[ action ] ϟ [ 05 ]

[subjected]

[ While SeeD exams are very interesting and all, truthfully, it's hard to say that Claire really cares that much about them when in they're in the process of taking place. For her, today isn't that much different than any other day. Just more time to try and find something to do while school isn't currently in session, right?

To those who saw the instructor during the duration of the... phenomenon recently, she certainly looks different now- her hooded cape is gone, and even though it might be slowly growing cooler outside, after so long wearing the amount of clothing that had been required to protect her during the day, she's very glad things are back to normal.

For more reasons than one, of course... but for now and most obviously to an outsider's eye, she definitely seems determined to soak up all of the sunlight now that she can again, given her practically trademarked short skirt and a high-collared - but sleeveless - top in neutral colors. Most of the morning, she can be found at the quad, flipping through a number of books as if she's looking for something...

Eventually, though, she leaves the school entirely. Considering she's bringing along the bronze-colored gunblade she bought in this world, it looks like she's probably off to fight monsters outside of those found in the training center. And yet she doesn't go far, and now there's a pink-haired fighter sitting on top of an old fence left behind years before, half lost in thought and cutting up what looks a lot like a large taproot of some kind with a long knife.

Why? Take a guess.

Apparently, Claire has managed to find a sight even natives of this world might be surprised to witness- at least here in Balamb. Before long, a large and very yellow something steps tentatively out of the nearby trees, and after a few seconds of consideration, comes just close enough to take a bit of vegetable out of the attentive woman's outstretched hand.

Random wild chocobo, anyone? Just don't make any sudden moves... ]

Comments

[freewolfmoon.livejournal.com]

[Being sent on a supply run outside Garden means that Fenris happens to catch sight of movement in the near distance, and that's how he finds his way over to Claire, purely out of curiosity.

A curiosity that grows alarmed at the creature that emerges from the trees.]

Another kind of dragonling? This world swarms with them.

[But his voice is muted and cautious.]

[subjected]

Wh--?

[ Claire glances over her shoulder slowly, wincing at the large bird clearly growing nervous at the approach of another person... and at getting caught at something like this in the first place. She just tries to act normal anyway, though her voice is also quiet in turn. ]

What are you talking about?

[freewolfmoon.livejournal.com]

[He stays still in his bemusement, leaning slightly against a tree. For now, too, she doesn't really need to be worried about what he'll think: she's struck him as a practical and efficient person in the past, so he assumes that she's luring this beast for some suitably combat-related reason.]

No...it's not a dragon.

[He scans the creature, trying to get a better view without startling it.]

It's a bird?

[subjected]

[ Fenris has already seen her embarrassingly weakened though, that day her shadow powers had really kicked in and left her struggling to survive under nothing more strenuous than some sunlight. She is not the type to appreciate requiring help for something so blatantly stupid, of both that cursed time compression and her own actions in not being more careful. Put with her not quite knowing what to make of this man and his attitude, she's not all that happy to see him, where he might also ruin what she's been working on so long this afternoon...

However, his words pull her a little bit out of it, and she continues to stare at him a long moment in silence before: ]

You've never seen a chocobo before?

[ It's not meant to be derisive- she's genuinely a little bit taken aback that he doesn't recognize what the creature is at all. Enough that it takes her a moment to remember to pay attention to trying to keep the one she's found from running off- it backs off a step or two, ducking its head a little. ]

[freewolfmoon.livejournal.com]

[And she argued with him even then. He's not completely unwary. But she did it intelligently, at least...so maybe she's worth talking to, and maybe whatever she's doing with this bird is important.]

No. Is that so strange? I imagine there are creatures you've never seen, as well.

[He speaks softly and calmly, and as he does so he lowers into a slight crouch in hopes of frightening the chocobo less.]

[spareglasses]

[Yukio's actually in the field as well, but unlike Claire, he's out there with a botany book, his belt hosting a large array of vials and a small selection of carefully chosen knives. From his spot by a cluster of green, leafy plants, she's far enough away that he only recognizes her by her pink hair, and even then, he can only guess that she's the same woman he's seen in passing at the Garden.

He actually goes back to minding his own business and carefully selecting medicinal plants, and it's only when he sees a chocobo approach her that Yukio turns his attention back to her. He watches for a while and then slowly--very slowly--gets up. Needless to say, his approach toward her is just as slow, as he hardly wants to scare it away.

It's only when he draws even with her that he speaks up, and even then, his voice is quiet.]

