melodiesofeternity | Player Plot: Bizarre Bird Behavior!

Player Plot: Bizarre Bird Behavior!

Should you happen to have missed it, the plotting and information post for this event can be found here.

A. Choco-Chaos!

Perhaps the first thing anyone notices is the noise, the incessant squawking and warking of so many startled and disgruntled chocobos. Then comes the smell. Ew! In the early morning hours dozens, maybe even hundreds of chocobos invaded many of the cities of Vaikuntha, and while for the first few minutes some may have been elated to see them, attitudes quickly change. The chocobos are panicked, running around without much rhyme or reason, trampling on flower beds, knocking over merchant stands, and making such a ruckus even the dead couldn’t sleep through it. Any food they find is destroyed within minutes, and anything they’re curious about meets the sharp end of their strong beaks. While they’re generally harmless birds, they have the capacity for devastation.

And none of that mentions the, uh, other mess live animals tend to make.

Despite being within the city limits, they are far from tame. Any attempts to approach the birds will be met with either an angry warning wark, a display of puffed feathers, or the chocobo just straight up bolting away. This seems great, as maybe they can be corralled, but… Nope. While this works to an extent, as soon as the birds get too close to the city borders they turn tail and jump straight over the heads of the people attempting to be rid of them, running back into the city to make even more of a mess in their renewed panic. What is there to be done about them?

B. Lurking Lunchers

Should anyone be so inclined as to find out why the chocobos feathers are so ruffled, they need only walk to the edge of the city. Stalking around just beyond civilization are fearsome beasts known only as chocobo eaters. Based on the feathers stuck between their huge teeth this is probably an apt name. The monsters have little interest in humans, but become very interested when a chocobo wanders too close to the outskirts of town. The chocobo eaters are quite aggressive and will gladly take on anyone bold enough to make a challenge. Adventurers may attempt to fight them, but it seems like just when you send one packing, another bigger monster shows up. Was that a baby chocobo eater you were just fighting? You could have sworn it was an adult, with how big it is!

C. Fight or Flight

At last the time has come. A gold chocobo trotted in from off the horizon and rounded up what she believes to be able fighters, herded them into groups, and partnered them with a chocobo that will fight by their side. Ironically it seems to be the feathered member of the party that actually knows what to do, and the teams are led by their respective birds out into the battlefield to take on one of the ferocious beasts waiting out there for lunch. Fight as hard as you can and don’t let the birds down. Defeat might not mean death for you, but it certainly would for the chocobos!

Once the battles are won and the flocks free to return to their natural habitat, some of the brave battlers will find themselves with new feathered friends. Others will not, but everyone will have a handful of greens. If you missed this opportunity to get a chocobo, or you have a taste and want even more, head on over and check out the chocobo capture/breeding system that will be available from now until Eternity.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Okay, not going to lie, getting to see Naoto change over into Magitek Knight gear is... really cool. Enough that she lets out an impressed whistle. Also if that windup was the same as last time, she'll have the chance to get off another spell before she needs to worry about it attacking her again. So rather than use another benefic on herself, she instead draws again, and. Huh. Another Arrow. Naoto got it last time so maybe she should-

Ah nah, who's she kidding. Naoto gets it again because she wants to see some of that sweet, sweet tech in action.

As for the chocobo, thankfully, that particular 'bo has enough self-preservation to scamper on out of there the moment it got its attacks in. Besides, a surge of premature healing energy drew his attention to his allies, one of whom seemed to be rather new at some of this?? Healing early and healing when they're hurt themselves!

As soon as he's within range, he casts a quick Choco cure on the small, startled healer. See? That's how you do it. ]

[Magic birds. Why wasn't he surprised? But when Kanji noted the manipulation of the iMog, he recalled some of his paladin cover remained. Good. Gotta let a transformation sequence finish uninterrupted... that was the rule!]

Rgh-!

[Blade up, he blocked that Fist of Fury that hurtled Naoto's way as she changed, and he retaliated with a shower of sparks as steel hit natural body armor. One of the fingers of the Eater flew off to the left and out of view, but when it staggered back again, it didn't fall. But Kanji's gaze sharpened. He saw the quivering in the knees, a struggle to hold weight.]

I got you covered! Rip this thing to shreds, Naoto!

[Yeah, not gonna lie, he wanted to know what Magitek Knights did.]

[Futaba's Arrow would be of great help. She remembered the Chocobo Eater was coming for her, but Kanji stepped in the way before the fists could strike. Looked like he was handling it better than her normal defenses would too.]

Thank you!

[The gunblade was already whirring, charging as its muzzle brightened, and Naoto's eyes were locked on her staggering target. It was growing warm in her palm, but it was still cool enough that it could be discharged two times. It had used ice, had it not? No movement, but the beam surged red - just in time for the gunblade to fire one Magitek Laser and then follow up with a second thanks to the support skill, allowing both to blast the Chocobo Eater's face.]

[ Oh man that was great. She can't help it, she cackles in delight. ]

Oh man that was awesome!

