grotto_logs | [Closed Log] - Staking a Claim

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[Closed Log] - Staking a Claim

Who: The Loser Triad (Zed, Ace, and maybe later Deuce) and the Harvest Sprites
When: Forward dated to Spring 5, if that's okay
Where: The soon-to-be-claimed Beach Farm
What: Zed brings Ace along to help him on another round of poking around. A strange energy down by the beach draws them both in, and then they find themselves with more than they bargained for.
Rating: Can't see it going higher than PG.

If Zed was nothing else, he was enthusiastic.

After a talk with Kanji had pointed him in the right direction as to a way home, the demon had bounded into the situation with a renewed energy, and gone looking for "overgrown and gross" places to take care of. How, he hadn't the faintest idea.

So he'd recruited Ace to help. Ace had struck him as a basically calm and levelheaded person, during their first meeting - perhaps the sort of person who could figure out the fine details so Zed could attack the problem at full throttle.

As they walked, he tried to give an explanation for his plan as best as he could. Given that it was secondhand information received from someone still figuring out the situation themselves, however, Ace might still have found himself with questions. Especially since, when allowed to let his enthusiasm run away with him, Zed's ability to communicate rationally tended to plummet in turn. And he was, for the first time since the first day, in a good mood.

It felt good to have a goal. Setting out, without his sword or his armor, seeking a task he had no idea how to manage - it was a proper heroic endeavor, if ever there was one. And if he rose to the challenge and met it, he would have surpassed the Quarter Knights fully and completely.

It was the morning of their third day in Bower Village, early in spring. They'd followed the spring, for lack of any other direction to take, and something - maybe fate, maybe luck, maybe the Harvest Goddess herself - kept them on the path long enough to reach the promontory, with its tangle of wild yet edible plants and its scraggly plum trees.

Zed paused at the top of the rise, and surveyed the scene. The scent of the plants immediately caught his attention as absolutely nothing he recognized. If not stopped, he'd make a beeline for the plum trees. "What a charming little place this is."

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Why did he even agreed to do this again? Where he could try to do something even more logical?

...Well, because so far, using his logic didn't bring him anywhere in particular.

Ace, like always, was never the most enthusiastic person. So when Zed had invited him to come along, there was the part inside him that was still reluctant to do so. The conflict in his mind collided against each other for a short time, only for the positive part to win that out significantly. Hence why he was now following Zed.

Without asking more question, even. He, indeed, still had tons of question regarding Zed, if not this Cape Beryl in general. But that could wait for later, for he knew that Zed probably wouldn't able to provide him with the answer that he had sought. This Harvest Sprites that Zed had told him were probably the one that could shower them with the clear and perhaps, tender answers.

With that in mind, Ace made his beeline elegantly, following the source of clear water alongside the other man. At least until they had stumbled into the rough plains. The place, for the lack of better terms, was rather different from what they had walked through. It was not a bad thing, of course. The plum trees were interesting to gaze on its unique way.

"Indeed this is," he paused, his gaze was now scanning the whole area in general. In any other situation, he would like to make somewhat witty comment about where did the fishing pole in that corner came from. Though, this was barely the time and place for sightseeing. "I still fail to see of what should we do here, however."

"I have absolutely no idea! I assume that if this Harvest Goddess wants something from us, she will appear to us and tell us herself."

He did have no idea what to do to bring out the "harvest sprites", except perhaps talk really loud so they'd notice he and Ace standing here and hanging around.

All the same, if anywhere would work, Zed thought they had a good chance if it was here. There was something...neglected about the place, a sense of beauty and life hidden by time and debris, that wasn't there with the rest of what he'd seen of Cape Beryl. It reminded him of Filgaia, in a lot of ways.

"We are offering our assistance! She would be a fool not to take us up on it."

It took a bit of a hop, but Zed managed to reach up enough to grab a plm down from the tree. It wasn't ripe, this early in the spring, but he neither noticed nor cared. Curiosity was a powerful force.