I never thought I'd see one of these around here.

[subjected]

[ By the time Yukio approaches, Claire's managed to slide off the fence towards the chocobo, just barely managing to lure the bird close enough to get her hand past the huge beak and into the feathers beneath its chin. She frowns slightly as she looks over at the man, but the animal seems at ease enough, letting out a soft trill as it looks between the two.

It's enough to keep Claire from growing too huffy- it would be a waste of time if she lost the chocobo's trust after getting this far, regardless of how she'd prefer not to make a first impression in this particular position. ]

... From what I understand, they're usually not around here.

[spareglasses]

Then I guess we can consider ourselves lucky.

[He offers Claire a smile--he doesn't think any worse of her for feeding and petting a chocobo. In fact, Yukio's pretty impressed that she's managed to lure one over.

As for himself, he hangs back just a little and keeps his hands to himself. While the bird doesn't seem all that bothered by his presence, Yukio's still content to let Claire enjoy her hard earned time with the chocobo. He does think it's a shame he doesn't have a camera on him though.]

[subjected]

Hmn.

[ Claire doesn't really believe in 'luck,' even with how blatantly unlucky her life's been the last... while. She also doesn't do much of the thing called playing nice when she's "off-duty" from her teaching- she doesn't even know this guy in the first place, although he looks vaguely familiar enough that she knows he must be from Balamb Garden as well...

She continues to keep partial attention on him, but turns back then, taking her hand off the chocobo's neck to reach into her bag and pull out another one of the vegetables she brought along to lure it. Not very talkative, is she? ]

[spareglasses]

[Yukio stays by Claire's side for a moment longer before slowly retreating back to the fence. He takes a seat at its base and quietly opens up the botany book, careful not to make too much noise as he flips through the pages.

He opens it up to the gysahl greens section; it's admittedly not a plant he's really bothered to look at before. After all, his main interest lies with those that have medicinal properties. In any case, now that he's here and watching a fellow instructor feed a chocobo, he may as well look into it; it may make for something to talk about.

...Once she's done feeding the bird, of course. For now, he's perfectly content to sit and wait.]

[atouchofstrife.livejournal.com]

[ he had been use to chocobos for a very long. Cloud had bred some for racing until his delivery service really got going and he gave his birds to a near by farmer. But he didn't know this planet had them, even though a couple people had already made the dreaded chocobo reference when it came to his hair.

Carrying only two of his swords in his harness, he approached quietly, stopping a distance away where he could watch but he would not spook the wild chocobo. His voice was even quieter than normal as he tried not to spook either of them. ]

A wild Chocobo here..?

[subjected]

[ Claire's vaguely familiar with chocobos herself, though she's never owned one personally and the ones here seem... considerably different than those from her home- namely the part where they're running around in the wild instead of occupying backyards...

Frankly, animal-petting isn't usually the sort of image she likes to project, but considering how patient she's been so far today getting this one to show up and come to her, Claire tries to let it go, pacifying the bird's quiet squeak of nervousness at Cloud's approach by tossing the rest of what she'd been cutting up on the ground in front of it. ]

You got it.

[atouchofstrife.livejournal.com]

[ Chocobos were actually common on the Planet, especially when carrying a materia that attracted the big birds. Cloud doesn't care that she was feeding or petting the bird - they were beautiful creatures and deserve some attention in exchange for allowing themselves to be ridden.

He dropped to a crouch, head tilted to the side and his random spikes of hair shifting and settling into different - but still spiky - patterns. Keeping down like this he hoped to calm the bird a little, though he wouldn't be surprised if it decides to get spooked. ]

I thought there wasn't any around here.

[subjected]

[ The chocobo's eyes are round with attentiveness as it turns its head from side to side to look at the two humans, then ducks down to pick up the offered greens hastily- apparently it just really can't resist, regardless of wariness.

As for Claire, she watches this new guy with her own pale eyes narrowed behind her lashes, noting that he's armed but not recognizing him from Garden. Not that she's at all worried- her own weapon is prominent from her seated position, with how it hangs off her belt behind her... and she's pretty secure in the belief that there isn't anyone else here who would stand a chance against her one-on-one, anyway. ]

So did I- until this one showed up a few days ago.

[atouchofstrife.livejournal.com]

It's strange...

[ Cloud remained where he was, keeping himself still as he can while the bird ate. He glanced over at the woman, noting the weapon and the tenseness in her shoulders, then turned his attention back to watching the chocobo. ]

I've read about them when I came here, but I didn't really think that the chocobos were the same as they were on the Planet. It's like a lot of things here. So many similarities and yet so many differences.

