After one disastrous event, KC doesn’t dye her hair anymore. The Cactuar were confused as to what had happened since they don’t have hair and as far as they had figured, humans don’t change colour in that area. The Cactuar had worked themselves up into such a tizzy that for a short moment in time, they had convinced themselves that KC with dyed hair was an intruder. Needless to say, KC was mildly needled (so to speak) and so won’t ever dye her hair again. She does, however, decorate her hair with Cactuar flowers when they’re in bloom. Not only are they pretty, it helps advertise them for sale!
She’s trap music trash for life. FOR L I F E
She’s a loud drunk. A loud, happy, giggly, enabling drunk. If you are with her and you want to do a thing and she is drunk, she is not gonna stop you. She will encourage you.
During the 10 years of darkness, KC sometimes wanders around with her own lamp with the Knightlights (read about the Cactuar squad here) to help stray hunters or people who are lost near her property. She’s also opened up a part of her property to act as a shelter and outpost for hunters or anyone who needs it. She might not be able to fight, but she does have a legion of dependable Cactuar at her side.
She loves it when Talcott comes to visit. The Cactuar love him too, especially Hyde and Zeek. They like to play hide and seek and red light green light with Talcott a lot.
Gigas is the first Cactuar to pass away and KC pretty much breaks down. It’s not like KC thinks that Cactuar live forever, but she doesn’t think about them dying. Gigas fades away resting in her favourite spot on the property in sunlight. Everyone on the ranch is understandably upset for a little while.
KC’s default lipstick colour is red, but she tries to change the colours according to what colours the Cactuar flowers are when they’re blooming. It matches the flower accessories, but it’s also just fun!
KC’s hands are kind of rough from working on her ranch. Her nails are chipped (which she gets kind of upset over) and there are always little cuts or bruises up and down her arms. Sometimes there are even a few on her face a long with dirt smudges. It’s just what comes with working with Cactuar. When it comes to dressing nicely, KC is always a little scared that someone will say something about these marks.
Dave is honestly one of her favourite people on Eos and she loves his dog. KC becomes friends with lots of hunters and mercenaries because of him. He gets worried because he thinks she lives alone, but she always tells him that she isn’t alone when he visits when he can, keeps sending hunters to check on her AND she’s got a lot of Cactuar coming and going on the ranch.
In her spare time, KC reads young adult novels for quick and easy trashy romance plot lines, but also lots of books on psychology, human nature and almost anything she can find on monsters and daemons. She also does her best to read all the cool research papers Sania writes regarding the changing environment, how it affects wildlife and monsters too. A lot of the research helps her look for ways to help the Cactuar.
Cactuar are a lot like people, they’re intelligent and have their own personalities, so while it does upset KC some that some Cactuar are hunted, she understands that it’s needed. Some Cactuar are just bad and out to hurt people which isn’t good. Still, she tries to avoid hearing news of Cactuar hunts because it does affect her and can put her in a bad mood.
To read more about the Cactuar residents on the ranch, check this post!
A/N: A kind of glimpse into a resolution of sorts based off this. Of course all they do after is continue to fight, but maybe it’s a lot less malicious.
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“We need to talk.” Gladio approached KC as she packed the last of the utensils away after dinner. The bickering between them had escalated to the point where Ignis had pulled Gladio aside and asked that they resolve the issue in whatever manner was possible.
It wasn't like KC hadn't expected this ‘talk’ was coming. Honestly, she was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. She could see the flashes of annoyance written over the faces of the others sometimes. It hurt, but it wasn't underserved. KC knew a lot of the conflict came from her end. It was hard, though. She was always one to try and resolve personal issues, but Gladio somehow hit all of the right buttons to make her lash out at the worst moment. She couldn’t control it. It was frustrating.
“Okay.” The woman followed Gladio a short distance away from the Haven where they could talk privately, but the daemons wouldn't approach.
The stalwart guard wasn't going to beat around the bush. It wasn't like he ever did with the tag along anyway. “What is your problem with me? We need to sort it out before things get more out of hand.” Gladio crossed his arms and gave her that stern, piercing look that he had when things got serious.
“I don't have a problem with you specifically,” KC stated, which was sort of true. “Its—it's complicated. You wouldn't understand.” It was also something she couldn’t explain or wasn’t ready to explain. She understood it was something personal, but it wasn't like she had worked it all out yet.
“Try to explain it. It's a pain in the ass when you clam up.” Gladio had already had enough of her attitude. If it were up to him he would have stopped interacting with KC entirely a long time ago, but since she was travelling with them, he didn't really have the option.
