He was somewhat at fault for being an advocate for the birds, really. Ace always had been fond of them, especially since he first laid eyes on them as a child visiting the Peristylium. At Vaan’s question of a name, he perked up a bit, though he was horrid with naming the birds he’d come into possession of already. Chirifuda was simply a joke off of his own name, after all. Still, he nodded at the sky pirate. “Call him whatever you like.
In time, he’ll respond to it and be happy he just has one. Maybe pick an airship name, seeing as you’re so fond of them.”
Hmmm. To name the chocobo after the gods as the Imperials had would may come across as encouraging, and the Strahl and Galbana would only cause confusion in conversation. Otherwise, the resistance had named their ships often in honor of great heroes… Why was a name so difficult?
“What about Galuf?”He seemed to recall that resistance had fought in a ship with that name.“Sounds strong, huh?”
Observing the bird now resting in his palms, Vaan attempted to match the name to the living creature, while almost seeming to look for agreement from it. Such fluff didn’t seem to match the name, but then again, the birds tended to grow into rather majestic appearances.
Just briefly appeared one of those rare expressions that showed how tired the youth was, how drained he had become over the past year of war. Still, he was at peace with such a response, grateful, even, as a smile faintly tugged on his line of a mouth. “… Thanks. It’s nice to know… there are others willing to take the little guys in with kindness.”
Such relief at a simple task startled Vaan a bit. Ace must truly have a concern for these birds. Though the exhaustion on his face seemed to convey that not all had been as welcoming to a new pet as Vaan. Eyeing the bird, the thief thought of a way to distract whatever seemed to be burdening the dealer’s mind. “Well, I guess I’ll have to work out where to keep him when he gets bigger, but otherwise, what should I call him?”
“I thought… you’d be his friend.“ He lingered, arms folded behind his back shyly as he admitted his real reason. “Where I’m from, chocobos aren’t viewed as friends…”
Be the chocobo’s best friend? Granted, he could understand that if Ace’s land was at war, then they would likely utilize chocobos as a resource for mounted soldiers, but there still had to be some appreciation of them. "Really? There are quite a number of chocobo admirers around the stables in Rabanastre.”Then looking at the tame fowl, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to treat this little guy well.”
“Helping people is the right thing to do.“ He stated very bluntly. Ace had little grace, and was very easily all tact. As he glanced at Vaan, though, he saw someone who was more intuitive with people, a skill he lacked highly. He was often told he was too… forward with people, that he lacked a gentle touch, but more often than not, his job was to kill people, something a gentle touch would only be a hindrance in. Still, he was morally inclined, which brought him into situations like this one: helping a thief that was in the morally gray.
Returning to former topics, though, he nodded briefly at the sky pirate and simply brought up the topic he’d forgotten to mention. “Oh, you might want to scrape up some gil first. It’s not free, but it’s the best you’ve got right now.Shouldn’t be terribly expensive as far as airships go, but really just pay for docking. We can go to the local junkyard in town, see what isn’t being scavenged.”
With that, the candidate turned to head back inside the academy. He lifted a single hand as farewell, and figured Vaan knew where to find him now anyway. Besides, the youth was hungry, and the Refresh Room sounded like a wonderful idea at the moment. A sandwich, he thought, with ham or coeurl meat would do nicely. He was still a simple kid, as complicated as things around him got.
Feet swiftly landed in a line, one in front of the other, before he realized that he should probably elaborate on something else again. The fact was that he was hoping Vaan could pass as a private citizen. That required a bit of dignity and a lot of grace. Travel papers weren’t needed for the general public, but if he came off as a passenger ship, there would be trouble. “Oh. Know how to act like a butler?
“Because they’ll let you dock there if you can pull of being somebody that pays a lot of tax dollars. Not saying the rich get off easily, because somebody will want to meet you after a given amount of time, but… you know how it is.” He assumed Vaan did anyway. Government officials, even in more lax countries, had to get their election campaigns somehow. Politics would forever be a corrupt system, which is why the boy would never touch it. He was already involved with officials more than he liked.
The belief in helping others in need, the two seemed to have that much in common as well. For that, he held some admiration for Ace.
As for the gil predicament, Vaan had some that he had saved which could probably cover the cost, though he had been hoping he would not be compelled to spend it until he had at least cashed in on the treasures he had already collected. That previous plan would have to be forfeited, however. Considering that until he could leave, he likely would be forced to keep holding on to them, especially with the new pressures to avoid conflict with Ace’s governmental allies.
Seeing Ace begin to return to the academy, Vaan began planning where to stash his suspicious goods. There were several places he had spotted near the ship that could be suitable candidates. All the same, he wasn’t sure how heavy the traffic of pedestrians in the area around was.
Deliberating his options, Vaan hadn’t noticed Ace’s resumption of conversation as suddenly the question of acting as a butler startled him. Like a wealthy servant? Though, someone who ‘paid a lot of tax dollars,’ as Ace put it, likely wouldn’t be garbed in such a casual way as Vaan. He had worn his usual attire, with a simple metal vest and his heavily armored boots, never mind the fact that he likely seemed foreign. Resigned, he supposed some of that money saved on parts would have to go towards his façade. As for the behavioral aspect, he supposed he could try to act similar to Ashe or Larsa, those he had seen in the positions of leadership and living in access to the world of the aristocrat … to the extent of his ability that was.
Moving forward, he couldn’t help but chuckle at Ace’s concession of knowing how it was with class differences, despite their countries’ variances as he explained earlier. Even here, Vaan supposed, had its downfalls. Perhaps that could work to his favor. Should he be uncovered, a slight patch of bribery would likely grant a temporary fix to the situation. At least, that was usually how the system worked, lest they realized a more hefty some were on your head.