[hotpinkwhirlwind]

[Sharpay drops a shopping bag in surprise. She manages to catch it before it hits the ground, but there's still that crinkle of plastic.]

[subjected]

Kweeeh~!

[ And just like that, the chocobo stands up on its toes, wings spread, and turns tail to disappear once more into the trees. Claire's back stiffens, watching it go... and then, she just closes her eyes as she counts to ten, hands in her lap. She doesn't turn to look at the new arrival yet. ]

[hotpinkwhirlwind]

Sorry! [She really is.] I was surprised: I've never seen one fully grown before.

[subjected]

Probably because they aren't supposed to live in this area.

[ Claire puts a hand on her knee as she twists to finally study Sharpay, her expression flat and voice low. She's another instructor, right? Not of any the sort of classes Claire would worthwhile or interesting though, that's for sure... ]

[hotpinkwhirlwind]

[Sharpay nods. Claire's tone does not faze her, not with some of the students she's had.] I never really went to the chocobo forests when Garden's been docked at Trabia, and of course there aren't any on Galbadia continent... [Not that she's ever taken home ec. But live on this world long enough, some of it outside Garden, and you pick up a bit about chocobo.]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't notice Claire at first, only that there's someone there— but the flash of bright yellow feathers is unmistakable. Even in a place like this. Eyes widening, Hope steps close to the giant riding bird.]

Wow, I... never thought I'd find one of these here—

[Gingerly extending a hand in hopes of petting it, it's then that his gaze actually focuses on the woman right next to the bird.

Prompting him to immediately jerk a step backwards, accompanied by a gasp of surprise.

Whoops.]

[subjected]

[ It would be far beneath Claire to let this boy sneak up on her a second time, and away from where there is bound to be a whole lot less random people around than inside one of the classrooms during school-time... you can bet she notices Hope long before he happens to recognize who he's currently alongside.

And no, she doesn't look happy in the slightest-- especially since no matter how hard she tries to hide it, the abrupt change in her attitude is very apparent to a sensitive creature like a chocobo... and the teen's reaction completes whatever it needs to decide this is too much. It bristles with a screech, yellow feathers puffing out... and flees.

Leaving one very unhappy instructor alone with a boy she doesn't like at all. The look she gives him is withering, even before she opens her mouth, speaking in a voice that is at once dry and venomous. ]

Is there nobody keeping an eye on you?

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

[The chocobo's running off, kicking up dirt behind it, and Hope instinctively turns toward in a knee-jerk bid to try and call for it to stay. There's no words that make themselves known, however. It's too late— the bird's already gone.

Leaving himself face-to-face, of course, with Lightning's doppelganger.

He's not entirely happy either, though his distaste springs more from the prickling tension between them in their last impromptu meeting along with the cold hard truth that Snow had filled him in about. There's no real hatred or animosity here, though that doesn't make him any less irritated and frustrated and conflicted to be in Claire's presence. Hope doesn't even look up at her, aiming a hard frown at his shoes.]

I don't need to be supervised. It was an accident.

[subjected]

[ Claire really doesn't get it, here- while he was obviously very new to Garden that first time they'd run into each other, surely he has to have talked to his fellow Pulse l'Cie by now, right? Are the others really so foolhardy as to not warn him to be careful-- to let their youngest 'member' wander around where he might do something just like this?

Of course, they don't know what she tried to do to her version of Hope Estheim, but all the same, she's made it pretty damn clear that she's potentially dangerous to their well-being, that mental leash from being in a different world or no. ]

You so sure of that?

[ She turns to regard him, eyes narrowed; it annoys her a little, that he's not looking back in turn... ]

[contempsi.livejournal.com]

[He lifts his gaze then, although there's some hesitance to it. It's too strange and surreal for him still—even passing by in the hall, narrowly missing her presence—to see her face, her stature and posture yet to know that it isn't truly the person he's supposed to be familiar with.

Even the hair doesn't do much to detract from that.

He's tried psyching himself out many times, but it's still difficult when she's right in front of his face. Hope scuffs a toe in the dirt.]

Look— you probably don't even know what it's like. But I've learned a lot before I came here, and got strong. So nothing scares me here.

[Okay, so that might be only a half-truth: tangible things and monsters and people? Probably not so much. It's concepts that are the problem.]