Half My Life's In Books, Written Pages

[steadypulse]

Who: Soldier: 76 &anyone
Which: Open Interactive Dream; Quest #0901(Baby Tapirs) || Open Log
Where: Dream || Edge of forest and fields
What: The task of feeding baby tapirs within a dream || Recovering after a run in with some red caps, but also there's a fairy cow covered in blackberries.
Warnings: Weirdness that dreams can take on, especially ones edging bad. || Injury.

A.Tapirs

A rich orange sky with yellow clouds and streaks of blue as if it couldn't decide if it was daylight or sunset, fields and corn stalks well over six feet high. Went on for miles, stretched out as far as the eye could see. An old barn, farmhouse- all too far apart to be normal. Smoke rising in the distance but whatever fires they had to be coming from out of sight.

Quiet, with a man standing near some fencing just beside what looked like the start of a corn maze. A scowl on his face, one that didn't fit the young face just by the look of him- "Of course it's one of these," muttered, aware of what was happening to some extent. These were the types that could pull him in, but something had interrupted that.

There was a baby tapir by his foot, gnawing on an ear of corn that looked as if it was glitching between yellow and multicolored. Another wandering a little.

Sounds of groaning machinery was keeping it's distance, at least.

"How many of you got in here?" Little punks.

notice; replies for this prompt will be coming from statued

B. Blackberry Bramble

Had it been the smartest idea to take up the redcap iron hunt from the board alone? Possibly not, but he'd needed to do something, and why not take up one that would have had him fighting? Didn't imagine it would have been like stepping on a fire ant nest the moment he'd gone in to the ruins and brushed against some vines within. Gotten out, gotten some of the farm tools back along with some scrap he'd stashed away.

Currently? 76 was seated on a fallen over log, jacket set aside and already patched up, instead checking over bandaging on his arms. Not alone, however.

Grazing just beside him was one of those Fairy Cows, green leaves and ripe blackberries adoring it. He'd found it on his trip back-

"The moment this is re-wrapped?" A grunt, winding a bit of fabric around his forearm, talking to the cow, "You're going back. Probably safer for you back in your field with your friends." Hell of a day, really.

(ooc: feel free to tag in brackets, I'll match! Want something different? Just shoot me a PM or something and we'll discuss it.)

Comments

[steadypulse]

His head tipped, "They've armed themselves with weaponized farming tools. With how many could be around, no wonder there's an iron shortage." Along with what farm keepers were around not having all of their tools on hand. Quick and short as the red caps were he was... well, caught off guard, but not terrible surprised they worked on overwhelming ambush tactics.

Stupid to go alone, but he'd gotten the job done well enough for one place a group had holed up in.

"Appreciate the offer," fixed the bandage then, flexing his arm to make sure he hadn't wrapped it too tightly, "but I'll be alright. Heal quicker than most folks," even here. 76 did glance back towards the cow as well, "No. Came across her on my way back from one of the ruins."

[twilightskey]

"Farming tools??" Yeesh, no wonder some of those injuries looked so bad. Imagining redcaps armed with rakes and shovels... yeah, that's dangerous! And 76 had faced them alone? Geez...

He frowns at 76's refusal, gaze drifting to those bandages. "Are you sure? I heal quick too, but sometimes a Cure spell helps things heal better." He's never really had someone refuse a healing spell before. It's free heals. Doesn't 76 want free heals??

"The ruins? What was she doing out there?" He turns to the cow, offering her a hand. Can he pet her?

[steadypulse]

Nasty little bastards, honestly.

A low hum, "I'm sure. Easier to watch if they'd laced their weapons with something or not." With this place? Hard to tell, because it had definitely looked like every single tool taken had been modified even slightly to make it a better weapon for the redcaps.

Shoulders shrugged, and the cow took interested in the offered hand- just watch out to the black-purple tongue. "Might've wandered out there. With redcaps breaking in to farms, wouldn't be surprised if a lot of things got loose."

