[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

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.

[skyward_eyes]

It has what? Nida blanches a little. And yeah, now he's eyeing the window. Squall might be about to have a room alone.

"Yeah, you can't keep that here," Nida declares as he stares at the menacing thing.

[silentnarration]

Don't jump out of the window every time there's a problem, Nida! Boko just peers back at him cutely.

"Of course not. He smells." Is that really the main issue though? "But I can't leave it outside. He needs his mother." He thinks so? The little thing's always stalking after an adult when Squall leaves the forest with a chocobo.

[skyward_eyes]

Not every time. Sometimes he climbs to higher areas. But there aren't a lot here. But he might blanch a bit at the idea of a full grown chocobo.

"Maybe you could, I don't know, build it a pen or something. Ask Seifer. He'd help. He probably likes those fluffy evil things."

[silentnarration]

"Where would I build a pen?" This city is dense packed. He looks at the fluffy thing in his hands, confused. "Who sent you?" he actually wonders out loud, mostly absently before he talks to Nida again. "It doesn't make sense to give him to me if the Head took my GFs."

[skyward_eyes]

"Rooftop. Warehouse. Somewhere that isn't our bedroom," Nida answers. Because he knows he can't just stay with Billy all the time. And he can't beg too much on Aqua's kindness by living with her and Seifer.

Still he watches the chocobo, distrust in his eyes.

[silentnarration]

"Warehouse is too far. I'll check the roof." He sighs. "He has to stay here for a few days until then." He doesn't want Boko but he can't leave a baby bird out in the middle of this city. Boko chirps at Nida happily and wiggles.

[skyward_eyes]

Stay here? In their room? The look Nida has says that is hardly okay.

"So basically you're telling me to move out."

[silentnarration]

Squall looks a little frustrated at that.

"No, I'm not. But if you have a better idea, I'd like to hear it."

[skyward_eyes]

“Let Seifer watch it? He would love the thing.”

Nida? Nida anticipates being mauled. Again his eyes dart to the window.

“Chocobos hate me. I have scars from them. I am not dealing with a chocobo.”

There may be a light plea in his voice. That thing is a menace.

[silentnarration]

Squall sighs. Why this and why now? And how did Nida even manage to get chocobos to hate him?

"Seifer has a roommate too." Maybe Aqua won't mind. She doesn't seem like the type who minds animals.

In the meantime it's probably not helping that Boko nearly breaks free and Squall has to scramble to keep hold. He does manage to grab the wiggly bird again at least. This is not what he wanted to deal with this morning.

"I'll take him outside for now, scope out the roof."

[skyward_eyes]

"Somehow I doubt Aqua will care," Nida answers immediately. She's got that sort of magnetism that would make animals like her.

Good news, Nida doesn't yelp in distress at the chocobo getting loose. But he does flinch.

"Yeah. Do that. You can use my belt as a leash. Or one of yours."

[silentnarration]

He bites back another urge to sigh.

"Fine. I'll ask." Between Eos and Boko, they're going to turn into a veritable pet house.

He's almost proud of Nida for not jumping out the window immediately.

"I'll use mine." He's been getting a mystery belt left for him every other day or so since he arrived. The collection is amassing. Now that they have a plan, he wanders over to his closet to figure out the logistics of holding bird and getting a belt.

It's not working very well.

After a frantic squawk and near escape that Squall finally stifles, he steps back with a look of resigned annoyance.

"Nida..." Just... get a belt for him please. His closet is kept neat at least. The belts are getting out of hand though.

[skyward_eyes]

NOOOOOOPE.

"Your bird, your job to leash it."

The window seems so much more interesting right now, and Nida's definitely eyeing it shiftily. "Not like he can jump up here, right?"

Please be right.

[silentnarration]

Wonderful.

"We could find out," he says drily. He awkwardly secures Boko under one arm, tucking his head under there too which seems to help him settle, and quickly reaches in to grab a belt.

He looks between bird and closet for a moment and reluctantly places the chicobo in the closet. It works. Boko is distracted by the new area, turning in place and poking his head at the clothes and wall and the top of the drawer he's standing on.

The belt goes on relatively easily after. He's... not sure it'll hold but it'll have to work for now.

[skyward_eyes]

Once the little feather ball is leashed Nida is quick to get down from his desk and head for the dresser. Does it seem like he's maybe packing a few days of clothes? Yes. Yes it does.

"Geez, how is it that YOU get the bird and not that chocobo headed Cumulus that we met going to the hang-out spot?"

[silentnarration]

Squall casually blocks Boko from trying to jump out of the closet, keeping him on a short leash while making sure he doesn't hurt himself in his excitement.

Is Nida talking about Cloud? Squall studies Boko. He supposes the other soldier does have chocobo-like hair.

"What are you doing?"

[skyward_eyes]

"You clearly need space for the bird. I... Squall, this isn't fear. It's experience. Chocobos attack me with no provocation. I've had to use curagas to deal with the damage. It's actually safer for me to not be around."

None of it is a healthy fear given in to the situation.

[silentnarration]

Squall frowns. "You don't have to leave. I'll find him a place by the end of the day."

And it's just a baby chocobo. How much damage could it cause?

[skyward_eyes]

"Listen, I can stay other places," Nida insists. Thing is, he doesn't fully believe other places will hold the chicobo. "I've got people who will let me crash for a few days."

Really, he didn't need this room.

[silentnarration]

A deeper frown.

"I'll... text you later in the day if I don't find something."

That'll give Nida time to leave before he has to bring Boko back, right?

"I'll keep him outside in the meantime."

[skyward_eyes]

"Thanks. I'll... Just harass Seifer and Aqua. I'm sure they'll judge you for it," Nida offers, but he tries not to be frustrated. In the mean time, I suppose I can start my day. Just be careful with the chicobo."

Because who knows if the thing will attack his stuff when it can't get at him.