“You need to stow that tone when it comes to me, Amicitia.” KC did her best to keep her tone even, but there was no mistaking the warning bite in her words. “I—” What could she say? She had a lot of issues when it came to particular types of men? That was hard to explain in its own right. Gladiolus would likely just tell her to build a bridge and get over it, that it was selfish to think he would be antagonising to her just because he felt like it. The world didn't revolve around her. Of course it fucking didn't, but how could she explain what she couldn't control?
“You what?” Gladiolus became increasingly impatient. “Just spit it out.”
“It's not you!” KC spat and threw her hands in the air. “Just drop it, okay? I promise I'll try to do better, but not if you keep speaking to me like that.” She shook her head and turned away as she tended to do when she looked for an easy way to stop the conversation. Most people would leave it at that, they'd understand the body language, but Gladio was just as stubborn as she was.
“You're acting like a child, which is pretty stupid because I'm sure you're older than all of us.” The guard pushed forward and reached for her shoulder, but she turned and glared before he could touch her.
“Don't.” KC wore a look of contempt, it was the same look she got when she put up her walls. “Don't push it. I said I'd do better, Amicitia. I'll watch what I say.*
“I still don't get what your problem is with me—”
“It's because it isn't you! I'm projecting.” KC stopped her words before any more was said. She knew what Gladio was like. He dealt with sensitive issues like he did with anything; brute force. She just didn’t want to deal with her issues in that way. Not this one. It wouldn’t fucking work. “If you don't get it, then leave it be. I—I’ll try to do better—what the hell do you want from me? I already know I frustrate all of you. I know I ruined your plans. I know I've overstayed my welcome and my usefulness.” Her voice rose with every word, although she paused and looked flustered after her outburst as if she knew she had failed to keep her voice down. “Gladiolus, I don't know where I am. I'm so far from home, I don't know how I got here and I don't know what my purpose is.” Her voice wavered a little. “Please just leave it. I'll do better. I promise.”
It wasn't like Gladiolus couldn't tell that she was sincere, or that she was about to cry. She cried a lot whenever it came to confrontations with him, which was bizarre since she was almost always the instigator. The man turned his back to her and kept his arms crossed. “Hurry up and finish crying. I doubt the guys would know how to deal with it.”
KC wiped away her tears and huffed. They were tears from stress and it embarrassing, but she took a few shaky breaths and calmed herself down. “Oh, and you do?”
“I have a younger sister, you think I haven't made her cry?”
The woman breathed a weak laugh. True. Gladiolus seemed like the kind of big brother who would make his siblings cry. “...I promise it's just me. I don't hate you or dislike you, Gladiolus. You're a good person, you work hard and you're dedicated to your duty. It's admirable.” But as she had constantly repeated, the problem wasn't ever with the Amicitia guard. It was something deep-seated in her psyche. “Just—sometimes the way you speak to me, the way you speak to others—it brings back bad memories. Awful experiences. I’m not trying to excuse my attitude towards you, I’ve been deplorable and I’m sorry, but—” She shook her head. “Please be patient with me.”
KC wiped the last of her tears from her face. Maybe she had been too stubborn. It was time she faced the reality of her situation. It wouldn't do to keep making excuses for how she behaved. The rules of living on Eos were completely different to the ones on Earth. She would have to do better. Work harder.
“Done?” Gladio couldn't hear her sniffling anymore and her breathing seemed to have evened out.
“Yeah.” KC fixed her glasses and nodded. “Let’s get back to camp.” It wasn't like she hadn’t noticed how considerate the guard had been either. Reluctantly, she swallowed her pride. “Thanks, Gladio.”
She expected some snarky quip, but Gladio simply grunted. Maybe he had been harsh with his words, but he disliked her unfair attitude towards him. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but she treated him like he had insulted her personally. Still, she seemed honest in her apology. It made Gladio uncomfortable in a way, not that he felt guilty, but it was strange to hear KC apologise to him for anything. “You're getting up at dawn tomorrow for a jog.”
Of course. KC resisted an eye-roll. “Okay. Fine. No water to wake me up though.”
“Only if you get up on time. You're worse than Noct.”
“Oh shut up…”
Whatever hell awaited her at dawn, she supposed she deserved.
A/N: Gladio needs a place to stay a night on his way to his trial and asks KC for a favour.
KC offered a curt smile as she handed Gladio a cold beer. He had sat patiently in one of the old chairs on the deck as she went to get him a drink.
Ah, it was so awkward...
