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moogle_workshop2013-05-05 10:23 am
breyzyyin) wrote in moogle_workshop2013-05-05 10:23 am
{Fan Fic} Sky Gazing
This is a fic that I wrote in response to a prompt over at the FF Crack Meme that was hosted by ff_land awhile ago (writer's block, real life drama, and time constraints unfortunately kept me from finishing it until just recently though)...but, my crack-writing skills failed me and it somehow turned into a much more serious piece than I thought it would. 0_0;
The prompt was "Role Reversal: Penelo is the dreamer with the desire to be a skypirate, while Vaan finds himself pulled along for the ride." from the awesomesoldiergossip.
I apologize for the incredibly long wait and the lack of crack in the fic,soldiergossip...but I hope it is an enjoyable read for you! Again, sorry that it took so long to finish!
Username: Yin (ofbreyzyyin)
Class: White Mage
Title: Sky Gazing
Summary: When Vaan was little, he used to love the sky...but the tragic death of his older brother changed his perspective on that topic completely. His childhood friend Penelo is still in love with the sky and dreams of becoming a true Sky Pirate, however, and Vaan has a very hard time coming to terms with their differences of opinion on the subject at first.
Characters/Pairings: Vaan, Penelo, Filo, and Reks are the main focuses of the piece...though Kytes and Migelo are also mentioned. Pairing is Vaan x Penelo.
Notes:: My first role reversal fic...I had fun writing it, though it was a bit of a challenge to complete. Hopefully it turned out okay! :)
Word count: 3,070
Rating/warnings: G. Some slight spoilers for FFXII (but only if you aren't familiar with the Reks plot-line).
----Legal Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XII or any of the characters from that game. They are the rightful property of Square-Enix.----
The rainy season of Giza Plains was always an oddly calming experience for him. Ever since he could remember, since he’d been able to properly arm himself and take care of any potential hostilities that might lie in waiting there, he’d retreated away from Rabanastre when he saw the villagers migrate into the city.
Vaan would travel to the village, almost completely deserted, and would sit there in the rain…his face upturned to the sky.
It was one of the few times his mind completely seemed to relax.
Closing his eyes, letting the water drops plaster his hair right down to his scalp, the rivulets of water soaking him through to his very bones…he imagined it washing away the dirt and grime of the city—his thoughts went numb, and he no longer thought of Reks or Migelo…of red flowers blooming in the desert and orphans playing or crying together. He didn’t think of the sky, his responsibilities, of her, or anything.
If it wasn’t for this, he might have gone insane long ago. He sighed, willing himself to be lost in the moment.
“…Hey, Vaan!”
Filo’s voice, loud and energetic…and far too close to his ear to be a figment of his imagination.
The teenager let out a tired sigh and opened his eyes begrudgingly, the moment forever lost.
The little girl was grinning from ear to ear, unmindful of the torrent of rain that was causing the mud of the hill to threateningly swallow up her shoes. Most people avoided the Giza Plains during the rainy season, so he knew the reason she was here already.
“Penelo’s back!”
And since Vaan was dreading the confrontation that was sure to follow this news, he sighed and stood up hesitantly.
*****
Penelo was all smiles when she greeted them in front of Migelo’s shop.
“Vaan! Filo!” she waved exuberantly at them, running over the last few feet—impatient to get her greetings over with.
“…How did the Mark go?” Vaan’s voice was icy, his expression one of imminent doom. The young orphan with him noticed this and Filo made a face of exaggerated terror, but Penelo did not notice either sign of the coming storm she was about to walk into.
Her expression was content, gleeful, and her face beamed like the sun, “It went great!” she indicated the spear at her side by weaving it through the air in a dramatic motion to finalize her point, “The monster was a bit tough at first, but it went down pretty quickly after that!” she grinned and stood proudly, “I even got a bonus reward too since they were so impressed. …But I think the claimant was just over-exaggerating.”
“…That’s good. Considering you weren’t supposed to go hunting Marks in the first place.”
Vaan’s tone finally got to Penelo and she glanced at him from her basking, her expression suddenly slightly guilty.
