. I was just...hoping I could come by and ride one sometimes. And you and Feathers, well...

[She gulped, feeling like a dumbass. She could barely make rent, and here she was, getting caught up in a silly fantasy about having a chocobo of her own. Like she could possibly pay for a large animal's upkeep on top of her own. Stupid, stupid...]

[And his stomach dropped into his shoes. Right... he was so used to showing customers around to buy that he hadn't considered someone unable to afford one. He brought a hand to his chin, stroking a little. After a moment, he pat Materia's shoulder.]

I'll be right back, okay? Stay here!

[And he scooped up an empty bucket sitting nearby, dashing off and around the corner in the barn. He returned a good ten minutes later with that bucket filled with leafy greens ending in fat orange carrots and a scroll of paper in one hand. The scroll was handed to her before he went and got his keys from a pocket. He undid the lock at the stable door and pulled it open.]

Okay, now hang on to that rental ticket! It says she's yours for the next three days and you promise to hand her back by noon three days from now! She just ate, so this bucket will be good to feed her dinner this evening.

[He scratched his head, then. He wouldn't mention the deal he'd made with his boss.]

I-i've got too much money burning a hole in my pocket from my two jobs anyway...!

[Materia's mouth fell open, and her fingers curled around the paper. Part of her wanted to toss it back at him, to tell him that she didn't need charity, but...most of her really, really wanted a chance to ride, even if it was just a temporary thing. Glancing back at the chocobo, she lifted her free hand and was startled when the bird nudged her head up against her palm, looking rather pleased with herself. Darn it...

Well, it was Night's job to get people to buy the birds, right? So this was just kind of a...test drive. Anyway, he totally owed her for scaring the daylights out of her by disappearing like that, and...well...

Darn it, why did he have to be so nice lately? Materia shoved the ticket in her pocket and shut her mouth, giving Night a sheepish smile.]

Thanks. I, um...thanks. Does she...does she have a name?

[Don't throw it back, don't throw it back, don't throw it back... He knew her. He almost half-expected her to throw it back, and then they'd argue about charity versus a freaking gift.

Today, he was glad to just give her a bit of happiness. Something about her behavior earlier just struck right in his urge to help others, to do good... but he thought of that candy apple he'd given her. No, it wasn't simply 'to do good'... this was simply "just because he could, and wanted to".]

We've been calling her The Bratty One, and while we do use breed names to tell them all apart, we leave it to the renters or owners to give them names! If they like it, we stick with them!

[He looked between the two of them, then went to get a saddle.]

It's easier for girls to ride bareback, but let me show you how to put the saddle on, and then I'll grab Feathers and we'll take greenie here for a test run!

[Materia let out a snort of laughter at that name.]

We're gonna have to come up with a better name for you, girl. What do you think?

[The green chocobo chirruped and nipped gently at her bangs. Materia frowned and grabbed a cloth hanging over the wall of the stall - time to do something about those greens! - and, by the time she was done, Night was back with the saddle. The minute the big bird laid eyes on him approaching, though, she danced backward, lowering her head belligerently. Materia covered a grin, and went over to Night, taking the saddle out of his hands before he could protest.]

Here, lemme try.

[The saddle was light enough to handle without too much trouble, and the chocobo calmed down a little when she walked towards her. Sliding it onto her back, Materia pulled a face when she noticed the bird slyly inhaling.]

Hey, cut that out, buster. No tricks.

[She gently elbowed the bird, who reluctantly let out her breath, and began buckling straps together, taking a moment now and then to frown at a strap or a buckle until it dawned on her where it ought to go. Hey, this wasn't so hard!]

[Ohhh crap. Yeah, this was going to be a tough lesson. As the bird lowered her head, his yellow eyes narrowed and he was ready to wrestle her to the ground if necessary... but Materia strolled right up and relieved him of the saddle. He only blinked at her.]

