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[menphina]

[ The video is just a dark-haired catgirl with her face against her hand. People might recognize her as a miqo'te if they're familiar with them! She's addressing the device while a little duck and dragonet play on the desk near a pile of colorful strings by her side. Some freshly cut flowers are stacked behind them, too. ]

Had enough craziness this moon. Adventuring here doesn't really have the same spark as what we'd do back home, though... and there's been a few folk heading that way, it seems. At least I'd hope.

[ Seeing friends leave is always sad. She just hopes they're safe! ]

Name's Megumi, Matriarch of the Utakata Tribe. Got a request for you lot.

[ Her ears flick, as she continues: ]

What sorts of adventures did you lot have, anyroad? Got a few bells before I'm off duty, and I like to write about them. Tell me about them, even the most mundane. Maybe a chocobo chased you around, or you tried to eat a moogle's pom. Something or the other.

[ She holds up a pattern by the strings, a chocobo and mog pattern (smaller and cuter designs though!) before setting it down. ]

That's what those are. Anyroad, there's a charm in it for you, as thanks. Or a potion. Wasn't much of a magical person outside of my healing, but I'm missing what I used to be able to do all the same. Somehow controlling plants just feels rude at times.

[ She twirls a string bracelet on a finger, from the pile she has on her desk. ]

Tell me a story then, aye? You can say the accessories bring good luck. Made by a Radiant Matriarch and all. That would be me, by the way. Don't forget it.

[ And she winks, before she ends her side to see what she'll get! ]

Comments

[tantailizing]

Oh yeah, we'd have to do that, huh? No one would care about getting a card with an unfamiliar monster on it. Or maybe, otherworld monsters could be rarer cards...

[It's just a thought. He nods, grinning.]

Exactly. Limiting yourself to just people you know will just make you feel alone. There's plenty of great people to meet outside of that bubble!

[His tail sways.]

Right! So, this story starts when I met a Chocobo named Choco and their friend, a moogle named Mene. Choco had a rough life before we met, having escaped from a cruel owner and escaped into the forest. It wasn't an immediate friendship for us because of that, but he came to trust me with some gysahl greens and patience.

[menphina]

[ It's worth considering, and definitely something she might have to talk about at a later time! She smiles as he continues to talk though, resting her face in her hands as she listens, ears flicking attentively. They lift when he pauses! ]

Poor Choco! Was Mene looking after Choco all this time, then? That's sweet. Though now I'm missing Starflower... that was my chocobo back home. He's big and blue, like a sapphire! He ate too many O'Ghomoro Berries and his feathers turned blue! But that's my favourite colour, so I think he did it to impress me.

Anyroad, continue! I want to know what happened with Choco!

[tantailizing]

Yeah, Mene was, but he's also a weird little moogle sometimes. Also, I think he needs his eyes checked...

[He remembers that moogle saying something, but he hasn't confirmed or denied who it was directed at yet.]

Huh! First I've heard of that happening! But haha, if he did do that for you, that's sweet of him.

Right, so, a way we bonded was playing this game Mene decided to set up in the forest. Chocobos got pretty strong beaks and an even stronger sense of the land - so! Mene would hide items in the ground and we would hunt for them in the forest with Choco using his beak to dig them up. But while we were playing, Choco uncovered map pieces to treasure scattered all over the world! Even Mene wasn't sure how they got there!

[menphina]

[ That makes her chuckle, and she does look impressed! ]

Goodness, Choco turned out to be a treasure hunter! What a delight! Were you able to locate any of the treasures from those maps, then?

[tantailizing]

Yup! But during our hunting, something strange happened. One of the chests wasn’t filled with treasure, but a strange mist. I’m not sure what happened, but when I came around, Choco was no longer a yellow chocobo, but he’d turned light blue and could swim in shallow water and rivers!

[menphina]

You mean he couldn't before? Swim that is! I just had to train Starflower to fly and swim myself...

[ Is that now how most chocobo worked?? ]

[tantailizing]

Don't forget: before we met, Choco didn't have a good owner. If he could learn without turning color, I wouldn't know. The main takeaway from this really though was he gained this ability and complete change to his feathers without much explanation.

Of course, that's not the end of our story. We kept finding treasures like that along with the others. The next turned him red and we began climbing every mountain and cliffside with no problem. Then after the third, he turned dark blue and we were swimming across the ocean to islands and other continents!

