[Open] Headache And A Half

[skyward_eyes]

Who; Nida, Open
What; A New Voice In His Head and Chocobo Wrangling
Where; Scientia Household, Markets, Near Chocobo Ranch
When; September
Warnings; Discussion and depictions of talking to voices in your head.

I. The Statue | Scientia Home

It arrives at the door of the house, and just looking at the small statue, Nida knows it's for him. No doubt another one of those little finds that Raimon is good at, something on a list of them that Nida had prepared but never gotten around to coming back for. But he knows it's for him, because he recognizes it from home. Not this little piece, smaller than either of their pets specifically, was exactly like the ones he'd seen at home in pictures, but it was still something of home.

"Now if only I could figure out why you're here," Nida says as he picks the thing up and heads to the kitchen for his morning coffee. He puts the statue on the table to consider where it was almost immediately met by Julia leaping up and nuzzling against it.

"No accounting for your taste, Jules," he tells the feline before sipping at his coffee. What could this be? What could it mean? Why did every bit of his magical senses gifted by Siren scream that it was important?

"Why do you seem so familiar?" he asks after a sip of coffee. Then he reaches out for the thing once more and...

The mug breaks on the floor when he falls. Not that Nida, currently passed out on the floor, really notices.

II. The Arguments | Markets

Nida was learning a lot recently. Like how even a simple walk through the markets on his patrol shift was going to be a headache if he didn't know how to make peace in his own mind.

Oh! Grapes! We should have grapes. You like Grapes!

YOU like Grapes. He doesn't like grapes. There should be no grapes. Raisins instead I think.

Raisins are just boring grapes with wrinkles. Oh, that's why you like them. They're wrinkly. Like you.

And you clearly prefer grapes because they are bloated and much better crushed and fermented like-

"Will you shut up? I'm getting apples and that's final," Nida hissed under his breath, hoping no one else heard him. Which, given his luck, seemed pretty unlikely.

III. The Chase | Near Chocobo Ranch

"Kweh."

"I don't think I can argue with that," Nida said in response to the vocalization of the red chocobo underneath him. The chocobo shied one way and then the other, as if distressed, and Nida of course reached forward to pat her neck gently.

"I know," he says, his voice soft. "I know it's scary. You can smell them too. But I promise, we're here to help the other chocobos. And I won't let any wolves get you. I just need you to do me a favor and help get the other chocobos safe, okay?"

If it gets dangerous, I can shield you!

"That's not a helpful observation, Carbuncle, because she doesn't even know you're here," Nida noted as he nudged the chocobo into motion toward a blur of yellow in the distance. "Maybe save your protectiveness for someone who can understand the words when I relay a message."

And from the looks of it, there might be someone up ahead, astride that other chocobo. Nida raises a hand in greeting to the distant form.

"Well met! You helping out here too?"

Comments

[skyward_eyes]

"Of course. Who doesn't find the guy who saved the world important? Their commander?"

There had been a crush but that wasn't here or there anymore. It didn't matter like this. For now it just made him smile to think.

"I think he'd be annoyed at that. Being that important to people he feels don't know him."

[heartofalion]

Leon nodded. "That sounds about right." Sora wasn't his commander but the kid was important, and he'd saved so many worlds. Not that Leon would ever say that to the keyblade wielder.

His gaze met Nida's briefly as he heard that last part and turned away. That assessment was uncomfortably close, and it made him think a lot as he kept the chocobo moving forward.

[skyward_eyes]

OH he can see that look in Leon's expression, and he chuckles.

"You really are so like him. To the point where I would wonder if you ever met Seifer. Or his other friends."

But that seems unlikely.

[heartofalion]

That one name stopped him a moment but he shook his head.

"Sora mentioned a Seifer in Twilight Town. But I never met him. Said he hung out with someone with an eye patch and a little black mage named Vivi."

Leon sighed. "Now that I think about it, he said there was someone else who said 'y'know' a lot too."

