wiedzminka | ❧ IC INBOX: Abraxas

[ The big bird shoves his beak right into her hand, and Ciri giggles, giving in easily to his charms and stepping closer to provide enthusiastic scritches. She pets his beak and head, down his neck, admiring the feel of the feathers beneath her fingers. It's something unusual; she's used to petting Mog, but he's very small, and this feels very different.

Honestly, after all the stress she's been through -- petting a big fluffy animal is the perfect remedy, even if it is in the mind realm. ]

They can't fly, can they?

[ The animal has wings, but she can't tell how big they are. Chickens can barely fly, and their proportions aren't nearly as ridiculous. ]

[He shakes his head, silver hair swaying with the motion.]

No. They can't. They're too heavy for that.

[The bright green chocobo, which had been more than content to thrive under Ciri's attentions, shakes out its feathers, tilting its head at Sephiroth. It makes a trilling noise, then another wark! As if offended!

But he just glances at Ciri, taking a moment to watch her interactions with the creature. He finds himself glad that she is delighted to meet the oversized bird -- it is as though he can see it wear away at the weight of exhaustion she might be carrying on her shoulders.]

Do you want to ride him? The lobby's big enough for it.

[Since it is astoundingly empty in here.]

[ Ciri's answer is an immediate, enthusiastic: ]

Yes! Of course I do!

[ In here? Riding a giant bird inside a building is definitely a new experience for her, but... what the hell. ]

The floor's not too slippery for him? It's so shiny.

[ She asks, but she's already figuring out how to mount the chocobo. It's got a saddle, similar enough to what she's used to; she does what she always does and mounts from the left, careful not to spook the creature. The proportions, however, are all different. Balancing's going to take a new amount of effort. ]

[It's about the level of enthusiasm that he expected, but he's still all too glad to see it. Sephiroth steps forward in case she needs help mounting the chocobo, but it seems that Ciri has managed to do it without his assistance. The bird itself is patient enough, though it does shake out its feathers slightly as its new rider tries to find its balance atop its saddle.]

He's been running up and down the stairs all day. He'll be fine. Probably would enjoy the company.

[Not that Sephiroth has been foul company; he just hasn't been eager to ride the bird all through his domain. Meanwhile, the chocobo turns its head at an angle to glance at Ciri. Again, it warks brightly, awaiting command.]

When you're ready, nudge it forward with the heel of your boot. He'll know to take it slowly.

[ It is similar enough, as Sephiroth mentioned; the balance and feel of the animal are different, but the technique seems more or less the same. Ciri gathers the reins and eagerly gives the chocobo a gentle nudge. The bird squawks again, its gait bouncier than a horse's as it takes several long strides forward at an easy pace.

Ciri giggles, leading her borrowed mount around the wide lobby. ]

What's his name?

[He walks forward, stopping just short of the lobby's center, gently turning when the chocobo makes its bouncing path around the wide area to keep track.]

...His name?

[A long beat of silence. Can she see where this is going.]

I didn't think to give him one.

Whaat? That's so sad!

[ She's picking up on the rhythm of its movements quickly enough, bouncing in the saddle a bit. Honestly, she's not that surprised by Sephiroth's answer, though she does seem a bit put out. ]

Don't you name your mounts where you're from?

Yes, but that was never a responsibility of mine.

[In other words: he never had to really take care of a chocobo, never really ever had to ride one outside of basic training from years ago. That time he tumbled off of one as a child, a story he recounted to her before.

An idea sparks. He offers-]

You can name him if you want.

Can I?

[ She pulls the bird around in a circle the other way, mostly to see how well he responds to her touch. Easily enough, it seems. It really is easy to pick up for someone who's used to riding, in general. ]

Ooh, in that case...

Hmm.

He's very green, isn't he...?

[ Clearly, he needs to be called something green. What are some green things?? ]

Kale. Cucumber. Green bean. Chard.

...for some reason I got caught up on food.

Cucumber?

[Sephiroth actually laughs a little, low but reverberating so clearly in the empty space.]

Are you hungry, Ciri?

[His own mind skews towards food, now, since she's brought it up.]

If you want to name him after a vegetable, then you should name him Gyshal. Those are the greens he eats.

Edited 2022-08-06 19:05 (UTC)

[ Oops. Well... maybe. She goes a little pink, but she's laughing, shaking her head. ]

I don't know. I just thought of green foods first!

Oh, I do quite like the sound of that, though. Gyshal...

What kinds of greens are those? I've never heard of such a plant.

You pull them up by the root.

[The chocobo, while still following her directions around the lobby of Shinra's illustrious headquarters, seems to perk up everytime they say the name "Gysahl". Ciri isn't the only hungry one.]

They're like... [He seems to realize, belatedly, that it would be easier just to show her. A moment passes, willing the image into Horizon-reality, and a basket of gysahl greens appears hanging at the crook of his elbow.]

These.

[ At the sight of the basket, the chocobo lets out an excited wark! and immediately tries to go for it. A bad habit that Ciri would never encourage in her own horse (in the physical world, anyway), but that she indulges here with a laugh, loosening her grip a little on the reins and letting him bound over to poke his beak into the basket. ]

He does like those!

Can people eat them? They look like some kind of radish.

[But Sephiroth turns his body to keep the basket just out of reach, removing it from the prying beak of the chocobo-probably-to-be-named Gysahl.]

No. Wait.

[-he tells it, mildly disapproving. A military chocobo (it's in the Shinra building, after all) should show a little more restraint!

The bird trills in disappointment, but straightens and waits attentively. Sephiroth plucks a vegetable from the basket and hands it to Ciri, answering her question in the process.]

People can eat them if absolutely necessary. But chocobos prefer the taste more than humans do. Here, let him have one.

[ Sephiroth looks so taken aback by his misbehaving bird, Ciri giggles, knowing full well she is the one who should have held him back. But Gysahl (yes, that is his name now) is a good boy, and he follows instructions even if it is a bit impatiently. Keeping a tighter grip on his reins this time, Ciri reaches over to take the vegetable, making sure he doesn't turns his head and try to grab it before he's allowed.

After a few moments, she leans down and offers it in front of his beak. ]

Here you go, Gysahl. Who's a good boy?

[A well-trained chocobo, indeed, even if it does shuffle back and forth on his feet once or twice as he waits for permission to take the vegetable from Ciri’s hand. But once it’s been given, the bird gives yet one more pleased trill, and gently snaps up the root of the plant with its beak.

Down the hatch it goes!]

You should visit more often if you enjoy feeding him.

[Sephiroth comments, with vague amusement, before realizing he should latch on some kind of addendum to that — he would not wish to assume.]

If you feel like it. ...There’s not much else to do here but train.

[ ...if she enjoys feeding him, specifically?

Ciri catches Sephiroth's double-take and just laughs. She reaches down to take another vegetable for the chocobo, giving Sephiroth a knowing look. ]

All right. Maybe I will.

❧ IC INBOX: Abraxas

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pretend i spelled gysahl right the first time

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