"You know what they said," Ace audibly set out a sigh. "Beggars can't be chooser."

Even though he said that, Ace kept on his own faith about this Harvest Goddess. A monster was one normal thing for him, but a goddess? l'cie was the closest thing to that, and there were still mysteries surrounding their figures. He could never figure that out.

"Be a little more patient and polite, she would appreciate it."

Probably, yes. But that was Ace's way of holding things up against unfamiliar person and his ideal for that would not break just because he was in a different world altogether. In the meantime, while Zed was off to take the natural resource from the tree, Ace was already scanning the other side of the area, hoping that the tale of Harvest Goddess was no lie indeed.

Zed made a face. Not only because the plum had turned out to be impossibly sour, but because the idea of being polite to a Guardian - a "Goddess", if that was what they called them here - was one he was having to adjust to. Sure, he certainly wasn't going to try and destroy her or destabilize her this time. But as far as he understood the Harvest Goddess, they were still two basically antithetical beings. Guardians usually had no love for demons.

The fact that this place really did seem quite nice was making him wonder if she or any of her agents were here at all. Zed could normally sense the divine well enough to be uncomfortable and on his guard when he did, but there was nothing like that, here. Either the Harvest Goddess was a lie, or she'd taken that ability away as well. Neither was a particularly nice option to think about.

Zed finished the fruit in a few bites, then straightened up and cleared his throat. He tried his best to look and sound appropriately solemn.

"Oh, Great Harvest Goddess! We would be most grateful if you would tell us we were on the right track, or maybe send your Harvest Sprite minions to do the same! It is only fair, since we're just trying to do our best out of our depth."

Zed was pretty obviously struggling to be polite, and also pretty obviously uncomfortable with the idea of summoning a Goddess or agents of that Goddess to talk. He'd try his best if it worked, of course. But it was just one more reminder that he was very, very far from home, and very, very lost.

If this was any other situation, Ace would probably get more amused than ever at Zed's reaction. Hilarious was probably an utter understatement to the other man's change of expression of attitude. Yet, that was not the wisest of movement here, for they needed to take care of the necessary things first.

Hence why, even though this was not going to even make sense, Ace approached the spot where the stream of waters gathered the most.

"We're in dire need of help."

That was short, but it hit the main point very hard, as far as one could understand. If the tale of the Harvest Goddess and her Sprites were not mere empty words, surely they would prove their existences by reciprocating what the two male had done.

"Us, too," came the muttered, hands-wringing response of a little fellow in blue with pointy ears as he edged through the stalks out of the grasses nearby and stepped into view.

Another in green behind him scrambled up behind him, gave him a pat on the back, and saluted. Yet another, in more of a blue-green, decided to make his appearance closer to the man with green hair - for good measure, he clapped his hands.

Zed let out a most undignified yelp - first at the voice, and then at the realization that one of the little things had sneaked up on him. Unconsciously, his hand moved to a sword that was no longer there, until he remembered that the "something" they'd been trying to make happen had.

Well, then. They certainly looked...sprite-like.

Zed drew himself up, gathering the bruised remains of his dignity yet again, and cleared his throat.

"Well...good! Of course, n-not that you need help. But that both of us need help! And we will help you if you will help us! This is our offer. And, um...we hope it is good."

While the frequency of his surprised yelp was not as high as Zed's, Ace was still unable to hold his inside. Had his instinct as a warrior gone blunt? Or those things were the one that were able to hide their presence amazingly? The initial opposing instinct that had been in Ace's eyes were soon gone for good as the blond witnessed the sprites approached both him and Zed.

It took Ace a small headshake and a sigh before he was able to retain his composure once again.

"Just like that guy said."

He should add something to strengthen their request here, really. But Zed's words had already hit the spot. So maybe the only thing he should say here was...

"Please."

His head was now bowing a bit, to show his genuineness and politeness.

