[open] if you could only see

[exsoldier]

Who: Zack & YOU, plus some closed prompts!
When: Throughout Aguril
Where: Throughout Aefenglom and the Wilde
What: August catch-all: quests, Zack going feral, red string spell stuff
Warnings: Violence due to going feral

[ prompts are in the comments below! if you want a specific starter for anything, you can pm me or hit me up over at demonology! ]

Comments

[exsoldier]

[ Is Zack the lighter of the two? It's hard to say, especially when he's got a lot of muscle, but he also isn't going to question it too much. This may be Styx's way of gracefully bowing out of the job of riding the wormipede, if he's actually kind of scared of the thing.

Scared or not, though, Styx does hold his hands out to the massive worm creature, which takes note immediately and shifts away from Zack to accept its second meal with eagerness. That allows Zack to take a step back and wipe his hands on his pants, removing as much algae residue and worm spit (is that a thing?) as he can. ]

All right, here goes.

[ He gives the wormipede a large berth as it feeds, circling around to its back. There are no easy footholds to climb onto it and it isn't wearing a saddle or anything, either. Zack frowns in contemplation. While he could leap up high enough to land on its back, he doesn't think that would garner a good reaction from the beast.

Still, these things are probably used to being ridden, right? So Zack approaches it from its rear, where its body tapers off somewhat, and then sets both his hands down on its mass so that he can start to push himself up and onto its back.

Shockingly -- beyond a little bit of wriggling -- it barely seems to react. ]

[tothemetal]

[oh...those teeth (were they teeth? did bugs even chew?) kind of tickled, now that the thing's attention was focused on him. Styx can't help but laugh softly over the sensation, slowly but surely becoming more and more endeared to this hideous thing as time passed. he nearly misses Zack's journey into riding bareback if not for his declaration, at which point he finally looks up - because how could he not? the guy was about to hop onto a giant bug.]

Good luck, dude.

[cute as this thing was becoming to him, it was still quite obviously capable of doing some damage...maybe that memorial song was still an unpleasant possibility after all. the drummer can't help but hold his breath as the other man inches closer and closer...just a bit more, and...

...and nothing?

Styx is a hell of a lot more surprised than the bug, that's for sure. looking down at its feasting countenance again, like he's expecting some hidden emotion on its chitinous face, his eyebrows shoot up in total awe.]

...it really don't mind you doing that, does it? 's so weird.

[exsoldier]

Guess it must be used to it.

[ Zack can't imagine what would have driven the people of the Underground to look at these wormipedes and decide that they would make good farm animals, but it may be that they hadn't had much choice. It's not like they're going to find chocobos (or chocobo-like steeds) wandering around in underground tunnels. Until recently, the people who lived down here didn't even have access to the surface, so looking at it that way? It makes sense.

Now that he's comfortably seated on the wormipede's back, Zack's pretty sure that the hard part of this job is done. He almost wishes there was some way to snap a photo so he could show it to Cloud later, but there's still work to be done. They won't be paid their share unless they get this bug back into its stable, most likely. ]

Maybe if you grab some more algae, you can start luring it back toward the city? I mean, it should know the way, but that'll help it along. I'll do what I can to keep it on the right track from up here.

[ Not that he's got reins or anything to help in the process, but even just nudging his knee against the wormipede's flank should spur it forward, if it's well-trained. ]

[tothemetal]

Yeah, guess...kinda makes it even wilder when you think about it like that, though.

[like. people just riding around town on gigantic bugs? it was something out of a scifi Western show or something like that. much like Zack he wishes he could record this moment, although it would have been a picture that he'd have to hold onto for much longer; no one from home is here to appreciate it, a thought which stings a little bit even after a month or so of adjustment. he's pretty sure that even Vincent would be impressed by this monstrous livestock.

his companion's suggestion is a sound one - horses know the way back home, but do millipedes? - and elicits a nod from Styx. as he's pushing himself back up to his full height, however, he pauses like he's thinking about something. reaching a conclusion in short order one of his now empty hands reaches out to give the wormipede an affectionate pat on the head. looks like somebody couldn't resist forever.]

Good boy.

[girl? both? he really had no idea how bugs worked. he's just hoping that the other man didn't quite see that, a little shy about it, and moving swiftly to start scraping up some new algae for their big buddy.]

[exsoldier]

[ It is an odd thought, and Zack doesn't mind going off the rails with it either. Do they race these things? Or do they eventually eat them? He can't say he loves the idea of eating a wormipede steak, but maybe they actually taste super good, who knows?

Even with his thoughts running wild, though, Zack doesn't miss the way that Styx pats the wormipede and praises it. Not that he has any issue with that -- some positive reinforcement is probably a good thing, right? The wormipede makes another set of clicking noises and Zack can't be sure if it's pleased or confused or annoyed or what, but...

It doesn't seem angry, at least. ]

Maybe once we can get back we can find out what this guy's name is. I'm pretty sure it's safe to say we've made a new friend.