“You do remember that…don’t you, Penelo?” Vaan asked quietly, and Filo started to back away from the pair, “You promised me that if you went after higher-level Marks again you’d wait until we could go together!”
A frown, “You had to work at Migelo’s. If I’d waited any longer, the Mark would have been gone. Besides,” and at this, the fire came back into her blue eyes, “It was easy. I knew I could do it by myself.”
“That’s not the point!” Vaan’s voice rose as well now, “Not only did you do something potentially stupid and dangerous, but I had to cover for you with Migelo! Were you so obsessed with hunting Marks that you forgot you were supposed to work too?”
“Well, I’m sorry you had to do that, but you know how much Marks go for! I earned six times as much as I would have working a shift at Migelo’s!”
“That’s not the point!” the boy’s frustration was rising, “You keep putting me in this position all the time and I’m getting tired of it!”
“…All I hear is complaining.” Penelo countered, “Same as always.”
Red-faced and unable to think of anything else to say to that, Vaan gave a silent scream of frustration and threw his hands into the air.
“You want to play games and hunt Marks…fine!” he shouted, “See if I care if you get hurt or something and no one’s there!”
His friend’s eyes widened in shock at this and Vaan almost threw out a quick apology, but the frustration was still too much and he stormed past her instead.
“Vaan!”
“Hey, Vaan! Wait!”
Vaan didn’t stop despite the calls of the two girls after him. His mind focused on the shadows on the ground instead.
*****
When Vaan had been a little boy, he had loved the sky. He would lay down on the roof and stare at the blue expanse or a starry one for hours on end until his brother would come to get him, laughing. He would talk Reks’ ears off on the adventures he thought the sky symbolized—the freedom and the distant locales where it was the only thing they had in common with Dalmasca.
He barely remembered his parents, but he remembered his brother still. How patient Reks was and how caring. How he’d fluff his hair as he told him all about his dream to fly somehow and see everything. And Reks would always tell him that one day, they would do so together.
But then the war escalated, and he lost the only family he had left.
…Vaan hated staring at the sky now.
The closest he ever came to liking it again was the rainy season over at Giza Plains and that was because the skyline was obscured and the rain drenched everything—drowning out all of the other thoughts from his head.
His room was dark, as he always kept the curtains closed. Vaan stared absently at the empty sleeping pallet across the room.
He should apologize to Penelo, he knew. He was just dreading it—this routine they’d gotten into.
Penelo reminded him of all of the things he had been trying to squash inside himself since Reks had died. She was enamored of the sky, and talked openly of wanting to be a Sky Pirate: of being free to go where she pleased and to see the world.
The deaths of her own brothers had only seemed to increase that spark to a raging inferno, whereas Vaan felt obligated to look out for everyone just as Reks had done in his stead.
That wasn’t to say Penelo wasn’t kind or caring (far from it, actually…she was one of the kindest people he knew), but her mind always seemed to be in the clouds one way or another. Her insistence on hunting dangerous Marks whenever she could to earn money for airship travel (even though she never went anywhere!), coupled with skirting work at Migelo’s sometimes…and all done without him just frustrated him beyond words.
His last biting remark to her echoed in his head and Vaan groaned, rolling onto his side and moving his pillow over his head.
If something happened and he wasn’t there…didn’t she realize what that would do to him?
The second to last time he had seen Reks, his brother had been smiling encouragingly and promising him they’d see each other again soon. The last time, Reks had been reduced to a shell: he didn’t smile or hug him, just stared at nothing and eventually died—never hearing his brother begging him not to leave.
The thought of that happening to her, to someone else he cared about, terrified him more than he cared to admit. And because of that, he often snapped at her, unable to say the real reason for it.
What a pathetic, needy little kid he was…just a spoiled brat pretending to be more mature than he really was because he couldn’t deal with everything by acting any differently. He imagined Reks would be disappointed in him, sad for him, if he knew. He thought Penelo would likely feel the same. Somehow, that only made things worse.
There was a soft knock on the door.
“…Vaan, you in here?”
Penelo’s voice.
He couldn’t muster the energy to respond, digging his body further into the soft confines of the pallet underneath him.