[ Sensing opportunity, the chocobo darts in to launch another good set of kicks on the side missing an arm. Meahwhile, with the chocobo having healed the worst of her frost injury, she's free to do whatever she wants and so she Draws with a flourish- ]

Did somebody order a Balance?

[ There you go Kanji. As promised. ]

You can shoot freakin' lasers!? That's badass!

[He turned to Futaba, curious as to what a 'Balance' was. With the card's activation, the sensation was immediate- an overflow of strength, a tightening grip on the greatsword. He felt like he could grab a truck and smash the Eater to pieces with it.

He really liked Balance.]

H-holy crap- Thanks, Futaba!

[Well, he'll just make use of it, right? As the Eater swats at the offending chocobo, distracted, Kanji raced in. With a heavy underhanded swing and a roar, the follow-through carried the monster up and off of its feet again. Kanji toppled with it, scrambling up the body and grasping the weird double-mouth. With a heave of his body weight and added strength, he yanked the maws open and held them there.]

We're fresh outta chocobos for you to eat, but I think we got a substitute for ya...

[Now was not the time to blush, but it was cool to shoot lasers...]

I didn't exactly prepare my elemental bullets before this...

[So she kind of only had lasers to fall back on... and her sword. Still, when Kanji grappled and opened up the Chocobo Eater's mouth wide, while she could theoretically go in for the strike with the blade, that still risked it breaking free and swallowing.]

[No, no, she would raising her gunblade again, aim, and shoot the next laser she had ready into its gluttonous gullet.]

Don't care. Still cool.

[ And that just means there'll be more awesomeness to witness later. Not that this whole thing isn't pretty awesome as is. Part of her wishes she could switch to Puppetmaster to add to the beatdown, but that would take time and she doesn't actually have her puppet with her.

So instead she Draws again and.... eh. A Bole for Kanji. ]

Try not to get skewered now.

[ The chocobo meanwhile, takes a bit of a hit while trying to distract the Eater, but given the awkward angle it had to try to hit him at, he's able to get back on his feet quickly enough. And he'll be going in for a few more kicks now that it's vulnerable again. ]

[Bolstered by added defense, his grip tightened on the maw of the beast. A laser fired in and he could smell the ozone as it burned to the gullet of the Eater. In a last-ditch effort to turn the tides and ponder escaping to eat chocobos another day, the large fist wrapped around the paladin and began to bear down.

That was fine. This was fine. He shut his eyes and grit his teeth. Even so beat up, it still had considerable fight left in it. When the chocobo descended to give a round of kicks to the face of the eater, it hissed and found itself thrown back, but it began to give off an odd black smoke.

It twitched.

It dissolved.

Kanji landed on the cobble in a heap of clattering armor, sword bouncing twice away from him. But he quickly held up two fingers for victory. He was okay. He just needed a minute. The Boon was a burst of light and a shower of stars as it activated. Guess even in its death throes, a boss could give adventurers a little hell.]

Edited 2018-05-08 15:10 (UTC)

[When the Chocobo Eater finally went down, Naoto had this inexplicable urge to pose for victory... how strange. She did lower her gunblade at least and let out a breath.]

The chocobos are saved for another day.

[A big incident like this probably wouldn't immediately occur again, but a creature with a diet for the birds would inevitably return. Still, they could celebrate this success. Cristo fluttered over, his fur fluffed as he clapped.]

Marvelous job all of you!

[ She feels you, Kanji. She really really feels you. So much so that she pretty falls to her knees as it dissolves as well. Then flops on her back dramatically. ]

Well, that’s it. I’m done for today.

[ Except when she opens her eyes again, there is a yellow feathered face peering down at her. ]

Uh-

[He puffed out a breath and decided that was enough of a break. He pushed himself upright to scramble to his feet, and went to gather his sword. As it slipped into its sheath at his back, he saw to the others.]

You guys did awesome! I think we got a solid trio!

[But as he went to smooth back his hair, he noticed the bird had lingered. It was checking in on Futaba... what was it doing?]

Agreed. Let's return and report our success.

[Though, noticing that the chocobo had approached Futaba too, Naoto raised her eyebrow. She was no animal expert so she wasn't certain what it was doing either.]

[ The chocobo continues to peer at her in some concern. It's a sort of stalemate until she props herself up on her elbows to get a better look at him. And then the chocobo reaches down and pokes at her side - the area where earlier Blizzard spell had been most concentrated - with its beak. Futaba flinches. ]

Ow, hey! I thought that got healed!

[ Sitting up properly, she surreptitiously lifts the collar of her shirt slightly to peer down towards where he's poking and. Well. She glances back up again. ]

You know I heard somewhere that frostbite bruises when it thaws. Never actually seen it before, though...

[ Guess it didn't heal all the way? Or maybe there was some amount of lingering injury even after it got healed? Come to think of it she's probably gonna have to ask Ren and Makoto how they dealt with all this kind of stuff now. The injuries and whatnot. Ugh she does not like being targetable.