[twilightskey]

Roxas gives 76 a worried look, but slowly, he nods. "Okay. But if they get worse, let me know, okay?" Because he really doesn't want to see 76 get worse cause of his wounds.

So instead, he focuses on petting the cow. She seems to like his petting, and he chuckles when that black-purple tongue licks his arm. Gross! "Well, she seems really friendly... I bet she's glad you rescued her."

[steadypulse]

"Sure." Could agree to it, even if there might not be a follow through from his end.

She was a friendly thing, and at least she had started following after a little nudging. Didn't take that much other than some be of vegetation that she seemed to like. Daisies, funnily enough. 76 hummed, grabbing his jacket so he could pull it back on; hiding every bruise and bandaged wound with it.

"Cows tend to be friendly, even here I guess if she's something to go by."

[twilightskey]

He'd better follow through, cause Roxas will check in on him. He may not have his pack instincts anymore, but he's still got that strong urge to make sure his friends are okay. And 76 is being counted as a friend, even if his memories are clouded.

"Really?" Roxas asks, watching as 76 puts on his coat. Under the coat, he looks relatively normal... not even a hint of injury. It reminds him vaguely of how well the Organization cloaks hid injuries. But he doesn't linger on that thought for long, not with the cow nudging him with her snout for more pets.

"I didn't know that. I've never seen a real cow before."

[steadypulse]

"Yeah- some are more stand-offish than others, while some are more like great big dumb dogs." Just depended on how they were raised and overall attitude. "Didn't really raise animals where I grew up, but was around them enough to know," trips to farms further out and the like.

He zipped his jacket back up, shoulders rolling before he was standing and stretching out. Checking his work and how his motion felt. Good enough.

"Well, you've at least seen a fairy cow."

[twilightskey]

"Really?" Roxas is just taking all this information in, continuing to scratch at the fairy cow's ears and head. It's hard to think of such a big animal like this as dumb, in his opinion. She just looks friendly, and he's reminded of memories of colourful, bright creatures accompanying Sora through the Realm of Sleep.

"I have a friend who'd be able to befriend these things easily. He's got a way with others, animals included. Maybe if we find out where this cow lives, I'll bring him to meet her."

[steadypulse]

"Yeah- like you know ho a really happy dog will act a little dumb? Cows will do the same out of affection," stupid acts out of joy. Anything and anyone could be the same. He patting the cow's side once his pulse rifle was shouldered, avoiding the blackberries that were growing from those green patches amongst the dark purple and blacks of her coat. "See their favorite person? They'll jump a little, and so on. Knock things out of their way to get to them."

It really did depend on the temperament, too. "Be more where she came from, a post from the farms they've come from is looking for them after all."

[twilightskey]

"Cows do that?" This is all completely new to Roxas. He's never interacted with a cow before, so hearing about it fills him with some wonder. And a bit of amusement, given how happy the cow seems to be with the two of them.

"So you mean this cow might jump and knock things over if she sees us?" Because as troublesome as that may be, that's also very cute. "But I think she'll be pretty happy to see her home. Are you okay to walk, or do you need to rest a bit longer?"

[steadypulse]

A nod, hand moving along to the cow's flank for a bit of scratching that she was leaning in to, "Yeah, some do." Especially some of the younger ones- then again the older ones would happily bowl someone over or just not notice it.

Weird for a cow to smell of ripe blackberries, but there they were growing on her.

"It's a possibility," young and energetic, and just as happy to stand and graze- or get petted and scritched. "I'll be fine. Walked on worse."

[twilightskey]

"You know, that's not really reassuring." Roxas admits, giving 76 a look. But he nods to him, before looking to the cow. "You hear that? We're gonna take you home. You excited?" And he'll give her one more good pat before taking a step forward.

"Where was the farm you said you saw?"

[steadypulse]

"Is from me," said with a shrug. This was minor, really. Other than the sting and achhhhe there wasn't much else to it. Could stitch anything up later, but for now he would rather some keep open just in case- even if under bandaging to protect them.