The door opened. Even with the pillow over his head and his eyes screwed tightly shut he could make out the light from the hallway filling the shadowy, darkened expanse of his room.
“You in here sulking?” she joked, stepping inside.
“…I’m not sulking.” His tone betrayed him, and he inwardly cursed himself for it.
“Uh-huh, sure.”
“…Go away.” He was aware of how sullen he sounded, cursing himself even more. Hadn’t he just been thinking about apologizing to her? And now that she was here, his resolve had diminished into nothing and he just didn’t want to deal with anything at all.
“Well, that sounded convincing.” Penelo sounded more amused and cheerful than angry. He groaned in annoyance, the pillow still over his face. Silence fell over the room.
It didn’t last for long though. Penelo didn’t care to let silences linger, especially if there was something on her mind (when he wasn’t being stubborn like this, Vaan was similar: it was a trait the two had always had in common).
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what I was doing.” She let out in one breath.
“…” Vaan moved the pillow slightly, risking a shaded glance through one eye at his childhood friend sitting at the edge of his sleeping pallet.
Penelo looked thoughtful and concerned, and a stab of guilt ran through him at the sight.
“I know you’re only worried, and I didn’t mean to put you in that position.”
Making eye contact had been a mistake, as she could definitely see now that the angry resolve from before had faded from him. Seizing the opportunity, she quickly leaned forward and snatched the pillow from his face, her own suddenly acutely close to his through the action.
“Honest, Vaan!” she stated emphatically, her blue eyes earnest, “I’m not going to leave here until you believe me!”
There was that infamous stubborn streak of hers again. Vaan sighed, knowing she meant what she said and also not sure he wanted Migelo walking in on this scene.
“…It’s okay, I believe you.”
Penelo looked genuinely relieved and Vaan couldn’t help but smile a little as she moved back and let him sit up. The two sat side-by-side on the pallet, the same way they had as children with their legs hanging over the side as they had waited together for Reks to come home after his training.
“I-I’m sorry too, Penelo.” Vaan said after the oddly nostalgic silence had lingered too much for his liking, “I shouldn’t have said what I did.”
Penelo shook her head, “It’s all right. Your anger came from a good place. You were just frustrated at me.”
“But…”
She looked pensive, “I put you in a tight spot, I know. And while I can handle myself just fine, it’s always safer to go to hunts with a partner.” She smiled, “Next time, I’ll work my shifts with Migelo properly and we’ll go together afterwards.”
“Next time?” Vaan was grateful for what Penelo had said, but curious all the same, “What are you saving up for?”
She winked, “An airship, of course! You need to have a lot of money to even pay for a junky one.”
“…That’ll be a lot of Marks.” He couldn’t help but smile at the enthusiasm Penelo always had when it came to her dream.
“Of course!” she grinned back at him, “Which is why I’ll need a partner I can rely on.”
“Well…” he began, unsure.
Penelo rummaged through a satchel at her side, “Besides, I figured I would use this hunt’s money to buy us airship tickets for a round-way trip. I even asked Migelo for permission already.”
“…Why?” Now he was just confused.
When Penelo removed her hand from the satchel, Vaan couldn’t help but have a sharp intake of breath when he caught sight of the red desert flower she was holding out to him carefully.
“I found this when I was hunting.” She said softly in way of explanation, pressing the fragile stem into his shaking hand, “I figured we could send it to him.”
*****
The Dalmascan Lily was a rare flower to find even in the opportune season, as it bloomed in the harshness of the desert.
It had been Reks’ favorite flower, and he’d often spent a gil or two when he’d seen them in the market. When Vaan had asked him why Reks would smile and say that the flower reminded him of their mother, as it had been her favorite flower as well. Vaan, who didn’t really remember their parents at all, took what Reks said at face value. Since then, he’d developed an appreciation for the Dalmascan Lily too.
Before Reks died, when his brother was simply an empty shell awaiting the inevitable, Vaan would bring him a flower every day, even traversing farther into the desert than he’d ever done before when none were peddled at the markets. He’d childishly hoped that the blooms would somehow help spark life into his brother again.