It would have been a huge lie if the farmer said she hadn’t been surprised to get a call out of the blue from the Amicitia shield—asking for a favour none-the-less. Out of Noctis’ squad, she and Gladiolus butted heads the most. There was at least one argument or snide comment whenever they were in each others’ vicinity.
So when he called, asking for a place to stay at the ranch for a night, she was too surprised to really refuse. Gladio had mentioned that it would just be him and he would appreciate it if she had kept it to herself. Now he was sitting on the deck sipping a beer as if this wasn’t very, very awkward.
It didn’t help that KC wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do after handing him a drink. Was she meant to start a conversation? Did she need to? Was it okay to just leave him to his own devices because small-talk was not something she was good at.
“You’re not gonna ask?” Gladio seemed to have sensed her discomfort and gave her an opportunity to question him. It only seemed fair since he had kind of imposed on her at the last minute. It wasn’t a small favour he was asking for since he was asking for her silence as well as a place to sleep. He knew he made her uncomfortable as well, or annoyed her, whatever.
“I—well, I just thought if you didn’t want me to tell anyone you were here, you wouldn’t want me to ask any questions, either.” KC nevertheless sat down carefully in the creaking seat beside Gladio. She was tense, sitting with her back straight, one foot tucked beneath the other and hands folded tightly in her lap.
“That’s considerate of you.” Gladio drawled and raised a brow in an amused gestured. He glanced her from the corner of his eye as he drank his beer and saw the familiar annoyed glare and slight pout she wore whenever she had to deal with him. Good. If she acted more like herself then things wouldn’t be so awkward. “Still, if you wanna ask, I’ll tell you what I can.” Which wasn’t much.
KC’s posture loosened slightly, though her hands still moved to grip and play with her full working skirt anxiously. “Are you fighting with your friends? Is that why you’re here alone?”
“Hah, nah.” Gladio shook his head. “Just gotta handle something on my own for a bit.”
“Is it something they asked you to do?”
“No. It’s personal.” Kind of. Gladio set the empty beer bottle aside and settled into the chair some more, watching the sunset over the horizon. Was this kind of peace something KC experienced every day? The farmhouse might have been old and constantly under renovation and the furniture might have been all salvaged and mismatching, but everything together had a soft and quaint homely feel.
“They must miss you—or be very worried.” KC leant back in her seat. “I hope you at least told them you were leaving for a while.”
“Yeah.” It was abrupt and likely raised a lot of questions, but Noctis had Prompto and Ignis, so they’d he’d be fine for the time being—as long as they didn’t do anything stupid. “They’ll be fine.” Gladio turned to face KC just to see her open her mouth to say something and then close it. She was looking at her hands in her lap so she hadn’t noticed that he had seen it. “What is it?”
“Ah—well, it’s just—” She didn’t want to say anything that would spark another stupid tiff between them. She was too tired to deal and this was the first time KC had been alone with Gladio, so she was scared. With no one around, what if he acted less reserved? She didn’t know him well enough to gauge if he would strike her or not, even though he didn’t seem the time. The thought still scared her since he was a hulking mass of a man; he could seriously hurt her.
It was something that annoyed Gladio slightly when it came to KC. He could see that she had a lot on her mind and some days she was blunt as all hell, but other times she would clam up and her conviction to speak would be gone. It was strange and he could never accurately guess what could make her get defensive. Gladio was a people person, but when it came to KC it was frustrating at times—
“Are you okay, Gladio?”
The question threw him for a loop.
KC took a deep breath but still kept her eyes on anywhere else except her visitor. She could see the silhouette of Gigas in the distance, moving very slowly, likely to chase the last rays of daylight. “Of course Noctis will be fine because he’s not the one who’s alone right now.” She twisted the fabric of her skirt a little more as she spoke her mind. “I don’t know what it is you’re doing and I won’t ask for specifics, but I hope you’re okay and I hope you get back to your friends safe.”
The simple question of ‘are you okay’ made Gladio realise that maybe parts of him weren’t. It was a rude awakening, facing off against Ravus. He couldn’t even handle a simple strike—a sudden weakness that he wasn’t aware of was made clear. He was meant to be Noctis’ shield, it was his duty. Gladio wanted to protect and keep his friends safe, but how could he do that if he was so weak? A cracked shield was useless.
He wondered if maybe KC could sense that his unspoken answer to ‘are you okay’ was ‘no’.
“Um, I’ll go get you another beer.” The tense atmosphere was too much and KC looked for a quick exit. She stood up quickly and reached for the empty beer bottle on the table, but gasped and tensed when Gladio grabbed her wrist suddenly. A panic flooded her, did she do something wrong? He wasn’t going to—
The grip softened as soon as he had caught her. “Thanks for this.” Gladio’s words were quiet but heavy.