...Okay, but there's a lot of different straps and buckles to--

[And he was dumbfounded when she not only easily continued to keep the green bird in check, but saddled up like she'd done it a hundred times. His hands lay on his hips as he tapped his foot once.]

Well, damn! You picked right up! You've done this before, huh?

[He relaxed and waved.]

Okay, I'll see you outside. I'm gonna get Feathers!

[He reached beneath his scarf and pulled out a thin whistle, immediately dashing outside while blowing it. Much like a dog whistle, it seemed to barely register, but nearly every chocobo canted their head quizzically, then seemed to ignore it. They weren't whistle trained... not like the ball of black fluff that soon greeted him outside with a happy chirrup, all fluffed feathers, green scarf, and quivering wings. Night was quick to mount up and scratch the back of the male bird's head as he waited.]

[You've done this before, huh? Materia's hands stilled on the buckles for a moment. Yeah, that...that made sense, actually. She did remember riding chocobos, so she must know how to saddle one, and how to mount up, right?]

'Kay, see ya!

[Pulling the last few straps snug - but not too tight! - she reached up and pulled the chocobo's head close, whispering to her.]

Be good for me, okay? 'Cause if I biff it the first time I try riding you, that veggie-head is never gonna forget it. [She grinned.] Let's show him how cool you are with a real rider, okay?

[Taking a deep breath for luck, she put one foot in the stirrups, reached up to grab the saddle horn - don't think don't think just do it - and swung into the saddle, settling herself in place. The chocobo took a step back, then another one, then steadied when she reached down and patted her neck. Hoo boy, it was high up here!]

Good girl. Yup, that's right, staaay calm. Okay, one step at a time...

[Was she talking to herself or the chocobo? Deciding she didn't care, Materia clicked her tongue at her mount and carefully trotted her out the door, waving to Night. Looking good so far...!]

So, where are we going?

[He tucked the whistle back in the scarf and beamed at the bird who looked back with his beak partially held open in some doofy beaky smile.]

Okay, Feathers, listen up: We're partners and we're going to have to rely on each other more than ever! I think Materia's really good with chocobos, and that green one's feisty. What do you think about challenging her to a race, boy?

[Feathers' eyes narrowed, crest feathers fluffing in excitement as his talons clawed at the ground. A low "kwehhhh" was his answer, but Night patted the side of the bird's neck.]

Not yet! I'll give you the signal.

[The bird relaxed and rocked back and forth, foot to foot when Materia appeared with the green female. There was a friendly squawk of greeting.]

Nowhere in particular! Let's walk her away from here and play it by ear.

[Feathers turned away and proceeded down the trail out and away. Captain Planet had the best environments... and it was great racing overall, so Night directed Feathers to a good trail to start.]

[Materia found her mount following Night's gamely enough. She didn't seem to object to Feathers himself, just his rider. Oddly enough, the less Materia worried about what she was doing, the more comfortably her body rolled with the chocobo's stride.]

Alright, girl, you're doing great...

[She scratched the chocobo's feathers - man, she really did need to come up with a better name for her than "the chocobo" - and looked up ahead. There was a trail ahead of them, stretching away across a huge field of grass dotted here and there with trees. She didn't go to Captain Planet often enough to know exactly where they were, but it was sure pretty...]

[Grateful for the time off of his feet, Night swung his legs a little and stretched his arms over his head. At the apex, he looked back at his fellow rider and back ahead with a smile. His arms dropped to his sides and his hands slipped to the back of Feathers' neck. He tapped thrice, and Feathers' flanks tensed.]

You're really good at this, Materia! ...Let's not bore the birds anymore, huh!?

[He flashed a particularly wicked grin her way, his heels knocking against the bird's ribs. Feathers gave an excited cry, it was time to RUN RUN RUN~! And the black bird quickly picked up to a run.]

[Ooooh...! Materia gaped for a second as Night and Feathers took off running, then grabbed her bird's feathers and held on tight.]

No fair! You wanna race, huh? C'mon, girl, let's show those jerks h--whoa!