Even now, just as Reks had done with the memory of their mother, Vaan associated the desert flower with the older brother he had lost. He still collected them whenever he could.
Standing on the deck of a communal airship, the Dalmascan Lily clutched tightly in shaking hands, Vaan was unsure of what to feel. Knowing what he was about to do was sad in a way, but the air rushing past his face, the sight of the clouds—it brought back so many memories.
…Him as a young child, talking excitedly about soaring the heavens while Reks smiled warmly and told him that if it was him, it was possible.
Penelo, her arms opened wide to the sky, as she proclaimed her desire to be a sky pirate loudly for the first time—smiling facing practically beaming.
They interplayed with the here and now, with both Kytes and Filo pointing animatedly at the clouds and all the people around them. This was their first airship experience, and it seemed to have the same effect on them as it had on Penelo and Vaan in their youth when Reks had treated them to one as a birthday surprise for his brother. Despite himself, Vaan couldn’t help but smile slightly at the memory.
He stepped up to the hand-rail, taking a deep breath.
“You okay?”
Penelo was right beside him, her voice concerned as she tried to get a read on his face. He smiled weakly and nodded, and the girl gripped his free hand tightly and squeezed it reassuringly.
Vaan held the flower out in front of him, the red petals whipping in the wind around them. He breathed in and out several more times.
“Happy Birthday, Reks.” He heard himself saying in a more composed voice than he actually felt, “Thank you. …For everything.”
And with that, he let the flower go. It seemed to remain suspended in the air for a few seconds before dropping to the ground far below. Vaan peered down over the railing for several moments, even after the red of the flower had completely vanished from sight. His face was numb with the combination of the wind and the wetness that had suddenly appeared there.
Penelo squeezed his hand again and he glanced at her face, tear-stained as well but smiling at him warmly.
“Thanks.” His voice was barely audible, but he could tell she heard him given the smile that graced her features.
“It was a really fitting tribute, Vaan.” She said finally, turning to look at him again, “You know, Reks always liked listening to you talk about flying the skies just as much as you did.”
He remembered, “…I know.”
A slight blush formed on Penelo’s cheeks, “I did too.” She mumbled quietly, “It’s what got me looking at the sky too. …And starting to dream.”
Both youths looked away then, Vaan’s face feeling equally flushed.
After a few seconds, Penelo hazarded an embarrassed glance at him, “Do you…still hate the sky then?” she asked, a fearful tinge in her voice.
Vaan thought of the stories he’d told Reks when he was little. He glanced at Kytes and Filo, laughing across the airship deck. Thought of the lily’s red petals fluttering in the wind, of Penelo’s bright smile when she loudly proclaimed that she would one day be a true Sky Pirate.
The old excitement he had once felt seemed only just out of reach now instead of an ocean’s length away.
He looked at her hesitant face now, drew a sharp breath, and shook his head, “I’m…not sure. I don’t think so though.”
Penelo’s visible relief was enough to make him smile again.
He couldn’t help himself from blurting out, “Maybe next time I’ll be even more positive about it.” As he spoke it, he seemed fairly certain it was plausible.
“…Next time?” Penelo seemed surprised, raising her blond eyebrows incredulously.
Vaan grinned playfully, falling back easily into the rhythm the two used to have before the fighting began, “Well, sure. This was…nice. And both Kytes and Filo seemed to have fun.”
“…” she wasn’t sure what to say. Vaan grinned in anticipation, knowing what he would say next would probably floor her.
“Though by then, I suppose we’ll have our own airship. All proper Sky Pirates have one, right? You’re always saying that.”
“…So you want to be a Sky Pirate now too then?” Penelo playfully jabbed him in the ribs and Vaan laughed, ducking sideways.
The hug between the two of them was lightning-quick before they went to collect the two younger orphans, but both Penelo and Vaan were smiling brightly. From up here, and with everything that had happened, the goal didn’t seem nearly as impossible as it did from the ground. It gave them something to strive for together—something both were very grateful for.