KC caught his gaze briefly and could see a sincerity there. “...It’s okay. I’ll be right back with another drink.” She took the empty bottle with a shaking hand before quickly disappearing into the house. Her heart thudded against her chest at the sudden contact. It both scared and alarmed her, but relief came soon after when he let go.
A tune quietly played from her phone as she grabbed another beer from the fridge and she answered it as she walked back out. “Oh, Ignis. Hi.”
Gladio turned to look at her when she had mentioned Ignis’ name. Shit.
KC placed the beer on the table for him to take before sitting back in her seat. She smiled as she saw Gladio tense. “Hm? No, I haven’t seen him—that’s strange. Don’t you guys travel in a pack like all the time?”
The Amicitia watched as the Cactuar farmer very smoothly lied about knowing of his whereabouts. It was another one of those times where he couldn’t figure her out. She was shy when it come to some things, angry in others. Now there was this—while Gladio’s experience of KC dictated that she wouldn’t be able to lie well, there she was very easily deflecting the purpose of Ignis’ call.
“Mmhm, I’m trying to organise it through Dave again since payment is easier with him. Okay. I’ll let you guys know—remember your badges! Alright. Bye.” KC breathed out as she hung up and placed her phone on the table beside her. She shrugged her shoulders and offered another smile. “He did ask about you, but I said I had no idea where you were.”
“I heard.” Gladio watched her carefully. What kind of person was KC? She could lie so easily, but she didn’t seem untrustworthy—she did keep her word after all. She was shy earlier, afraid when he had touched her; she couldn’t look at him, but she had also just smiled. Still, somehow, he didn’t feel uneasy being around her. Annoyed, sometimes, but never uneasy.
He eyed his surroundings again, the mismatched furniture, the cosy feel. It was just like her. Gladio quietly chuckled to himself as he grabbed the beer and took a sizeable gulp.“So, s’that mean we’re friends now?”
“Ew! No way.” KC’s laugh gave away the true answer to the question.
It was probably ‘yes’, although they had always been friends of a sort.
KC suddenly wails. “I was crying!!!!!” She admits a little louder than she probably should have.
“I was lost and really dirty and upset and I was just crying so hard and there were hunters nearby and they thought I was a hunter too, but they found me and got really confused and called Dave and Dave helped and it was great but I WAS CRYING.”
They were trying to fend off Cactuar one moment and then there was a roar above the noise of battle a moment later. “WHAT. THE. FUCK.” The exclamation itself wasn’t too alarming, but the boot that flew and smacked Noctis in the face was.
There was a loud whistle and suddenly the Cactuar all stopped moving. “This is exactly why I told Dave to tell you guys to call before showing up. Can’t you follow simple orders?! What the hell, guys, I thought you were meant to be smart!”
Noctis pressed a hand to his face for a moment because while the flying boot didn’t hurt, it stung. The rest of his entourage were still a little too stunned with the sight in front of them to try and help for the moment.
The woman in front of them stood with her hands on her hips and a very angry expression on her face. She was fairly short, shorter than any of them in any case, but there was something in her stance and aura that made them think that any threat she made she would back up if she needed to.
From behind thick dark framed glasses, the woman narrowed her eyes and looked them up and down, appraising their condition. There were a few scratches and bruises from the Cactuar, but they were otherwise fine; the fight had only really just started before the woman had appeared. The Cactuar themselves had frozen in place where they stood. “What happened to calling me first?” With the appraisal done, the woman demanded answers.
“We forgot.” Noctis ground out. This stranger was pissing him off already and he could tell everyone was on edge. Gladio had taken a few steps forward just in case. “You’re the one who runs this place?”
“I’m KC.” She offered as an answer, although it didn’t really answer the question. “And you forgot? Hah! Have you learnt your lesson because I can’t guarantee I’ll be around to help you next time; you’re lucky I had a feeling you were on your way and was headed to the gate.” KC’s gaze fell on Gladio. She didn’t like the warning look he gave her, but she could understand why he had it. “You might wanna put that big sword of yours away before the Needlers decide I’ve made the wrong decision in calling off their attack.”
“You control these things?!” Prompto was still on edge with all the Cactuar surrounding them. They were agile, tricky and extremely hard to hit. Plus their needles hurt. As if they understood that the blonde was referring to them, the living cacti all twisted and leant forwards, pointing themselves threateningly at the group. The blond let out an alarmed sound and raised his guns.
