[Open] He didn't ask for this

[silentnarration]

WHO: Squall + you?
WHAT: There's a little bird named Boko. Also setting up for Premium Foods drama.
WHERE: Dorms + Premium Foods
WHEN: August 2 onward
WARNINGS: Shady and terrible retail working conditions?

A) Chasing after a bird (Dorms - August 2 and the week following that)
After the confusion that is waking up to a tiny chocobo delivery at his door and discovering Nida's aversion to chocobos in general, Squall is now having a wonderful time trying to figure out what to do with a chicobo.

Spoilers: He has no freaking clue.

Fun fact 1: Boko does not like being indoors.
Fun fact 2: He is very good at escaping.

So there is a barely knee-high yellow bird stalking you today, pecking at your shins, jumping onto the communal kitchen counter, blocking your view of the TV, being cute and making noises along the lines of 'wark' and 'kweh'. Quickly followed by a tall exasperated teenager rushing in to snatch up the bird, muttering something along the lines of "No!" or "Sorry." and awkwardly holding the struggling bird.

Sometimes Boko just breaks free or dodges and there's a chase scene. Squall is not having a good start to the month.


B) Premium Foods is evil (Aug 2) - Setting up! Feel free to skip to the tag options.
Thanks to Boko's surprise appearance, Squall is late for work for the first time that month. An action that will prove to be a bigger problem than expected as his supervisor walks up to him while he's working on cashier lane 5. The conversation is quiet but there's a sense of growing annoyance from the way Squall frowns at him.

Squall shoves the cashier box shut with a satisfying whoosh of rattling coins and metal.

"I quit." His contract is up tomorrow anyway.

"If that's how you feel, we'll be in touch with our lawyers." The supervisor continues to look smug. The explanation that follows along the lines of Squall violating the contract by being late, Premium Foods requiring compensation for the alleged loss of revenue in that time, and the stupid amount they could sue Squall for over it.

Squall goes deathly quiet and turns off the light to his counter to close the lane. "I'm going to count the stock," he announces and walks off, ignoring the passive aggressive complaints from the customers who are waiting.

B1) Angry stocking
Squall can be found in one of the aisles moving items around, squeezing them too tightly, and slamming them down with way more force than necessary. He's lost in his thoughts until a particularly hard slam of a bottle sends ketchup flying everywhere.

Hopefully no one's nearby to catch that.

B2) Angry trashing
Clean up, throwing out expired stock... They're an occasional part of his duties. It's while he's hauling the last giant bag of trash into the dumpster on the far side of the store that the bag rips.

Squall just stares at the mess by his feet and very pointedly kicks the dumpster hard enough to leave a slight dent. He seriously just wants to go home, and he's not talking about the dorms.

((OOC: I forgot to add but Premium Foods is basically a high-end grocery chain that's about as snobbish as it gets.))

Comments

B1

[helpdesk_hero]

Listen, it wasn't often that David got lucky when things were going sideways. But this time he's okay, able to dodge before the bottle blows, and frankly, given he's in good slacks, he relaxes. And he sighs. Sighs and looks around. Before finally fishing the roll of paper towels out of his basket and tearing it open. The wrapper goes neatly back into his basket so he can still pay for it later, and he starts taking paper towels off to help clean up.

"Bad day?" he asks, voice soft. Just let him be nice here.

[silentnarration]

Normally Squall is instructed to say something about that - not letting customers open packages in the store before paying - but he really could not care less right now. The ketchup splattered on his hand mostly. Some of it getting on his uniform.

He sighs and steps off the stool he was using and wraps the ruined bottle in a cloth to contain the mess, wiping off what he can from his hand.

"Yeah," he answers reluctantly, sullen.

[helpdesk_hero]

"Need some help?" David asks, carefully starting to wipe down the shelves with the the napkins.

Seems like he intended to anyway.

[silentnarration]

"If you want. I'll get a bucket," he says simply. He's going to walk off without another word, returning a few minutes later with a cleaning cart and setting down the stereotypical 'wet floor' sign, appropriate stylized for cyberpunk garishness.

[helpdesk_hero]

David doesn't bother to protest. By the time Squall returns he's gotten more of the shelves cleaned off as well, polishing the edges to make sure the ketchup isn't there.

"Have you considered quitting, if you hate your job so much? I mean, this looks like a store where customers have to be really difficult to deal with."

