A/N: Hello, salutations, and welcome all to a sort of new (but not really) set of ficlets. If any of these are familiar, it's because they are lifted nearly wholesale from short interludes I did in my Many Chaptered fic "Standing By" as a way to glimpse into what some of the characters who were away on missions were doing. Mostly this is so 1.) People know I'm still alive and 2.) People know I'm still working on Standing By! Which is set to come back on its anniversary on Oct 6th this year and post every day until it is finished. If you've never read Standing By, consider it if you like the idea of a rom-com of a love doctor who can read your mind (and hates his job) combined with an antagonist who embodies the existential dread that no one really likes you. Fun times!
All of these ficlets are based on certain aspects of RPG campaigns I've been a part of throughout the years. This one has a part two, but I won't post it until it's posted on the SB fic as well later this year.
In a field on the outskirts of Fiore
"How did you get us into this?!"
"Me? You were the one who picked the job request!"
"Only because you were seriously content on a fight to the death with Erza in between us!"
The ice and fire mage respectively proceeded to shout various other insults, obscenities, and general curses at each other across the field they stood in as the person who requested the job looked on in a panic. "Please, both of you! The horses will get spooked if you-"
Just as he spoke a full-grown horse with a wild black mane and a thick brown body burst from the field right above where Gray was and charged him. Gray barely had enough time to put up a shield before he was kicked by the rampaging stallion and collapsed on the ground. The horse snorted in disgust and promptly dove back underground.
Natsu howled in delight at Gray's misfortunate. Karma was swift, however, as seconds later another horse emerged from right below Natsu, this time taking him up on his back as it leaped up. The dragonslayer immediately turned green as the horse seemed to not slow down as it plowed across the field; the sick mage unintentionally holding on tight to its mane.
The ranch owner rubbed his temples in frustration at the carnage. More than half a dozen holes lay scattered across the field, each one created by a horse that had been disturbed by the noise. He had tried to explain to the two when they arrived that they needed to be quiet and delicate when stepping on the field as the horses were ripe to come springing out. One thing led to another and the two were stranded in the middle of the field, screaming at each other and making the horses spring out like popcorn. The rancher wanted people to help grab his crop before it burrowed further underground, but at this rate, he would be lucky to capture one horse by day's end.
He winced as Natsu was finally bucked off and the horse dove back underground. Now the two were even further into the field. "Ok, I get that you two don't like each other, but please just slowly walk back and we can start on your actual job-"
Before he could finish once again, yet another horse sprung out of the ground, this time butting Gray in the head and kicking Natsu in rapid succession. The two lay dazed on the ground as the rancher threw up his hands in disgust.
Forget a week; it would take the rest of the month to harvest the horses properly. If they even managed to get out of the field alive.
