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moogle_workshop2011-04-29 08:05 pm
the-404-error.livejournal.com) wrote in moogle_workshop2011-04-29 08:05 pm
... because FFII needs more love
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the_404_error
Class: Black Mage
Title: The Choice of Treachery
Summary:There are zero FFII fics here. I set out to fix that. The beginning of FFII from Leon's perspective.
Characters/Pairings: Leon, Maria, Firion, The Emperor/Palamecia/Whatever you call him
Word count: 1,310
Rating/warnings: PG for very mild language and Leon's antagonistic mindset? Spoilers for FFII.
A/C: Leon is a character that has never been given any reasons for his actions, and he's extremely quiet on top of it all. As a result, his personality isn't explored in-depth so I interpreted him rather loosely. Considering some of his actions later in the game, and how he tends to join whatever side is less likely to kill him at the moment, I'll also say this probably isn't the most heroic portrayal of him.
This also may be slightly rushed given the 30th deadline.
____
Leon drummed his fingers on the table. Over and over, it produced a consistent, droll rhythm that echoed across the small room.
"Will you stop? I'm trying to concentrate here!" the purple-haired girl turned to give him a quick glare, and then went back to practicing her bow techniques. He scowled slightly, but no one saw it.
"This was all useless," he thought to himself. He had often heard his sister and adoptive brother talk about fighting off the Empire if they were to ever invade Fynn. A notion Leon thought of as completely desperate and futile. The Palamecian Empire had been known for razing villages full of capable fighters; how could they even think they stood a chance? He knew they meant well, but it was also that hope and idealism that made him doubt his siblings. Or sibling. He was well-aware that Firion considered him a brother and a friend, but he was never sure if he felt the same. Often, the fact people paid more attention to his friendlier "brother" peeved him inside, but all the same he couldn’t deny he sometimes felt for the boy.
Unconsciously, he went back to drumming his fingers.
"Repetition. That is all there truly is to life," he mused to himself. He felt tired; every day, he did the same trivial tasks which passed as “work,” and they were getting him nowhere. Maria and Firion did not seem bothered, but he was sure one day their hope would catch up to bite them. He rested his head on his free hand, and turned to gaze out the window. From here, they had a clear view of the castle. That was hardly unusual; it towered above the rest of Fynn, and there likely wasn't a single house in the area which couldn't see it. The drumming got louder.
Leon wondered how life would have been different if he had been born to a richer family, or even royalty. It was a question that crossed his mind often, but the older he got, the more he found himself longing for a house that didn't need fixed every time there was a severe storm. A room that he didn't have to share with two others. A bed that he didn't share with bugs. Many shared this common plight, but every time Leon saw the minority who didn’t, he felt a twinge inside him.
He glanced back at the house, where Maria was practicing shooting with dull arrows and Firion was absorbed in a book Guy had found somewhere - Leon didn't even dream of asking where - and given to him. He assumed it was these same thoughts that made Firion and Maria dream of protecting their home. They would gain honor and be hailed as heroes, if they survived. To Leon, that was a big "if," and would be the hardest of their options. Maria had once again turned to him, and this time walked over to him in a couple of steps and grabbed the hand he was drumming.
"I told you, st--" She loosened her hand mid-sentence as her eyes widened and her mouth slightly dropped. At the same time, he smelled the distinct aroma of burning wood.
Leon turned to the window again. Vibrant flames had suddenly consumed the other side of the city, with another house being set aflame every second they watched frozen in place. Riders clad entirely in black, riding equally dark horses were rushing through the city, torching indiscriminately. The day they knew would come, that was always on their mind, was finally here. Leon found himself smiling very slightly, and rushing up from his seat. Beside himself, he couldn’t help but find the break from everyday occurrences exciting.
"We have to get out of here." Maria had broken away from the window and instead motioned towards both Firion and Leon. Without even bothering to gather basic belongings, they bolted out the door.
"We're running?" Leon thought once again to himself, "They have more sense than I thought. All those discussions were childish fantasies."