[skyward_eyes]

Never met Seifer? Huh. Quite an interesting thing. Though the person with an eyepatch...

"Fujin! Of course she would find her way to him. And if you're right about 'ya know' then I don't doubt Raijin is around too. I have not heard of a Vivi though. How interesting, the differences. Next thing you know you won't have heard of Ellone."

Which could be true and all the more sad.

[heartofalion]

Leon looked right at Nida when he mentioned the others. Nida knew of these same kids back in his world? Although kids couldn't be quite right since the man before him was grown. What the hell?]

I have no idea who Ellone is.

[Why was that person important?]

[skyward_eyes]

[What? No. Nida looks at Leon and reins in his bird.]

I guess... It's possible that her family may have survived in your universe. Or maybe doesn't exist. In my world your mother adopted her after she lost her family. She was your older sister.

[Though not for as long as she might have been.]

[heartofalion]

[Leon again searched his memory for any word or name that was remotely such as Nida was speaking about and shook his head.]

Never had an older sister. Closest thing I had to one of those is Aerith, but not the one here.

[skyward_eyes]

Ah.

[Nida almost feels bad for Leon. Did the the guy have someone to support him when he was a kid? But no, Leon and Squall were different.]

I suppose that's another major difference.

[heartofalion]

[Leon looked over at Nida.]

Why does it sound as if that's a bad thing?

[skyward_eyes]

It's not a bad thing. It's just... Squall Leonhart's history is complicated and sometimes painful. Ellone was part of that history, and she is a kind woman.

[Nida met her once, in passing. But it didn't matter.]

You seem well enough adjusted on your own

[heartofalion]

[He listened and at the end he nodded.]

If she shows up here let me know. I'd be interested in meeting her.

[Or anyone else that Nida knew too, but he didn't add that although he threw a quizzical look at the other with the well adjusted comment.]

[skyward_eyes]

If she shows up here, I don't doubt she would find her way to you whether I gave the two of you a heads up or not.

[The connection between the two was a true one. She would find him.]

Oh don't look at me like that. Back home I and the Commander are orphans raised at a mercenary academy. Well adjusted is not something anyone can describe us as.

[heartofalion]

[That almost sounded like Nida was giving him something of a prophecy here which was weird. But hearing more of the man's past had him gain a small yet better understanding.]

I don't know anyone that's well adjusted as you put it. But I take people as I find them.

[It was his way of saying that he welcomed Nida into his life.]

[skyward_eyes]

[Yes, it does explain some of why Nida is so broken, doesn't it?]

That perhaps makes you a better person than most, to be so accommodating. That isn't the sort of world I grew up in I suppose.

[heartofalion]

[Leon thought a moment and had questions. But maybe those were best saved for another time.]

That seems to be the world we're in too, or so that I've noticed. And you seem to be that way too.

[skyward_eyes]

[Was he? Nida has to pause, to really think about it. Was he truly that accommodating these days?]

I suppose all things might change with time. Even myself.

[heartofalion]

[That got a look.]

So you're gonna tell me you're not?

[Because Nida had been that way with him since they met in Leon's eyes.]

[skyward_eyes]

I don't think I'm going to argue with you either way. From experience, I do not often win arguments.

[heartofalion]

[There was a smile.]

Saves us the trouble.

[skyward_eyes]

[Nida laughs. Yeah, that sounds about right.]

And you're not big on trouble I'm guessing.

[heartofalion]

Not at all. And fortunately, my main troublemaker isn't here.

[Although there are others.]

[skyward_eyes]

Oh?

[He has a main trouble maker? Consider Nida intrigued.]

[heartofalion]

[Leon smirked.]

Kid's name is Sora. And believe me if he were here, you'd know it.

[skyward_eyes]

Oh god, that sounds worrying. That's almost like saying 'if Selphie or Zell were here, you'd know.'

[And Leon in particular would. They would absolutely seek out Leon and annoy him.]