“I don’t control them, I just suggest and order and it’s up to them if they listen.” KC explained and eyed the Cactuar. “Seriously—weapons away. They’ve already given plenty of warning.” Her stubborn aura seemed to disappear and she waved her hands at the Cactuar while the boys unsummoned either weapons. “Enough, enough! These guys are friends. You can keep patrolling.” There was a collective squeak before the Cactuar loosened up from their stiff poses and bounded away in pack.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen Cactuar behave in that manner.” It was very curious and from Ignis’ point of view, very dangerous. Were the cacti not technically monsters? Admittedly it wasn’t like the entourage had encountered many wild Cactuar, but they all seemed just as deadly as any other monster roaming Eos.
“I’m just as surprised as you, to be honest.” KC drawled and waved a hand. She approached the prince in a couple of strides. Gladio loomed over her, just in case she moved to strike Noctis for whatever reason, but the woman only reached to pick up her boot. She knew he was trying to intimidate her and her response was to raise her boot and wave it as if to say ‘I’m just grabbing my boot, doofus’. After her boot was back on her foot, KC turned and waved a hand. “Follow me.”
While she wandered away, the boys lingered a way away as they trudged after her. “She lives alone here. You think she’s gone crazy with these Cactuar?” Prompto whispered to Noctis. “Maybe she got stuck with one too many needles, y’know?”
“Probably.” The prince grunted. He was still annoyed with the boot to the face. Sure plenty of people had disrespected him, but he had never gotten a boot thrown at his face before. It was surprisingly humiliating.
While she wandered in front, KC could feel several pairs of eyes digging into her back. She sighed and pursed her lips. Honestly, it had been awhile since she had met anyone new and the last few times Dave had been with her and had eased the social interaction. This time she was on her own and there were four strangers she had to make small talk with. KC might have been socially awkward, but she wasn’t so bad that she couldn’t feel that things were kind of tense.
The woman suddenly stopped and abruptly turned to face the young men behind her. They immediately stopped when she did, thinking that maybe something was wrong. KC’s brows knotted together in a very serious expression. “The boot.”
The boot? The guys just gave her puzzled expressions.
“Sorry—about the boot to the face.” Her apology was blunt and disjointed. It didn’t really sound like her apology was sincere. “I did tell Dave to tell you to call me. It was for your safety, not mine.” KC’s expression softened. “The Cactuar are really shy and defensive. They’re prone to attacking strangers. You guys came into their home as a threat and they were just trying to defend themselves. I love these Cactuar, I didn’t want you to hurt any of them—so I threw my boot to stop you.”
The atmosphere was strange. The entire encounter was very bizarre.
“Apologies for not calling first. We’ll remember for next time.” Ignis offered a diplomatic response and it seemed to be enough if the small smile on KC’s face was any indicator.
“It’s okay. Everyone is fine—including you guys, so no harm done, I guess. You won’t have to call next time because I’ll give you some special badges when we get indoors. The Cactuar will identify you as friendlies that way.” KC turned back around to move towards the rundown building in the distance.
They had only moved a short way forward before KC stopped again with another realisation. “Oh. I’m bad with this social stuff.” She scratched her head and turned back around with a sheepish look. “I didn’t ask you for your names when you asked for mine! Sorry—um, what are your names?”
Ah, it seemed like the crazy Cactuar lady had a hopeless side too.
Lmao I'm pretty sure Gladio would be happy to give you some pointers in regards to defending yourself!
“Mmm maybe?” KC pouts a little bit. Out of all the chocobros, she probably butts head with Gladio the most. She isn’t sure if it’s because they’re too similar in temperament or maybe something else.
“I guess I should seriously consider learning how to fight in some way.” The woman admits with a begrudging tone, “I’m not gonna like it, though. Uuuuugh, I’m gonna have to put in sooooo much effort~”
have you ever tried picking up on some self-defense training to protect your farm? maybe sword fighting? just defending yourself in general?
“I mean, I know it’s a good idea, but…” KC frowns and then shakes her head. “I’m soooooo lazy!” The woman complains. “I’m so, so lazy. I’d have to practice every day and I’d have to find a willing teacher and oh man, I’m awful when it comes to exercising. You’d think being on this ranch would make me super fit, but boy is that the wrong assumption to have.”
She waves a hand. “Can’t the Cactuar be my form of protection?” She continues to whine. Deep down KC knows she should probably learn some way of defending herself, it seemed like a lot of people were doing it as daemon sightings were becoming more frequent.
But what would she learn? Who would be patient enough to teach her?