“…Not really.” He admitted truthfully to her last question, a blush forming on his face again as he smiled conspiratorially at her, “…But I think I wouldn’t mind being a partner to one. All good Sky Pirates need one of those too, don’t they?”
ff_land awhile ago (writer's block, real life drama, and time constraints unfortunately kept me from finishing it until just recently though)...but, my crack-writing skills failed me and it somehow turned into a much more serious piece than I thought it would. 0_0;The prompt was "Role Reversal: Penelo is the dreamer with the desire to be a skypirate, while Vaan finds himself pulled along for the ride." from the awesome
soldiergossip.I apologize for the incredibly long wait and the lack of crack in the fic,
soldiergossip...but I hope it is an enjoyable read for you! Again, sorry that it took so long to finish!Username: Yin (of
breyzyyin)Class: White Mage
Title: Sky Gazing
Summary: When Vaan was little, he used to love the sky...but the tragic death of his older brother changed his perspective on that topic completely. His childhood friend Penelo is still in love with the sky and dreams of becoming a true Sky Pirate, however, and Vaan has a very hard time coming to terms with their differences of opinion on the subject at first.
Characters/Pairings: Vaan, Penelo, Filo, and Reks are the main focuses of the piece...though Kytes and Migelo are also mentioned. Pairing is Vaan x Penelo.
Notes:: My first role reversal fic...I had fun writing it, though it was a bit of a challenge to complete. Hopefully it turned out okay! :)
Word count: 3,070
Rating/warnings: G. Some slight spoilers for FFXII (but only if you aren't familiar with the Reks plot-line).
----Legal Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XII or any of the characters from that game. They are the rightful property of Square-Enix.----
The rainy season of Giza Plains was always an oddly calming experience for him. Ever since he could remember, since he’d been able to properly arm himself and take care of any potential hostilities that might lie in waiting there, he’d retreated away from Rabanastre when he saw the villagers migrate into the city.
Vaan would travel to the village, almost completely deserted, and would sit there in the rain…his face upturned to the sky.
It was one of the few times his mind completely seemed to relax.
Closing his eyes, letting the water drops plaster his hair right down to his scalp, the rivulets of water soaking him through to his very bones…he imagined it washing away the dirt and grime of the city—his thoughts went numb, and he no longer thought of Reks or Migelo…of red flowers blooming in the desert and orphans playing or crying together. He didn’t think of the sky, his responsibilities, of her, or anything.
If it wasn’t for this, he might have gone insane long ago. He sighed, willing himself to be lost in the moment.
“…Hey, Vaan!”
Filo’s voice, loud and energetic…and far too close to his ear to be a figment of his imagination.
The teenager let out a tired sigh and opened his eyes begrudgingly, the moment forever lost.
The little girl was grinning from ear to ear, unmindful of the torrent of rain that was causing the mud of the hill to threateningly swallow up her shoes. Most people avoided the Giza Plains during the rainy season, so he knew the reason she was here already.
“Penelo’s back!”
And since Vaan was dreading the confrontation that was sure to follow this news, he sighed and stood up hesitantly.
Penelo was all smiles when she greeted them in front of Migelo’s shop.
“Vaan! Filo!” she waved exuberantly at them, running over the last few feet—impatient to get her greetings over with.
“…How did the Mark go?” Vaan’s voice was icy, his expression one of imminent doom. The young orphan with him noticed this and Filo made a face of exaggerated terror, but Penelo did not notice either sign of the coming storm she was about to walk into.
Her expression was content, gleeful, and her face beamed like the sun, “It went great!” she indicated the spear at her side by weaving it through the air in a dramatic motion to finalize her point, “The monster was a bit tough at first, but it went down pretty quickly after that!” she grinned and stood proudly, “I even got a bonus reward too since they were so impressed. …But I think the claimant was just over-exaggerating.”
“…That’s good. Considering you weren’t supposed to go hunting Marks in the first place.”
Vaan’s tone finally got to Penelo and she glanced at him from her basking, her expression suddenly slightly guilty.
“You do remember that…don’t you, Penelo?” Vaan asked quietly, and Filo started to back away from the pair, “You promised me that if you went after higher-level Marks again you’d wait until we could go together!”