That being said, the chocobo does not seem satisfied now that she's aware of the lingering injury. Instead he's now inspecting every inch and - to nail home where this is going - starts preening her hair. ]

Wh- hey! What are you doing!?

[Yup. That did it. Kanji broke out into laughter.]

Y'got yourself a mama bird!

[Just so long as the chocobo doesn't start feeding her earthworms, everything seemed okay by him. But he wondered more about the strange birds- did they walk up and 'pick' people like that? Was that how Cavaliers worked? He'd considered it, even if he had no experience riding.]

Congrats, Futaba, you're a chickobo!

Yes. It does appear to have become rather fond of you, Futaba-san...

[Which was curious. Was it because of the chocobo's supportive nature? Either way, she wasn't making any move to stop the giant bird from pretty much grooming the (shorter) girl.]

... Chickobo.

[What? Geez, Kanji...]

I don't know why- I didn't really do anything sp- hey!

[ She's holding her hands out, gently trying to push his head away enough to get some room. She was hardly the most beat up, she'd only healed him once when he hadn't really needed it- she doesn't get it.

Once she's able to get the chocobo to give her a bit of breathing room, she slowly pushes herself back to her feet. And gives Kanji a sidelong glare. ]

Also call me that again and you'll get a Chickobo kick.

[ Is she serious? Is she not? It's hard to tell, and probable not even she knows. ]

Huh...?

[He just looked confused, frowning. He'd heard people refer to chocobo chicks as 'chickobos'. Did he get that wrong?]

I got enough knocks to the head today! I'm gonna pass.

[He lifted his head as he heard increasing cries of victory from down adjacent streets. Seemed like folks here were getting the upper hand.]

[Naoto wouldn't know. She hadn't been around people actively raising chocobos for too long. She wasn't really interested...]

Let's head back and report we've finished. We can also find out if anyone else needs help.

[So no more kicks around for now guys.]

All right all right, I’m coming.

[ Next to her, the chocobo settles into place, looking 100% intent on accompanying them. So this is a thing that’s happening now, Futaba is slowly resigning herself to. ]

Right behind ya!

[Sorry about bird dad, Futaba. But Kanji couldn't help being a little tickled with the idea of such bonding between human and animal. He liked critters, but couldn't really have them, himself. He hoped she'd be okay with the big bird.]

---

[It was a sound thumping. Lavode among others had suffered the Chocobo Eater problem, and despite how strange the circumstance was for happening all at once in multiple areas (hmm...), the day was won and everyone got weird cabbages (and some like Futaba, bird friends!) for their efforts. They could entice chocobos, he'd been told, so it was best to keep them cool and hold onto them.

With a sigh, Kanji settled in as the airship took off, ready to take them all back to the Curti Center. Ignoring the hustle and bustle as some of the fighters told grandiose stories of their victories, and others still grunted and groaned from their injuries tended to by greenhorn white mages, Kanji instead poked at his iMog. The armor disappeared in a flash, replaced by his normal clothing as Suzette settled in at his shoulder, fanning herself.

Kanji absently stroked one of her ears, and was rewarded with a small coo and a nuzzle of the palm.]

What a ride! If it's always like this, I ain't gonna lie, I could get used to it. I just gotta work on this whole tanking thing more.

You'll get there. We're all still learning and adapting to this fighting style.

[Naoto still had her magitek armor out and was seeing if she could pre-load her gun. Seemed like, without an engagement being in her immediate future, it wasn't possible. Frustrating, but it meant she would have to remember the loadout prior to her next battle.]

[Switching back to her regular outfit now that she had that solved, she put her iMog away, looking between Kanji and Futaba.]

[ She should probably go find Makoto soonish? Apparently she'd been in Lavode as well. For now though, Futaba is just going to chill because uh, she feels about ready to fall asleep for a week. Head rolling back against her seat, she raises a hand without moving her head in response to Naoto's comment. ]

And getting hit.

[ Since that honestly... that's her biggest problem right now. Has she mentioned how much she hates being targetable? She really hates being targetable. ]

[He blinked at her. Right, not everyone was used to combat situations.]

Ya kicked ass back there regardless, but... uh, sorry. I'll work harder on bein' a human wall.

[But he felt something in his soul, something familiar and something Not Good At All. Kanji squirmed in his seat and slouched further, avoiding looking at anybody. He did tip his head Futaba's way, to quickly utter:]

Oi. We're in deep shit. That's The Look.

Moderation both of you.

[Meanwhile, she was still staring, waiting, wondering who wanted to confess first. Since it was now after the battle, yes, she was coming back to this topic. If either of them forgot, Kanji should know better and Futaba was just going to learn...]

...

[ It takes a moment for Futaba to actually lift her head and see what Kanji is talking about, but when she does- ah. Yeah that is quite the intense look she’s getting. Shit. She’d forgotten that had even come up.

Still she does her best not to quail under that look, shoulders stiff and face unrepentant. She didn’t cave under Akechi’s prodding questions, she’s not gonna buckle here so easily. ]

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