[The female chocobo had clicked her beak, making a sound almost like a tsk of annoyance - then lowered her head, stretched out her neck and took off running at full tilt. Materia yelped, clinging to her neck, but after a few strides her body started to adjust and she sat up a little, grinning as the wind of their passage chilled her face.

Now this was chocobo riding! She knew somehow that this was what she'd missed the most, and she let out a whoop of glee. Even the cloudy weather couldn't ruin the moment for her!]

Hey, slowpokes, you might wanna run a little faster!

[He laughed back at her before turning and enjoying that nice little head start. ...Then he heard footsteps and looked back over his shoulder.

Right. He gave Materia a very proud racing chocobo.

He paled, breathlessly shouting to Feathers.]

She's coming up on us and fast, Feathers! Step on it!

[What's that? Pick up the pace!? Feathers trilled in glee and lowered his head as Night leaned forward, one hand grasping the saddle horn as the black bird sped up, wings lowering. It wanted the air to move up and over them, cutting through any resistance as a wind began to blow. Night smelled impending rain, but for now his heart was racing, and he was laughing over the sheer thrill of the now.]

We're not getting beaten by girls!!

Like we'd lose to a couple of boys!

[Materia shouted it into the wind before ducking low against her chocobo's neck - she could feel the drag her body caused when she sat up, and she wasn't gonna be any more of a burden than she had to be. His chocobo might be fast...

...but Materia weighed a lot less than Night, and she was riding a bird with her dander up and a chip on her feathery wing.]

Show me what you've got, girl! How fast can you really go, huh?

[She nudged the chocobo with her heels - and got her answer a second later: fast. Very, very fast.]

[He clenched his jaw and focused. Don't try to fly... don't try to fly... A fallen tree from a previous storm was coming up and quickly, and with one wingbeat, Feathers was airborne, moving in an arc over the obstacle.]

No flying, that's cheating! Stay grounded!

[Feathers may have been a little disappointed when he immediately hit the ground running afterward, but he wasn't about to ruin a good thing by cheating! Night considered his options... pour on the last of Feathers' reserves on speed and risk tiring him out so early - they had never really set a goal, have they? - or just running until the cows come home when a roar of thunder overhead sent a chill through the demon's blood. His ears popped, and he smelled a bit of low tide from the lake some miles away. With a sharp intake of breath, he turned to the side where Materia and her steed were fast approaching...

...And a torrent of rain drowned out the shout of her name in warning that, well, a storm was coming.]

[Oh, a log, huh? Materia heard the shout about cheating and nodded - at least he was being fair.]

Think you can jump it? Or should we go around?

[The chocobo was still racing flat out for the log, with a determined set to her beak, so Materia decided to trust her. As they came up on the log, the bird dug in her claws and jumped...!

...and landed safely on the other side. Materia threw up a fist, letting out a whoop of delight - ]

YEEHAW! That's what I -

[And then the heavens opened, and a crash of rain almost literally drowned out the rest of what she was saying. Materia shrieked and threw her arms over her head to try and stave off the wet, as her chocobo turned in mid-stride and made a beeline for the nearest tree.]

Aw, maaan!

[Feathers skidded to a stop, stepping around trying to blink the water out of his eyes. Night quickly hopped off and took Feathers' reins as he saw the green chocobo make a beeline for the tree. Smart girl.]

Easy, easy... come on, it's okay, just a little water...!

[He led the black bird in the same direction, moving at a brisk pace. The branches of this tree were thick, staving off much of the rain. A split near the base of the trunk would give them a bit of shelter for the time being. Once somewhere dry, Feathers quickly shook off, fluffing his feathers to stay warm. Night shook his head a bit to get the rain out of his hair, though it still clung to the sides of his face.]

...Sheesh, I should have known this was going to hit, Edensphere was due for a rainstorm! It'll pass, though.

[He looked out... it was almost like someone held a giant watering can - those silly green ones with the holes at the end - and felt like completely soaking the island as quickly as possible.]

Man, I was winning, too!

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