All three Sprites bowed, not quite in unison, first back at the blond boy, and then - stiffly by the green and with a grin from the teal - to the one with the green hair.

"Of course!" said the green.

"The problem is," the teal picked up, cocking his head and tugging his coat, "that there's not a whole lot we can do for you without you helping us, first."

"You were trying to speak to the Harvest Goddess," said the blue. "We've been trying to speak to her for weeks."

The green nodded. "No doubt about it, surely she would help you sirs with pleasure! But..." His smile bent wryly crooked. "...Even we - her Harvest Sprites, if there was any mistake - haven't been able to summon her."

"How do you expect us to find her when we are still getting lost in the woods?" Not that he'd gotten lost in the woods and found this place more or less by accident. That wasn't it at all. "I could normally find her easily enough, if it were not for this place interfering. Surely you know this place better than us and backwards and forwards!"

Where could a Guardian disappear to? Become inactive, yes, but they could normally still be found, contacted, by the right people, unless something horrible had happened...

...but, there was no point getting annoyed at the little guys. Even he could see that. They looked way too harmless to be the cause of any problems. And in a way, they were in the same fix that Ace and Zed and everyone else were.

"Well. First we will try to help you, and then you will help us. Especially if you cannot help us now anyway. Right, Ace?"

And once again, because Zed seemed to have already mentioned what needed to be mentioned, Ace was left to just elaborate a little further about the deal.

"Is she the one who sealed our strength?" the frequency of his tone made it clear enough for the Sprites that he was not trying to put the blame on the Harvest Goddess, he was merely asking for a confirmation. "Or are you?"

Okay, maybe playing the blame game was not going to fruit anything for anyone. Depending on their answer, though, Ace might question about any way to get their powers back. But no, he wouldn't rush things up. He was going to play the patient card here.

As Zed's question rang into his particular ear, Ace made a shrug, the one that seemed to be slightly dismissive, but without any form of disagreement as well.

"I don't think we're left with any other choice, to be honest."

Well, everything was taken care of. Kinda. Ace got a farm to tend now. He got what probably would be his source of daily income. But the most important one was not that, it was one big step to what he had always dreamed for: Making a ranch. Granted that it was not going to be a chocobo ranch, but the joy of watching any creatures enjoying themselves... That was still one of the most beautiful things that could happen in his lives. Ace would not throw this chance away. Definitely.

Thus that prompted him into another question, although he kept it mentally to himself: How should he do this? He knew how to raise chocobos from what his azure eyes witnessed, but those cute yellow birds weren't here, as far as he had experienced. Not to mention there were a lot of things that needed some... proper handling. His new place to live, to name one. Ace was always the neat person indeed, but if he was going to delve deep into raising animal in his custody, he probably wouldn't have much time to take care of the house. Zed didn't seem to be the type to do that as well, if he might say so himself.

Another helping hand was necessary.

The first name that passed his mind was no other than her's, of course. Deuce. She could always be depended for anything in particular. The brunette would smile, nod, and obey like the saint she was. Not to mention that having her around his side always made him relax. There were a lot of times that he wished that he could talk to her privately about things unrelated to war and such, and this was a good call. Ace was never complete without Deuce by his side.

With that in mind, he quickly rocketed his steps toward the inn, leaving a short letter there about how much he needed to speak with her for many things regarding this place as well as about how he would wait for her by the Town Square. The weather was not being all that friendly, but open atmosphere was still an open atmosphere. That was always how Ace had always preferred his zone and it would never change so soon.

Should Deuce left for the Town Square, she would definitely find an Ace sitting somewhere comfortable, his expression as levelheaded as ever.

And she noticed it right away. After Deuce had returned to her room in the inn, she quickly read the beautifully-folded letter for she knew that that specific letter was directed for herself. But of course it had to be Ace's, of course. If it was him, she would not postpone any longer and let her legs lead her to the designed place.