[ As Styx gathers the algae, the wormipede instantly starts to move forward and Zack shifts his weight to adjust to the sudden change. All things considered? This is going pretty well. ]

[tothemetal]

[not angry is probably the best that Styx can hope for, realistically, especially when they were both thinking about things like wormipede burgers. thank god that 'psychic abilities' weren't one of the strange traits that this weird livestock counterpart possessed or this wouldn't be going half as well as it was now.]

You think they name them? Or is it like, uh, those big farms 'nd stuff where they've got a ton hanging out at once?

[he'd remembered, as a very young child, seeing pictures of those large scale farms in a textbook and asking how they kept track of all the cows' names. the teacher's despairing look alongside the laughter of his classmates had clearly stuck around in his memory, stupid as such a trivial thing was.

either way, Zack was definitely right - this was a new friend, whether he'd need to have a name invented or not. it makes the big guy pretty happy to contemplate as they begin steadily backtracking towards the city...which ultimately leads to the undoing of this peaceful caravan.

Styx is so wrapped up in his own cheerful thoughts that he's no longer really paying attention to where his feet are going, and while the walls are certainly the most heavily coated with algae it isn't as if the tunnel floors are exactly free and clear themselves. all it takes is one slip and he's going down, algae in his hands splattering all over his face and front.]

Ah, shit-!

[normally this would be embarrassing but easily recovered from, with the big guy up on his feet in short order. however...the wormipede can easily see that its meal has been more or less spread out for it to consume all at once rather than in the tiny nibbles it's been getting up until now, and surges forward with excited chittering to 'clean up' the mess that's been unintentionally made. oh boy.]

[exsoldier]

[ Styx makes a good point. If the wormipedes are basically raised as livestock, then they might not have names at all. Just numbers, as part of a cataloging system. Is that how they did it with chocobos? Zack doesn't actually know, but he'd always named the ones that he got saddled with, those rare times that he'd ridden one for the sake of a mission. ]

Guess we'll have to ask when we get him back. [ In truth, Zack doesn't even know if their new friend is a he or a she. Not that it matters too much. ] And if not, we'll make one up ourselves!

[ Zack continues forward with confident strides, intent on finishing up their task and getting their payout. He's pretty sure they're home-free at this point, up until Styx yelps behind him and there's a loud crash as he slips off and falls to the tunnel floor, scattering algae everywhere.

Whoops.

It's not the end of the world, but the wormipede wastes no time in taking advantage of this development. Zack sighs, crossing his arms over his chest as he chides the giant bug. ]

Hey, no need to be greedy! If you overeat, it's gonna take even longer to get you back!

[ Zack isn't foolish enough to try and snatch any of the algae away, but he does close his fist around what he's still holding in reserve. After a pause, he steps over to Styx and offers him his free hand to help him up. ]

You all right?

[tothemetal]

[Styx can't really tell what's going on around him, let alone what Zack's doing in response to his own colossal fuckup thanks to his view consisting of nothing but the wormipede's hungry mandibles. his startled cry quickly morphs into unintentional laughter, because while these things aren't hurting him they really tickle. it's kind of a merciful turn of events, really; even if he wasn't laughing on purpose, the sound helps ease some of his guilt over being a liability again.

their insectoid charge is an extremely thorough eater despite one of its tenders' chastisement and soon enough there simply isn't any part of Styx that it finds appealing any longer. if nothing else it proves that these things are relatively harmless unless provoked...useful information for the future, probably.]

Um...yeah, 'm fine.

[it takes the drummer a second to sort of return to a world that isn't just giant bug face, but when he does the reassurance comes readily. the wormipede is heavy, even just kind of half looming as it was, but he's tough. not smart, clearly, but tough.

taking the offered hand and hoisting himself up onto his feet again, his expression becomes contrite.]

Sorry, man. Kinda fucked up a pretty good thing there, huh?

[exsoldier]

[ As far as Zack's concerned, this is something that they can laugh about, shrug off, and then move on with little else said about it. Styx doesn't seem to feel the same way, judging by the genuine apology that he offers as if he just made some terrible mistake.

Zack scoffs and waves him off. ] No big deal. These things happen. [ It could have just as easily been Zack who tumbled off the wormipede's back, as far as he's concerned, and so there's little reason to dwell on it.

Their new friend is still munching on as much algae as it can easily access, and Zack shakes his head in dismay before giving the large bug a light smack on the flank. ]

All right, all right, you've had your fill! Come on, we gotta keep moving.

[ He glances back to Styx. ] You wanna give it another go? Or should I take a turn? [ Zack doesn't see a point in discouraging Styx when his fall had been an accident, but he also doesn't want to push him if he doesn't feel like hopping up on the bug's back a second time. ]

[tothemetal]

[do they, though? maybe to Styx...but he's pretty sure that the same couldn't be said for anyone else. still, it seems like his apology's been accepted, and that's really all it takes to put the big guy back into a better mood.

...the cute chittering the bug makes at being smacked doesn't hurt either.]

Uh, you think it'd be ok? Was kinda fun before...uh, you know.

[the swan dive. or, worm dive, as it were.]