He moved towards the cow's head, fingers and palm rubbing along before moving down along cheek towards jaw as her tail flicked, attention pulling from Roxas to him after she made a noise in reply. "C'mon, time to get you back." At least she seemed eager to follow, too.

"Can keep to her side, encourage her from wandering again," and sneak pats to said side.

[twilightskey]

"Okay." Roxas will do as he's told, moving to the cow's side as he begins walking. He keeps a hand on the blackberry cow's flank, gently patting her soft fur as they moved.

"You're really good with her. Are you used to working with cows?"

[steadypulse]

At least she wasn't too tired to walk, keeping note that there was no limping or signs of exhaustion, watching for it from the corner of his vision. Last thing he needed was having to carry her- even if he could. Rather someone come from the adventure in better condition.

"Grew up on a farm," didn't have many animals, but things happened during state fairs and the like. Had enjoyed getting involved as a kid. "You pick up a thing or two."

[twilightskey]

Wouldn't that be a sight? An old guy like 76, carrying a cow... it would be something to behold, that's for sure.

"You did?" Roxas asks, looking over the cow's neck to look at the old soldier. "You don't look like someone who grew up on a farm."

[steadypulse]

"Life can do that," take a farm boy and make him in to something else- and because he let it happen. Became hat he thought he had to be. Jacket and mask just a different set of armor for him.

76 kept his hand on the cow as a loose sort of guide, fingers curling when he felt it was needed to keep her set in the right direction, but otherwise gave little correction during their walk.

[twilightskey]

"Huh." Roxas waits a bit to see if 76 will elaborate, but the silence stretches on the longer they walk. After a few steps, he turns to look at him once more.

"Well... what's life like for you back home, then?" He asks quite innocently. He's curious!

[steadypulse]

Silence wasn't unwelcome, wasn't welcome either it just- was. How long he traveled alone he was far more used to the sounds of where he was than the voices of someone with him. Had even taken a bit of time to be used to Ana traveling with him back home. Figured it was better to be used to a lack of conversation here, rather than letting himself slip as he had been.

This was all temporary—

"Busy. Always moving. Got a mission to take care of and can't stop for it," and this place was... It technically wasn't in the way of that. This was just some fragment of himself, while the rest carried on.

[twilightskey]

"Mission?" That actually causes Roxas to perk up in recognition, blinking a couple of times at 76.

"You go on missions too?"

[steadypulse]

A low hum, "Yeah. Self-appointed these days. I'm a soldier," and now a vigilante that's cleaning up the streets in his pursuit of answers. A mission was still a mission, all the same. His hand moved under the blackberry fairy cow's head again to get her attention, rubbing ears when her coarse went back on track rather than trying to stray away.

"Infiltration, information gathering, fighting," the whole nine-yards.

[twilightskey]

"A soldier?" Roxas knew what soldiers were. That was another name for a fighter, and he knows fighters all too well. He nods a couple of times, looking down the road.

"Sounds a lot like what I used to do. I used to do missions like that before, when I would go to a new world."

[steadypulse]

"Just an old soldier," and that was as far as he'd go with it. Best to keep it as vague as possible, because it was all he felt he was. Nothing more, nothing less, and a reason he was fine going by his old number that was meaningless and at best random to those that simply had no knowledge of its origin.

Those that would know could take it for a warning as far as he cared.

He knew what Roxas meant, but he wasn't going to speak up some other version told him. Keep some bit of distance there. Differences. "One way to get a lay of the land."

[twilightskey]

"Well, just because you're old doesn't mean you're not able to fight." Roxas knew that all too well. All one had to do was look at Xehanort, or Xigbar, or Yen Sid for that.

"Yeah, that's what we had to do. I didn't really get why at first, but... well, even if it wasn't for the best reasons, they were good skills to have, I guess."

[steadypulse]

"Being old means I'm not that easy to kill."

Good and bad, he just kept going. Could see fencing in the distance now, and a few buildings that read 'farm' to him at the very least. Almost home for the cow. "Can't always help the side you're on, since both have ways of getting you to work for them," even he knew the worst had easy ways of getting people to join without knowing what they were a part of.