“I can try my best,”Vaan confessed, laughing at himself a bit.“Thanks for the warning. Hopefully, the dock workers aren’t too suspicious.”
He wished there were more of a way to thank him, so he tagged on,“Should you ever need anything, lemme know. I’d be glad to help.”
“You’re from an Empire. Of course, you’d think the soldiers are oppressive.“ Ace began readily, as he had definitely expected the topic of soldiers to arise once again. What he knew as a soldier and what Vaan did were different things, due to government differences and methods of training. Perhaps, however, that needed to be explained. He pondered that for a moment, tongue lingering on the topic as he thought of how best to explain to a person outside of the war.
“Empires do not put their citizens first. They put their country. It’s a small difference on paper, but as you know, it can create problems for those not heavily involved in the country’s work. This is the Dominion of Rubrum, Vaan. I held no qualms taking you anywhere because the military here knows the government is here for the people, and not the progression of council heads or back-door deals.When the lowest class of people resorts to thievery… the government should know they aren’t doing their jobs. Things are different here, and therefore, I didn’t think it mattered.” He sighed. “Besides, when people feel oppressed, when they feel like if they have something important to lose and they fear that, they oppress others. It’s how they achieve a feeling of power equilibrium.”
Not that Ace knew too much on the topic of fear, really. He’d merely observed for years. He’d never feared anything, simply because he was told to cast that emotion away years ago. He’d been told to cast a lot of those away: anger, sadness, fear, frustration… He’d been told to always be a happy existence, content with what he had. For the most part, he was, but still, occasionally those emotions bubbled up.
Still, as he sat there, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat obligated to produce an answer for the other problem presented. To need to repair an airship wouldn’t just require space, but funds, too… And at the current time? It would be expensive, for sure, considering wartime restricted the airways. Still, if the money was produced, Ace could see it working out. A brief puff of air was shot from his mouth, his head twisting from side to side to alleviate a light crack. It was a long shot, but still worth it.
“This military dock is the only one for miles, Vaan. You are aware the capital of Rubrum is located on an island, correct? That and all of our airship supplies are currently directed here due to the war. If you hide your suspicious belongings, you can dock it and repair it on your own under the guise of a private citizen.” A faint smirk colored his expression as he stood suddenly, certain that his words there would probably just be repeated later. Vaan didn’t seem like the kind to memorize quickly. “But that didn’t come from me.”
Ace sure seemed knowledgeable on government and politics, and while Vaan may not have understood the intricacies of leadership as the dealer had led on, he understood that the words were to be a form of comfort in the foreign land.
For the most part, Vaan understood that despising the empire and its principles would not solve all of his problems. However, the general pattern he had come to recognize followed rather methodically. Any person granted power of authority over others tended to abuse that, whether it had been the grandiose emperor-to-be leading troupes against the defenseless or a low-ranking guard harassing a shop keeper. They were all people, right? Regardless of origins. So until he had seen some form of corruption in Suzaku, Vaan supposed he should internalize that philosophy for himself. Should he encounter any further foreign officers in the future, he would bear in mind this lesson.
However, Ace’s suggestion that he simply dock the ship came across a tad surprising, surprisingly lax he supposed. Shouldn’t the airship supplies go to the warships if they were carried here for war? Furthermore, the fact that they trusted a person in a large vessel so willingly seemed peculiar, “You don’t need travel papers? I guess you said things were different here…”
Less control, less restrictions, definitely easier to stroll the streets without being eyed as a suspected criminal, Suzaku certainly felt less tense of a country when it came to protocol. Vaan just needed to assure the lack of suspect remained that way. No rash actions. No accidental reveals. He seemed to keep a lousy track record of secrecy. Positively however, if the ability to access a mechanic was as simple as Ace made it seem, he should be repaired in no time.
Then hit with a sudden wave of optimism, Vaan announced, “Looks like it’s time to move my ship. The Galbana should make it that far at least.”
The final disclaimer, however, alarmed Vaan. Should Ace’s name be connected to a criminal, it would disrupt whatever projects he had mentioned earlier and likely cause more than minimal difficulties for him. Even more reason for a faster departure. The longer he would stay, the more risk it would cause the one who had helped him so much. Why help at all? All aid in Rabanastre had seemed one-sided in fact. While the two had kept encountering one another, Vaan had seemingly done nothing beneficial for the uniformed boy as of so far. “So, if I can ask now, why help me? Don’t you want anything in return?”
Our muses are destined to rob a bank and get away with it
The coincidence of Ace being near that bank repository that day had been more than a lifesaver. Granted, Vaan’s gratitude to the gods over the other’s presence was likely one-sided. It was only after breaching the gate to a second vault, that the authorities had been notified of Vaan’s, at the time, failing attempt to stage a heist that would put him in over his head.
The sound of sirens filling the air as the alarm activated in the building, a guard had begun pursuit as Vaan darted to the hall, quickly handing the bag to the dealer without giving him much choice. “Hold onto this for me!”
Unsure if the old acquaintance recognized him in such a quick passing, Vaan pressed on, leading the guard toward the lobby and through the boulevard until given opportunity to lose him in the confusion of city streets.
It wasn’t until evening that he had found the dealer once more. He had already found out quite a while ago, likely right after Vaan’s departure. Responding to his dubious look and what Vaan assumed to be an expression of disdain for being pulled into one of Vaan’s schemes, Vaan proudly announced, “And that … is how we just landed our biggest score.”
Don’t worry… Vaan will share … Just don’t turn him in.