A frown, “You had to work at Migelo’s. If I’d waited any longer, the Mark would have been gone. Besides,” and at this, the fire came back into her blue eyes, “It was easy. I knew I could do it by myself.”
“That’s not the point!” Vaan’s voice rose as well now, “Not only did you do something potentially stupid and dangerous, but I had to cover for you with Migelo! Were you so obsessed with hunting Marks that you forgot you were supposed to work too?”
“Well, I’m sorry you had to do that, but you know how much Marks go for! I earned six times as much as I would have working a shift at Migelo’s!”
“That’s not the point!” the boy’s frustration was rising, “You keep putting me in this position all the time and I’m getting tired of it!”
“…All I hear is complaining.” Penelo countered, “Same as always.”
Red-faced and unable to think of anything else to say to that, Vaan gave a silent scream of frustration and threw his hands into the air.
“You want to play games and hunt Marks…fine!” he shouted, “See if I care if you get hurt or something and no one’s there!”
His friend’s eyes widened in shock at this and Vaan almost threw out a quick apology, but the frustration was still too much and he stormed past her instead.
“Vaan!”
“Hey, Vaan! Wait!”
Vaan didn’t stop despite the calls of the two girls after him. His mind focused on the shadows on the ground instead.
When Vaan had been a little boy, he had loved the sky. He would lay down on the roof and stare at the blue expanse or a starry one for hours on end until his brother would come to get him, laughing. He would talk Reks’ ears off on the adventures he thought the sky symbolized—the freedom and the distant locales where it was the only thing they had in common with Dalmasca.
He barely remembered his parents, but he remembered his brother still. How patient Reks was and how caring. How he’d fluff his hair as he told him all about his dream to fly somehow and see everything. And Reks would always tell him that one day, they would do so together.
But then the war escalated, and he lost the only family he had left.
…Vaan hated staring at the sky now.
The closest he ever came to liking it again was the rainy season over at Giza Plains and that was because the skyline was obscured and the rain drenched everything—drowning out all of the other thoughts from his head.
His room was dark, as he always kept the curtains closed. Vaan stared absently at the empty sleeping pallet across the room.
He should apologize to Penelo, he knew. He was just dreading it—this routine they’d gotten into.
Penelo reminded him of all of the things he had been trying to squash inside himself since Reks had died. She was enamored of the sky, and talked openly of wanting to be a Sky Pirate: of being free to go where she pleased and to see the world.
The deaths of her own brothers had only seemed to increase that spark to a raging inferno, whereas Vaan felt obligated to look out for everyone just as Reks had done in his stead.
That wasn’t to say Penelo wasn’t kind or caring (far from it, actually…she was one of the kindest people he knew), but her mind always seemed to be in the clouds one way or another. Her insistence on hunting dangerous Marks whenever she could to earn money for airship travel (even though she never went anywhere!), coupled with skirting work at Migelo’s sometimes…and all done without him just frustrated him beyond words.
His last biting remark to her echoed in his head and Vaan groaned, rolling onto his side and moving his pillow over his head.
If something happened and he wasn’t there…didn’t she realize what that would do to him?
The second to last time he had seen Reks, his brother had been smiling encouragingly and promising him they’d see each other again soon. The last time, Reks had been reduced to a shell: he didn’t smile or hug him, just stared at nothing and eventually died—never hearing his brother begging him not to leave.
The thought of that happening to her, to someone else he cared about, terrified him more than he cared to admit. And because of that, he often snapped at her, unable to say the real reason for it.
What a pathetic, needy little kid he was…just a spoiled brat pretending to be more mature than he really was because he couldn’t deal with everything by acting any differently. He imagined Reks would be disappointed in him, sad for him, if he knew. He thought Penelo would likely feel the same. Somehow, that only made things worse.
There was a soft knock on the door.
“…Vaan, you in here?”
Penelo’s voice.
He couldn’t muster the energy to respond, digging his body further into the soft confines of the pallet underneath him.
The door opened. Even with the pillow over his head and his eyes screwed tightly shut he could make out the light from the hallway filling the shadowy, darkened expanse of his room.