Closed to Nida

[silentnarration]

Even for an early riser, it's way too early for that knock on the door. A polite knock but persistent. Squall groans quietly and turns to the other side, curling the pillow over his head until he can't take it anymore.

He sits up and presses a hand to his forehead to gather his focus, sighing when the knocking continues.

"I'll get it," he mutters, figuring Nida is awake by now too.

There's no one at the door.

But there is a bundle of familiar yellow fluff giving Squall a cheerful 'wark' before waddling right between his feet and towards his roommate, attempting to hop right onto his lap.

"Boko?!" The hell?

Re: Closed to Nida

[skyward_eyes]

Yes, Nida is awake. But he really doesn't want to. Today's his morning off and he's going to enjoy it the best he can. So he does lift a hand and wave it vaguely at Squall to do his thing. Not in Seifer's or Billy's beds for the night means he sleeps the fuck in.

And then the noise. The noise and the name.

Nida rolls out of his bed instantly and is up on their shared desk in seconds flat, having kicked the chair away to keep the thing from getting at him.

"Put it back. Wherever it came from. Return to Hyne-damned sender!"

[silentnarration]

That's the fastest he's ever seen anyone react in a panic towards a harmless chicobo. It's kind of amusing, if alarming. Squall raises his eyebrows at the scene before closing the door and moving to step behind Boko, who is desperately flapping his wings to try and reach. He doesn't manage but the airtime he does get may be a bit alarming for Nida.

"I didn't ask for him," Squall answers, hand on his hip. "What's wrong with you?"

[skyward_eyes]

Damn thing was already after him, and Nida was glaring down at it. And his eyes flicked, every few moments, toward the staffs nearby. If he grabbed one he could keep it away with prodding. But then the damn chick hops and Nida has to back up more.

"There is nothing wrong with me. My life has been fine since not having to deal with those Hyne-damned murderous fowls."

[silentnarration]

"Only if he chocoflares you." And that's not very likely. Boko seems more interested in playing. A few more squawks and leaps later, Squall finally takes pity and awkwardly steps forward to... grab the chicobo?

It's a relief when Boko just settles quietly in his arms, chirping happily.

"I got it."

Totally safe now. Yep.

Angry stocking

[firacrux]

Having missed the highly unprofessional treatment earlier that day, as he'd not gone to the store just yet, Seifer was surprised to walk around the aisle just in time to witness a ketchup explosion. Thankfully he wasn't close enough to get splattered. Instead just watch Squall and smirk at it.

"Bad day?"

He asked as he made his way over to scrutinize the mess. Yup. This job is absolutely infuriating Squall. It's kind of hilarious in a way. Hilarious, and mildly annoying. Annoying Squall is his job damn it.

[silentnarration]

Seifer may not be splattered but Squall was and the brunette was looking fairly miserable over it. He put up a scowl for Seifer when he approached, shaking out a cloth in annoyance to start some semblance of cleaning up.

"They won't let me quit."

So about that shady contract...

[firacrux]

He frowned. Alright yeah, this wasn't the hilarious kind of humiliation he usually enjoyed putting Squall through, this was just sad. Putting him on his ass is funny, him splattered in ketchup because he lost his temper less so.

"What do you mean won't 'let' you?"

Squall did you actually read the whole thing?

[silentnarration]

He thought he did!!

"I was late for work and breached the contract. If I quit before compensating them now, they'll sue me." Ugh. He grew more annoyed just thinking about it. He angrily wiped at his arm. The cloth wasn't going to be enough to clean everything up.

[firacrux]

"You really need to ask for a copy of this contract you signed. I ain't a legal expert, but this shit doesn't sound right at all." Being late being an offense you can be sued for? Nah, fired maybe, sued? That didn't seem right. Not at all. Maybe they need to get Squall a lawyer.

He'd offer to help but it's not like he had anything on him to lend over. And no Squall's not getting his shirt, that's just weird.

Chasing after a bird

[bravers]

[Some things in his life, it seemed, were fated. Weirdness, for sure. Having to deal with other people's bullshit? Absolutely. Getting shot at and stabbed?, more common than not. An affinity with cute, yellow birds? ...More of a Thing than he'd care to admit.

He's just about finished showering and stepped out of the communal bathroom (clothed. Fully clothed, because he's not an idiot and he takes his stuff inside with him) when there's the sound of heavy, thick-soled boots bounding down the hallway as well as the pitter-patter of tiny, clawed bird feet just before it.

