The Park, Sunday Afternoon

[puppy_fair]

Zack seemed to have somehow convinced a baby chocobo that he was its mommy.

That really hadn't been his intention. All he wanted to do was show off an awesome summon to a pretty girl, but then the awesome summon was a little less awesome than was expected, and also, it was stuck in a bush.

So, Zack's project for the day was to try to find more of the chocobo's own kind so that he could set it free among its kin.

... On an island with no other chocobo, this was a challenge. But a chicobo was about the same size as a duck, and, well, there just so happened to be a duck pond on the island...

"Go on! See, they won't be mean or anything! And there are even big pink ones, too, that are kinda like chochobos! G'wonnnnnn!"

The chicobo was having none of it, settling itself down between Zack's knees and looking at the pond indignantly.

"Wark."

[Open park is open!]

Comments

[mouthy-merc.livejournal.com]

And Wade was having a weekend. But he still had his squirt-gun and he could still make up for it with attacking a giant turkey. Ostrich. What the heck was that thing?

He didn't care, he was shooting it anyway.

[puppy_fair]

"Hey!" And that was the indignant cry of both boy and chicobo as Zack hunkered down to protect the baby bird from further assault. "Be nice to Mister Chocho! He didn't do anything to hurt you!"

Mister Chocho warbled somewhat huffily from under the Zack-shaped umbrella that it seemed to have gained.

[mouthy-merc.livejournal.com]

"Mister Chocho," Wade replied mockingly--which, for a seven year old, meant repeating it in really annoying tone. "Wanted to get wet!"

[puppy_fair]

"Did nooooot," Zack whined, straightening up again and putting himself between bird and the evil armed boy. "He's just a baby! And he's not even the right color to like water!"

... It made sense if you were from Gaia.

"Meanie!"

[mouthy-merc.livejournal.com]

"...what?" Because it needed to be said.

[therewaslife]

Bod had slept in the graveyard last night so it meant he'd been out and wandering for a few hours already. When he spotted Zack and the animal, he stopped and just watched for a minute.

He didn't recognize the animal or the other boy so his interest was piqued more than usual.

[puppy_fair]

"Goooo oooooon! People will even feed you bread and stuff, promise!"

"Kweh!"

Zack sighed, putting his efforts to push the bird toward the pond from behind on pause for just a moment as he realized that he had company. And he blinked. And then he straightened up and waved quite happily at the other boy.

"Hi! I have a chochobo!"

"Kweh!"

[therewaslife]

Bod didn't wave back but he did take that as an invitation to step a little closer. "What's a..." Unfamiliar word alert. "...what's that?"

[puppy_fair]

"He's a bird!" And now all attempts to rehabilitate the creature into the wild had been forgotten, because there were important introductions to be made. Zack leaned over to scoop the chicobo into his arms, and then held it toward the boy so that he could get a better look. "People ride on them! But he's just a baby, so you can't yet, or he'll get smushed."

"Wark."

[therewaslife]

Bod stepped a little closer, eyes fixed on the animal. He was small but even Bod knew things didn't stay that way and he'd grow big if Zack was right.

"Does he gotta name?" asked Bod, glancing back up at Zack. "I've never seen one of him before."

[bitchprince]

"What are you doing with that bird?" asked Arthur. Part of him had wanted to stay safe, in the castle, which meant that he absolutely had to show courage and go out.

And out, it would seem, meant other boys with weird hair and birds. "That's not how birds work."

[puppy_fair]

"Roo-kii-roo," came the cooing sort of reply that only a slightly put-out baby chocobo could produce.

Zack pouted down at it for a moment, and then looked over at the other boy and shrugged his shoulders a bit.

"He thinks I'm his mom," Zack explained, with a pout and a sigh and a bit of a huff. "But I'm not, so I wanna give him back to other birds, so that he's not lonely! But I don't think he likes the ducks." A pause. "Or the pink thingies."

[bitchprince]

"It's just a bird," Arthur pointed out, smartly. "You either scare them off, or you shoot them and eat them."

Sadly, that was a philosophy that Arthur had never quite let go off, besides in situations where they involved idiot manservants turning into birds of prey.

He gave the bird a calculating scowl. "There's barely any fat on it."

[puppy_fair]

"Chochobos are not for eating!"

Zack stood there, staring at Arthur wide-eyed and more than a little horrified at the suggestion.

"They're for riding on or for getting to attack bad guys! They're big and strong and fast and noble--"

"Wark."

"--And they charge into battle and stomp stomp stomp the enemy flat!"

[bitchprince]

"What, like a horse?"

Arthur didn't look too impressed by that assertion.

"Have you been touched in the head?"

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

Azula wanted to practice cartwheels but stopped at the curious sight.

"What's that?"

[puppy_fair]

"It's a chochobo," Zack announced proudly. "I summoned him! But now he won't go hoooome."

Zack demonstrated this fact by placing his hands on the bird's behind and giving it a small but mighty sort of push. The chochobo scooted forward a few inches, and then settled back down again, clucking to itself once it was comfortable again.

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

"Where did you summon him from?" She asked, confused. "Maybe you should kick him, he'll want to go home then."

[puppy_fair]

"I summoned him from where the chochobos live," Zack replied matter-of-factly. "But you're not s'posed to kick them. They're useful!"

And also, this one would probably break in half if somebody gave it a good punt.

[azuldragon.livejournal.com]

"It's just a bird! How can it be useful?" Azula crossed her arms. "And you wanted him to leave, animals leave faster if you kick them!"

She knows this from experience, there were a number of traumatized creatures in the Fire Nation Palace because of her.

[future_sandworm]

Leto had noticed there what was going on yesterday and had chosen to spend most of that time in his room. He might not be in a mood to play with children, but he needed some air, and walking through the park he couldn't help smiling when he saw a boy and a baby chocobo. He guessed who that was.

[puppy_fair]

Ooh, grown-up!

Zack smiled warmly up at the big-person who was walking by, and even paused in his efforts to get the chocobo to leave in order to smile brightly up at him and even wave hello.

"Hiii! Have you seen any other chochobos about? This one doesn't like ducks, I don't think."

The chocobo said, "Wark."

[future_sandworm]

Leto stopped. "I don't believe they are native to this island," he said. "Where did you find this one?"

[puppy_fair]

"In the bushes," Zack explained, looking down at the bird and nudging him gently with his shoe. "I summoned him so that Ino could see, but he got all stuck in the weeds and didn't wanna leave once we got him free."

[future_sandworm]

"In the bushes? I've never seen one here." He paused. "But it seems to like you."