“You in here sulking?” she joked, stepping inside.
“…I’m not sulking.” His tone betrayed him, and he inwardly cursed himself for it.
“Uh-huh, sure.”
“…Go away.” He was aware of how sullen he sounded, cursing himself even more. Hadn’t he just been thinking about apologizing to her? And now that she was here, his resolve had diminished into nothing and he just didn’t want to deal with anything at all.
“Well, that sounded convincing.” Penelo sounded more amused and cheerful than angry. He groaned in annoyance, the pillow still over his face. Silence fell over the room.
It didn’t last for long though. Penelo didn’t care to let silences linger, especially if there was something on her mind (when he wasn’t being stubborn like this, Vaan was similar: it was a trait the two had always had in common).
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what I was doing.” She let out in one breath.
“…” Vaan moved the pillow slightly, risking a shaded glance through one eye at his childhood friend sitting at the edge of his sleeping pallet.
Penelo looked thoughtful and concerned, and a stab of guilt ran through him at the sight.
“I know you’re only worried, and I didn’t mean to put you in that position.”
Making eye contact had been a mistake, as she could definitely see now that the angry resolve from before had faded from him. Seizing the opportunity, she quickly leaned forward and snatched the pillow from his face, her own suddenly acutely close to his through the action.
“Honest, Vaan!” she stated emphatically, her blue eyes earnest, “I’m not going to leave here until you believe me!”
There was that infamous stubborn streak of hers again. Vaan sighed, knowing she meant what she said and also not sure he wanted Migelo walking in on this scene.
“…It’s okay, I believe you.”
Penelo looked genuinely relieved and Vaan couldn’t help but smile a little as she moved back and let him sit up. The two sat side-by-side on the pallet, the same way they had as children with their legs hanging over the side as they had waited together for Reks to come home after his training.
“I-I’m sorry too, Penelo.” Vaan said after the oddly nostalgic silence had lingered too much for his liking, “I shouldn’t have said what I did.”
Penelo shook her head, “It’s all right. Your anger came from a good place. You were just frustrated at me.”
“But…”
She looked pensive, “I put you in a tight spot, I know. And while I can handle myself just fine, it’s always safer to go to hunts with a partner.” She smiled, “Next time, I’ll work my shifts with Migelo properly and we’ll go together afterwards.”
“Next time?” Vaan was grateful for what Penelo had said, but curious all the same, “What are you saving up for?”
She winked, “An airship, of course! You need to have a lot of money to even pay for a junky one.”
“…That’ll be a lot of Marks.” He couldn’t help but smile at the enthusiasm Penelo always had when it came to her dream.
“Of course!” she grinned back at him, “Which is why I’ll need a partner I can rely on.”
“Well…” he began, unsure.
Penelo rummaged through a satchel at her side, “Besides, I figured I would use this hunt’s money to buy us airship tickets for a round-way trip. I even asked Migelo for permission already.”
“…Why?” Now he was just confused.
When Penelo removed her hand from the satchel, Vaan couldn’t help but have a sharp intake of breath when he caught sight of the red desert flower she was holding out to him carefully.
“I found this when I was hunting.” She said softly in way of explanation, pressing the fragile stem into his shaking hand, “I figured we could send it to him.”
The Dalmascan Lily was a rare flower to find even in the opportune season, as it bloomed in the harshness of the desert.
It had been Reks’ favorite flower, and he’d often spent a gil or two when he’d seen them in the market. When Vaan had asked him why Reks would smile and say that the flower reminded him of their mother, as it had been her favorite flower as well. Vaan, who didn’t really remember their parents at all, took what Reks said at face value. Since then, he’d developed an appreciation for the Dalmascan Lily too.
Before Reks died, when his brother was simply an empty shell awaiting the inevitable, Vaan would bring him a flower every day, even traversing farther into the desert than he’d ever done before when none were peddled at the markets. He’d childishly hoped that the blooms would somehow help spark life into his brother again.
Even now, just as Reks had done with the memory of their mother, Vaan associated the desert flower with the older brother he had lost. He still collected them whenever he could.