...The smell of a baby chocobo is about that of a fully grown one- potent- and his eyebrows furrow at such a sensation. Here, of all places? Wait, what?

He turns his head just in time to see the tiny chickobo give a loud 'kweh!' and literally leap into his arms.

And he eyes Squall- who (hopefully) would come to a halt from his chase before he knocks the pair of them over.

He's silent.
But his expression says it all, his head tilted slightly, even as the tiny bird is nuzzling it. His eyes are practically glowing with curiosity.

Finally, he speaks.]

...Where'd you find it?

Boko's new mom!!

[silentnarration]

[Luckily for every one of them, Squall does come to a stop. He looks frazzled as he tries to collect himself again. He doesn't understand how one little bird can be so much trouble. Boko's broken out of the room every time without fail.

He frowns in confusion at how taken to Cloud the bird is.]

He was delivered to my room. [A pause. This seems like unnecessary information but it slips out anyway.] His name's Boko.

finally together ♥

[bravers]

Oh.

[Boko's really small. He can't be any bigger than any of the hatchlings he's seen walking about that chocobo farm outside Midgar. He keeps his eyes on the little bird, not flinching when Boko apparently decides that his mother's earring is the most interesting thing in the world and starts to nibble it- before combing his beak through the longer parts of his wet hair.

...Some part of him really wishes he had some greens. Boko's adorable.

The only indication of his approval of the little bird is a small bump of the bridge of his nose to the top of Boko's head, met with a happy 'kweh', of course, which soon turns into a series of indignant 'warks' , flaps, and leg kicks as he collects him, a hand over each wing, and presents him back to his rightful owner.]

I'll try and find some greens for him. Might calm him down.

[silentnarration]

[Well, at least one of them is fond of baby chocobos. Even just that little bump of his nose is more affection than Squall thought Cloud capable. A moment broken by the distressed sounds Boko is making as he's being returned to his unfun owner.

Squall sighs and accepts the fussy chicobo, cradling it firmly under his arm for now.]

He was delivered with some, but it won't last the week. He doesn't like to stay put.

[He runs a hand through his hair and reluctantly adds.]

I don't know what to do with him.

[bravers]

What kind?

[It's an abrupt question. Perhaps a strange one. So he decides to elaborate.]

Different types of greens do different things. Most're used for things like strength or endurance conditioning, but they affect mood too. Sounds like he's pretty excitable.

[And cute. But he's not going to call attention to that. Boko himself looks like he knows damn well how adorable he is anyway; so it barely needed to be mentioned. He drops his gaze to the chicobo thoughtfully before raising it to Squall at the next statement.]

Sounds tough.

[And cruel of whoever sent Boko here for Squall's collection. A chocobo in a city in general seems cruel.]

A) Birb meet birb.

[mrsarcastic003]

Tim has never seen a chocobo before, and has no idea what he's looking at as it hops across the kitchen counter to investigate his sandwich. It's obviously a bird, but it's not one he recognizes, and so he has no idea if bread is going to be good or bad for it. He put his hand over the top of his food before it can get too interested.

"Not bird food. Probably."

He nods in greeting to Squall as he comes running in after the bird. "Friend of yours?"

Double birb!

[silentnarration]

Boko does the curious headtilt animals do when they've been denied something interesting. He leans forward and lightly pokes his beak to the top of Tim's hand. An act he quickly aborts when Squall approaches. He warks in alarm and leaps behind Tim.

Squall looks frazzled, like he's been trying to keep up with a baby bird the whole morning.

"A chicobo pushed on me." Seriously, he didn't ask for him. He tries to stare the young chocobo into submission. "Come here, Boko."

The bird kwehs defiantly and stays behind his Tim-shield.

[mrsarcastic003]

Tim bites back a grin. It's not funny. It's not. Honestly.

...It's a little funny.

"That's what it's called? A chicobo? I've never heard of them before." He twists a little to look at the bird. "Go on--I think your person it looking for you."

[silentnarration]

Nghh don't laugh.

Squall covers his face with his palm and sighs when Boko refuses to budge. The bird spreads his wings in defiance and in an attempt to look bigger.

"It's a bird from my world. They get big enough to ride. They're called chocobos. The little ones like him are chicobos. He showed up this morning."

[mrsarcastic003]

...Nnnnnnnope. That's not doing anything to keep Tim from wanting to laugh, though the idea of a riding bird is kind of amazing and fantastic to him. "Congratulations on your joyful arrival. Are they all this stubborn?"