[menphina]

[ Her ears wiggle in delight as she listens to this tale... goodness, Choco really sounds like he's having adventures worth chronicling! ]

He's growing more confident then, isn't he? It sounds like meeting you was the best thing he could have had.

He's lucky to have you, Zidane!

[tantailizing]

Haha, I’d like to think, but he’s the one that decided to trust me to help him.

So, with our treasure hunt having no bounds, we found one more of those strange chests. And this time, when the smoke cleared, Choco had become a golden chocobo!

[menphina]

A golden chocobo!! Goodness!! That's bloody fabulous! What about his abilities? He'd been learning them all the way, hadn't he?!


[ She knows there are tales of chocobo of different colours having different abilities- like the rumored Red Comet that seems to live around Dalmasca, but!]

[tantailizing]

Oh yeah, and he knew them all including flying after this last chest. Now there really wasn't anywhere we couldn't go.

[menphina]

Then where did you go with him? Did you ever find any other treasure? Go on lots of adventures together?

[ She sounds excited! ]

I hope he lives with you, now! Though he probably misses you when you're not around...

[tantailizing]

Slow down, the story's not over yet~

[But he's happy she's entertained.]

Nah. Choco has Mene to keep him company, and he's a brave bird nowadays. He doesn't like staying cooped up.

[menphina]

And he oughtn't! But I can just picture it now- a dramatic parting between Choco and Zidane, a touching reminder to being friends forever... well, I'm certain you can still see him!

[ She cups her cheeks as she looks at the screen. ]

What's next for this adventure, then?

[tantailizing]

Actually, the almost dramatic parting was for Mene and Choco when we finally uncovered... 'it'.

[Pause for dramatic effect.]

It had been a tale that Mene only heard rumors about, but there was a place for chocobos to live in peace if they could find it. And that place is Chocobo Paradise ruled by the King Fat Chocobo.

[menphina]

!!

[ Her ears lift in surprise! Goodness, there's a world where the Fat Chocobo's paradise isn't a story?! ]

Goodness! I'd read tales of a Fat Chocobo's Adventure for a Paradise to my children, but I never imagined it would actually exist somewhere!! This sounds adorable! What happened then?! Did Choco decide to stay?

[tantailizing]

Well, Choco had apparently begun searching for this place so he was ready to stay, but it would mean not seeing Mene again since Chocobo Paradise is only for chocobos. And before you ask, I didn't mind if Choco wanted to stay. Calling it paradise wasn't wrong and he deserved it after looking so long, you know?

[menphina]

Aye, it sounds like he did. Did he decide to stay in the end?

[ She knows she might have her own answer, but. It's nicer having Zidane tell it! ]

[tantailizing]

You probably guessed already, but no. Choco decided to come back. Mene thinks it's because Choco needs him, buuut I suspect it's because Choco knows Mene would miss him.

[menphina]

Because friendship's the best adventure of them all, in the end! What's a paradise without your friends, anyroad, aye?

[tantailizing]

Basically! Haha, I'll give it time; see if Mene catches on to the actual reason.

subject line got eaten but omg I love your zidane SO much ♥ he's too cute!

[menphina]

I've a feeling he'll know. But that was an adorable tale from start to finish! Now I even know what sort of charm I'll give you! It'll be a choco-mog good luck charm! Blessed by the goddess' love, of course!

Thank you for your tale, Zidane. I'm going to have so much fun writing about it!

Awe thanks! He is unrestrained from the ending

[tantailizing]

Right? I think he's in denial cuz he thinks his friend should've stayed in paradise, too. They'll be fine though, I'm sure. Oh, the goddess' love, huh?

[Well, well~]

Haha, you're welcome. I hope I made it entertaining enough!

[menphina]

Right you are! And as a devotee of the Goddess Menphina, I must offer you only the best blessing in my charm. It wouldn't be right if a Radiant Matriarch like myself offered any less after such a good story!

[ She smiles. ]

What are your usual haunts, then? I can deliver it to you. Charms are best given in person after all!

[tantailizing]

Well! Thank you!

[Considering he didn't really... have a god or gods and kinda just cursed, sounds good to him! He thinks.]

It's easier to find me at the Inn in the morning or evening. I try to keep myself occupied during the day.