deus_ex_machina | IC Inbox

[No he's gonna ask eventually. During decent hours of the day.]

If she knew she would have told me already.

[The words are as cold as an blizzard spell. Do it again and see what happens. Ace finally thinks of them as his siblings and others aren't allowed to badmouth them.

Also, what?]

What is that sound?

Huh?

Oh. That's Chichiri. You woke her up.

[Technically Machina did by being a snarky grump. But scapegoating.

But uh, since when has Ace ever given a rip about anyone else in the class? That's.. different. Never heard or seen him get so defensive of any of the kids. Although yeah okay Deuce is pretty harmless.]

That doesn't sound like a chocobo.

[His voice has taken on a teasing accusatory tone. Did you name another pet Chichiri?]

[Shut up, Ace. :|]

She's not. She's a duck.

[A duck so young she can't quack yet. Just peep.]

[No never. :3]

..........

[Can you hear the light judging?]

You got her before Izana arrived.

[Not a question.]

[Hey, he didn't take the ribbing from Sora. He's sure as shootin' not taking it from Ace.]

Yeah? So what if I did?

[Defensive much, Machina? Point is, Izana isn't the only one who got forgotten when she died.]

[It's not ribbing. He can remember Machina in the stalls saying he was thinking of naming a chocobo that.]

Isn't it confusing?

[Now that both Izana and Chichiri the elder are here.]

Maybe.

...

...

...

Sometimes.

Why not just give the duck a slightly different name then?

She knows her name. I'm not changing it on her.

If she's still young you can change it and she'll learn it pretty quickly.

No.

[That name is a leftover remnant of his life with Izana, and then without Izana. He picked it even when he didn't understand why, or why it made him overwhelmingly sad. He's not changing it. Not now, not ever. Just in case.]

Isn't it past your bedtime?

[Fine, fine. He'll leave it alone.]

What makes you think I have one? [Especially here with no mother, no siblings and no orders.]

Right. Why would one of Dr. Arecia's pets have to sleep for a job the next morning?

[Some people don't get to ride along on their mommy's coattails and skip exams and interviews. Just like they don't get to blow off work because some jerk asked a late night asinine question.

...except err, Machina did rather start it in the first place.]