Standing on the deck of a communal airship, the Dalmascan Lily clutched tightly in shaking hands, Vaan was unsure of what to feel. Knowing what he was about to do was sad in a way, but the air rushing past his face, the sight of the clouds—it brought back so many memories.
…Him as a young child, talking excitedly about soaring the heavens while Reks smiled warmly and told him that if it was him, it was possible.
Penelo, her arms opened wide to the sky, as she proclaimed her desire to be a sky pirate loudly for the first time—smiling facing practically beaming.
They interplayed with the here and now, with both Kytes and Filo pointing animatedly at the clouds and all the people around them. This was their first airship experience, and it seemed to have the same effect on them as it had on Penelo and Vaan in their youth when Reks had treated them to one as a birthday surprise for his brother. Despite himself, Vaan couldn’t help but smile slightly at the memory.
He stepped up to the hand-rail, taking a deep breath.
“You okay?”
Penelo was right beside him, her voice concerned as she tried to get a read on his face. He smiled weakly and nodded, and the girl gripped his free hand tightly and squeezed it reassuringly.
Vaan held the flower out in front of him, the red petals whipping in the wind around them. He breathed in and out several more times.
“Happy Birthday, Reks.” He heard himself saying in a more composed voice than he actually felt, “Thank you. …For everything.”
And with that, he let the flower go. It seemed to remain suspended in the air for a few seconds before dropping to the ground far below. Vaan peered down over the railing for several moments, even after the red of the flower had completely vanished from sight. His face was numb with the combination of the wind and the wetness that had suddenly appeared there.
Penelo squeezed his hand again and he glanced at her face, tear-stained as well but smiling at him warmly.
“Thanks.” His voice was barely audible, but he could tell she heard him given the smile that graced her features.
“It was a really fitting tribute, Vaan.” She said finally, turning to look at him again, “You know, Reks always liked listening to you talk about flying the skies just as much as you did.”
He remembered, “…I know.”
A slight blush formed on Penelo’s cheeks, “I did too.” She mumbled quietly, “It’s what got me looking at the sky too. …And starting to dream.”
Both youths looked away then, Vaan’s face feeling equally flushed.
After a few seconds, Penelo hazarded an embarrassed glance at him, “Do you…still hate the sky then?” she asked, a fearful tinge in her voice.
Vaan thought of the stories he’d told Reks when he was little. He glanced at Kytes and Filo, laughing across the airship deck. Thought of the lily’s red petals fluttering in the wind, of Penelo’s bright smile when she loudly proclaimed that she would one day be a true Sky Pirate.
The old excitement he had once felt seemed only just out of reach now instead of an ocean’s length away.
He looked at her hesitant face now, drew a sharp breath, and shook his head, “I’m…not sure. I don’t think so though.”
Penelo’s visible relief was enough to make him smile again.
He couldn’t help himself from blurting out, “Maybe next time I’ll be even more positive about it.” As he spoke it, he seemed fairly certain it was plausible.
“…Next time?” Penelo seemed surprised, raising her blond eyebrows incredulously.
Vaan grinned playfully, falling back easily into the rhythm the two used to have before the fighting began, “Well, sure. This was…nice. And both Kytes and Filo seemed to have fun.”
“…” she wasn’t sure what to say. Vaan grinned in anticipation, knowing what he would say next would probably floor her.
“Though by then, I suppose we’ll have our own airship. All proper Sky Pirates have one, right? You’re always saying that.”
“…So you want to be a Sky Pirate now too then?” Penelo playfully jabbed him in the ribs and Vaan laughed, ducking sideways.
The hug between the two of them was lightning-quick before they went to collect the two younger orphans, but both Penelo and Vaan were smiling brightly. From up here, and with everything that had happened, the goal didn’t seem nearly as impossible as it did from the ground. It gave them something to strive for together—something both were very grateful for.
“…Not really.” He admitted truthfully to her last question, a blush forming on his face again as he smiled conspiratorially at her, “…But I think I wouldn’t mind being a partner to one. All good Sky Pirates need one of those too, don’t they?”
POINTS
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