Just as how Deuce had immediately noticed Ace was lingering on one of the bench, Ace would probably find the number two of Class Zero waving slightly at him just right at the moment after she entered the area. Yeah, the sky was not the clearest right now, but who was she to complain about the weather? No sooner than that, Deuce found her spot right next to Ace, smiling politely at him as her soft voice emerged.

"How are you doing?"

First thing first, proper greeting. Though actually, asking where he had been gone was one of the plausible question as well for she hadn't seen him for the whole day already. Where had he gone without telling her the details?

In return to Deuce's polite waving, Ace only lifted his arms a little, before giving a welcoming nod at his partner. As fast as he had expected. This was why having Deuce around was never a hindrance. Casually, Ace let Deuce to occupy the spot that she felt the most comfortable first before he returned her smile with his own.

"Never been better. You?"

Especially considering what kind of present the Harvest Goddess had showered him.

"Perfect."

A fit of giggles was erupting from Deuce's lips as she said that. This moment right here was actually a perfect timing to do some casual and friendly conversation, but no, an exact purpose for their meeting right here was already set. Tilting her head to her side a little, she asked inquisitively.

"What is it that you want to tell me, Ace?"

Well, even though he was talking to her, wording this thing out without leaving an impression of being a weirdo to her would be rather hard. That Harvest Goddess was, after all, could be considered a divine being in this place. Still, he would try to sound as calm as ever by casually exhaling a long sigh before he actually replied.

"I met the Harvest Goddess."

His turned his head aside slightly, his eyes soon traveled to meet his partner's.

"She does exist."

She thought she was already used to the surprise that this place gave her, yet it seemed that this one still managed to her. Her eyes were getting only slightly wider as she stared back at her par.

"You did? How?"

That explained about where Ace had gone, though.

This... was going to be funny to explain. Ace let out a single, small snort which was followed by a sigh soon before he explained things.

"Long story short," he shook his head without any sign of negativity. If any, Ace was actually chuckling softly. "She just appeared. Don't ask me how."

Her Harvest Sprites, actually. But that still counted.

If he said it like that... Well, she wouldn't question it much.

"I see."

She brushed her plain skirt for a bit, nodding a little before she continued with her question.

"Did you ask about a way back to our world, Ace?"

Not that she expected any good answer, but knowing that wouldn't hurt. She was starting to get used to the tranquility of this place, after all.

No playing with beautiful words when it came to conversing with Deuce, that was for sure. Even if he was to decorate his words with a lot of elegant phrases to make the true meaning of his words seemed less disappointing, she could definitely tell. Lying to her wasn't going to be the best of an idea, in the end.

"I did. The answer was not to my liking, sadly."

Her liking as well, probably. They were as good as stuck here, and it was confirmed by a deity of this world.

"Oh, is that so? That's unfortunate."

The hopeful tone that was in her tone was only diminishing by a small amount. To be honest, she had already been expecting an answer like that. Fortunately Deuce had adapted to the place well enough, so things weren't as bad as it had been once.

"But if we were taken here, then at least one way out exist, right?"

Ace was glad that she seemed to be able to take things easily. Not that he hadn't expected her to do just that. A weak smile from his end, he calmly nodded his head at her question.

"Logically, there is at least one."

Even if that one was something unbeknownst to them. Regardless, his weak smile was getting stronger as he spoke his next word.

"Although I do have a good news as well."

Deuce confirmed his answer with yet another nod from her end. There had to be at least one. There had to be...

Her face, however, made a positive turn when Ace mentioned the thing about good news. Tilting her head to her side a bit, she brightened up as she curiously voiced her question.

"And that is?"

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[Closed Log] - Staking a Claim

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excuse the lateness orz

Sorry for the wait!

Hey, man, it's finals season.

at the very least, we're game

The two of ye are the best~

And so are you!

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also hi Deuce sorry for the lateness

H-Hope this is right...

totally legit for me B|

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