closed 🌠 hold on, there will be better days

[starshower]

Who: Tifa Lockhart & others
Which: February catch-all
Where: Around Reverein
What: Some follow-ups, spider traps, etc.
Warnings: None at the moment.

If you'd like to do something with Tifa, please feel free to contact me via PM or over at crystariums and we can plot something out!

Comments

[tantailizing]

Should be!

[Though, uh oh, now they have a problem. Because, despite Zidane making an attempt to catch the bird, it is still covered in oil.]

Aha! We might have a problem on our hands!

[starshower]

[He is getting oil everywhere, his little feet leaving trails of it while the rest drips off his feathers as he rushes around, skillfully slipping out of Tifa's hands when she does manage to get her fingers around him. Although he doesn't sound scared as he chirps and kwehs, but they sound like happy ones, like he thinks they're playing.]

Well, at least we know he's fine. In a good mood, but—

[Her counters!!!

Tifa pauses to rummage through the fridge, and pulls out a head of lettuce.]

This is no gysahl green, but close enough. Here.

[She tears off a leaf and offers it to Zidane.]

[tantailizing]

Nice catch!

[And what an energetic little Ace they had on their hands. And they were wondering how he'd gotten caught; a feathered ball of energy like him speeding off without a thought is rather expected. His parents must find their wings full often.]

[Taking the lettuce, he nods.]

I have a green, buuut only good chocobos that sit through their baths get one.

[starshower]

[Looks like they've managed to grab the attention of the little bird, because his beady eyes are staring right at the lettuce in Zidane's hand, and then at the larger head of it in Tifa's, and she shakes her head.]

Get in the sink and then we'll talk.

[She steps over to it and turns on the water, pointing for the chocobo to follow. The tap is at a steady stream—gentle enough that he should be able to run underneath it without much trouble. So she tears off a second piece for herself and sets it down. Lo and behold, the chocobo does what's asked of him and taps over to the sink, looking in before hopping down with a kweh!

....

And then looks at Zidane expectantly.]

[tantailizing]

[Grinning as the good chocobo settles himself into the sink, Zidane will give him the lettuce. Actual greens come after someone's nice and clean and not covered in oil anymore. Also, Zidane would make sure all the webs were gone or mostly gone before going to sleep tonight.]

Good job, buddy!

[starshower]

[Tifa looks around the counter, her lips turning down with a frown when all she finds is a bottle of dish soap that she picks up and turns over in her hands.]

You think this is safe to use on his feathers? ... Better than the oil, I guess, but...

[She doesn't want to harm the little guy if she can help it, but it looks like he's already having fun under the steady, light stream of water, puffing and shaking off his feathers and running back and forth underneath it. Every now and then, he pauses to look and waits for them to watch!]

[tantailizing]

I think so? As long as it's soap, and he doesn't try eating it...

[And he has to... tilt his head at the bottled dish soap. He more often uses a bar, but okay; and Ace has nothing to worry about, Zidane's looking back every time he turns their way. He sees ya, little guy, haha...]

[starshower]

Alright. You hear that? No eating the soap!

[She tosses a leaf of lettuce in for good measure after she removes her gloves and dabs a small bit of soap into her palms, rubbing them together until they get nice and bubbly.

Probably a good thing he's occupied himself with the leaf because Tifa reaches into the sink and very gently starts to massage it into his feathers, and he chirps quietly—happily—at the feeling, flapping and opening his tiny wings for her and inviting Zidane to do the same.]

Looks like it's coming off fine enough. Mom might need to pick off the rest when we get him home. You said you'll take him?

[tantailizing]

Haha... he'll be spitting out bubbles along with a few other things if he did.

[Was Zidane admitting to eating soap before? Noooo... but boys do dumb things when they're kids so no promises. Anyway, looks like the oil's coming off without a hitch and he nods.]

Yup! I can take him back!

[starshower]

[It does make Tifa raise a single brow at Zidane as she idly scrubs at the feathers, one corner of her lip pulling up into something of a curious, pointed smirk, but she makes no comment. Maybe a young Zidane had eaten soap once... it's not the most difficult thing to imagine, and she'll try not to laugh at that image that it forms in her head...

And by the time she finishes up, it's with a nod as she reaches for a clean dish towel to help pat the bird dry.]

I think I might head back out myself and see if I can't find any more of those traps. There were a lot more than I thought there would be, and we don't know what else could've gotten caught up in them.

[tantailizing]

[He'll swear up and down that it wasn't him if asked. While Tifa gives Ace his (or her? Hard to tell at this age really), he breaks up some more lettuce leaves... and takes a gysahl green out of his side pouch.]

Yeah. It's going to be a long day working on those, and I started early.

[And he enjoys his sleep.]

[starshower]

Once we get them cleared out, we can all rest easy.

[Although she's sure the world wouldn't mind if he took a rest for a bit. He's deserved it ten times over, and they've at least managed to clear out plenty already.

He stretches out his neck from beneath the towel as Tifa dries him up, and escapes from her to tippy tap along the counter for the gysahl green, jumping and flapping his wings at it while he tries to shake off the water residue she didn't get.]

Well, little guy... Zidane's going to help you find your mom, okay? ... You gonna be alright finding it on your own?

[tantailizing]

Yeah.

[Though, it'll probably only be for a bit. Given how the place seemed to work, it was only a matter of time for something new to happen.]

[Sure enough, he didn't put the gysahl green down for long before it had Ace's attention. Looks like getting caught and putting up with a bath were already just things that happened in his mind.]

We'll be fine. Tracking down chocobos actually isn't that hard; it'll just be a matter of finding the right ones. Here's hoping he doesn't just get excited at seeing other chocobos.

can prob start wrapping this!

[starshower]

Even if he does, I'm sure mom'll know.

[Moms always do!]

This is where we part ways, Ace. You be good, alright?

[The chick chirps at her before he's back to pecking at the gysahl green, but he does pause to look up at Zidane.]

Let me know if you need me and I'll come running, okay?

yee

[tantailizing]

Haha, no doubt she will.

[Not that he knows personally.]

[Not that long, but parting is already such sweet sorrow.]

You got it, but I think we got this. Right, Ace?

🎀

[starshower]

I know you guys do.

[Tifa gives them both a small wave, and then addresses Ace.]

You keep this guy out of trouble, okay? And be good when you get home to mom. [With a wink to Zidane:] Let me know when you get him home safe.

🎀!!!

[tantailizing]

Awe, so cruel! I won't get us in trouble!

[Much... And with the chocobo in tow, he waves back.]

You got it! Later, Tifa!