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+--- Thread: The Cat, the Bird and the Dead (/showthread.php?tid=5000)
The Cat, the Bird and the Dead - Zoetrooper - 10-10-2013
(( It's been a long time since I actually jotted down some story RP, so I figured I would share with all of you. Hope you like it! It kind of explains a little backstory and how Zach gets his mounts, because I'm a stickler I had to explain in a /hopefully/ interesting way how he gets a coeurl mount. Cheers and don't be afraid to let me know what you think. I am a tad rusty after all. ))
The morning was calm, the wind gently nudging itself against the leaves of the towering old trees deep within the Black Shroud. The sun warmed the ground and heralded a visitor to a secluded cottage far from any town. It was a hyur woman, about forty years of age, with a simple carriage being pulled by a single and rather aged chocobo. Her name was Avalea. She wore a straw hat and simple farmer's garments, her brown hair tied in a french braid and slung over her shoulder. She was aging well, but the lines on her face revealed a history of labor and being in the sun for long hours of the day.
The old bird came to a stop some distance from the house, swaying nervously, it didn't seem to trust its surroundings and stamped its feet in dismay. Avalea was quick to get down from her wagon and soothe the chocobo before grabbing a small bag from the back and approaching the house. Though she had made this walk every day for the past year, she was still nervous, looking over her shoulders into the woods as if expecting an attack. No such assault came, but her movements continued to be stiff and nervous, her hands very nearly shaking as she knocked on the ornate and well made little door of the cottage.
"Mr. Rowle..." there's an uncertainty in her words as she knocks on the solid walnut wood door.Â
There is no answer, not unusual, perhaps the old man was still sleeping. Avalea reaches for the doorknob and pushes open the door a tad, it swings easily enough on its hinges despite being so heavy, a sure sign of good craftsmanship. Her hazel eyes peer through the morning gloom of the cottage, no candles  were lit so the only light source was coming through the drapery of the windows. A figure lay in the bed but something wasn't right. Avalea, now holding the door open only a few inches had a sinking feeling, her heart seemingly jumping into her throat.
The old Elezen was dead; his eyes closed, chest unmoving. He was as old as he looked, the creases in his face were deep like the crags in stone and his hair was white, the hairline above his temples receding. He had passed peacefully in his sleep, the covers still draped on him from when he was tucked in from the night before.
Avalea rests her head against the door, tears welling up in her eyes as she bites her bottom lip. Thoughts begin swimming in her mind, she knows she should go in there but the general uneasiness of the dead keep her looking on, her hand now a death grip on the doorknob. When out of nowhere a feral and bestial feline face peeks through the cracks of the door. Its massive head nearly twice the size of her own, it's features a mix of reptilian. Before the Hyur woman has a chance to scream the creature roars and reaches a massive and deadly clawed paw out of the door. The claws tapping along the ornate designs.
The woman jerks the door closed a little bit more, fighting against the brute's sheer size and strength by pinning the creatures arm in the door. It hisses, a slitted eye staring at the woman through a now narrower crack in the door. It then emanates a series of grumbling growls as the panicked woman tries to catch her breath and compose herself.
"GIGAS. Stop it. Let me in," she tries to stare the coeurl down, and finds mild success as the beast draws away from the door, the claws tapping against the wooden floor as it mills around the house. Avalea rolls her eyes and enters to check on Cyphen Rowlaux's body, but is stopped short by the massive coeurl growling at her and crawling onto the bed, practically laying on top of the recently deceased.
"Gigas," Avalea says sternly as she moves closer to the bed.
The lips of the coeurl immediately draw back as she nears the corpse, the fangs of the creature completely barred. It roars in defiance, threatening the woman with a swing of it's paw. Being intelligent, Gigas was aware that something was amiss, and was doing what it could to protect the fallen pack member. The Hyur takes a hint and backs out of the door, swearing to the beast that she will return and shuts it behind her.
With a sigh the woman heads back to her chocobo and wagon and with a heavy heart attempts to figure out how she should word the letter she is about to send to Cyphen's nephew, and wracking her brain on how to get an overly protective coeurl away from a fallen packmate.
--------------
Zachree was standing in the Chocobo stable of Gridania, waiting to be assigned his mount courtesy of the Order of the Twin Adder. He had been standing there for some time, getting quips of conversation about looking for a bird large and sturdy enough to carry the seven fulm on ilm Elezen. Zachree then sighs, running a hand through his thick hair. A strange sensation immediate follows as tiny, stubby, little hands poke their way into his ebony locks.
Spinning around he finds himself face to face with a Moogle, the ball attached to the top of its head bouncing playfully as the creature attempts to appear bashful, spinning around and batting its wings. Zachree composes himself, realizing to most people it just appeared as though he had spun around crazily and was now looking at thin air.
"I have a letter for you, Kupo!" the moogle pulls the piece of paper out of some mystery hiding spot from behind its back and hands it to Zach. It nods with a smile and bobs its head, "But don't read it while I'm here, kupo, it's too sad!" The creature rubs its face to simulate crying before taking off into the streets of Gridania. Loosing sight of the creature Zach decides to open the letter. As he works his way through the midlander influenced cursive his ears begin to droop, a pained expression on his face as he learns the fate of his great uncle. It wasn't totally unexpected, Cyphen had already lived far longer then he ought, the responsibilities of raising a child keeping him around far past his expiration date.
A cheery stable hand comes out of the building with a large chocobo in hand. The chocobo already wearing the tabards of the Order, saddled and ready to ride, "I have your chocobo sir! What are you going to call it?"
Pushing his sorrow aside Zachree pockets the letter and turns to look at the young hyur male.
"I'm sorry. I can't do this now, there's something important I have to attend to..." turning to leave he finds himself stopped by a hand at his shoulder, another hand offering him a set of reigns.
"Your chocobo will help you get there," the young stablehand says with a concerned smile.
"Ramza," Zach replies taking the reigns from the rosy cheeked young man.
"Pardon?"
"His name," with a smile the dark skinned Elezen hops onto his chocobo and rides deep into the Black shroud, a long and heavy-hearted journey awaiting him.
RE: The Cat, the Bird and the Dead - IncubusManatee - 10-10-2013
(10-10-2013, 05:26 PM)Zoetrooper Wrote: her brown hair tied in a french brainÂ
Very good story, liked it a lot. Couldn't help but go "Raaaaaamzaaaa?" When I read that name. And also I think you meant "braid" in the sentence above. Overall, very likey.
RE: The Cat, the Bird and the Dead - Zoetrooper - 10-10-2013
(10-10-2013, 05:34 PM)IncubusManatee Wrote:(10-10-2013, 05:26 PM)Zoetrooper Wrote: her brown hair tied in a french brainÂ
Very good story, liked it a lot. Couldn't help but go "Raaaaaamzaaaa?" When I read that name. And also I think you meant "braid" in the sentence above. Overall, very likey.
Hehe. My homage to my favourite FF game I suppose. And thank you for pointing that out! I did indeed mean braid. Fix'd!