"Should we find our parents?" Firion inquired while they were running in a direction that Leon was certain was random and aimless.
"No..." there was distinctive sense of fear and hopelessness in Maria's voice now. She pointed towards the district their parents were working in, "There's nothing left. They're likely dead... and if we go there, we'll be..."
The two turned to run again; Leon turned their back on them and ran the opposite direction. His parents dead? This was to be expected. He had tried to train himself for detachment, as he knew this was inevitable the moment the Empire declared war.
"You knew this would happen someday," he repeated to himself. "You also left your siblings to die. These are the people who have always supported you, the only ones who--" He swallowed and suppressed this thought. "No," he muttered out-loud, "it's either this or die alongside them." For reasons beyond him, his eyes stung a little.
***********
"He's willing?" a high, proud voice from the other side of wall asked to someone not visible to Leon.
"Yes," a rougher voice replied back, "It's most curious. Many of his countrymen died protecting others, but he wants to join us!"
Leon had heard of what the Palamecian Empire did to prisoners; many said it was better to die. He hoped his treachery would spare him, and with any luck, give him something more. His chest felt heavy; thoughts at the back of his mind wanted to claw their way through. He had fleeting visions of his parents, Maria, Firion... all dead, but he swallowed and suppressed them.
Keys rattled, and Leon's eyes burned as his cell door swung open. Next to the damp, ill-illuminated cell, the figure in front of him seemed to glow like a shiny golden god. "Even this bastard's boots are covered in gold" he thought as he focused his eyes.
"Emperor," Leon muttered in acknowledgment; no one could mistake this guy.
"Hmm," the golden man gazed down at him, in what Leon took for contempt, "This perfidious one has potential. How would you like to help up?"
Instinctively, the younger man gulped, and then intentionally tried to hide it, "It would be an honor, your majesty." Despite his best efforts, he could not bring himself to look into the Emperor’s eyes.
***********
They now call him "The Dark Knight." He has everything he ever thought he wanted. His house is now adorned with jewels, silver, and gold. His bed composed of the finest sheets, which no insects have seemingly ever touched. Everything appears as it has never been used, as it rarely has; he is almost constantly on the move, on the warpath. He is feared, and also fully aware of being used. What better way to demoralize than to show that even one of your own people will willingly turn against you?
"I won't let him, or anyone, win" he declares to himself, "I'll hide my identity as long as possible." The dark knight was vaguely aware of his teeth biting into his lip, but he had now learned to ignore all types of pain. Or so he told himself.
"I will not be a tool." He shook his head in disgust, although he was no long sure who he was most disgusted at. He finally had recognition, but everyone knew what Leon knew; that he was a pawn. "Only one way to fix that," he muttered. Imagining the Emperor was standing in front of him, he slashed his sword through the air.
He had heard rumors that a purple-haired archer and a young man always reported wearing a bandanna were helping lead the Resistance movement. It could not possibly be... He shook the thought out of his mind; yes, a complete impossibility.
the_404_errorClass: Black Mage
Title: The Choice of Treachery
Summary:
Characters/Pairings: Leon, Maria, Firion, The Emperor/Palamecia/Whatever you call him
Word count: 1,310
Rating/warnings: PG for very mild language and Leon's antagonistic mindset? Spoilers for FFII.
A/C: Leon is a character that has never been given any reasons for his actions, and he's extremely quiet on top of it all. As a result, his personality isn't explored in-depth so I interpreted him rather loosely. Considering some of his actions later in the game, and how he tends to join whatever side is less likely to kill him at the moment, I'll also say this probably isn't the most heroic portrayal of him.
This also may be slightly rushed given the 30th deadline.
____
Leon drummed his fingers on the table. Over and over, it produced a consistent, droll rhythm that echoed across the small room.
"Will you stop? I'm trying to concentrate here!" the purple-haired girl turned to give him a quick glare, and then went back to practicing her bow techniques. He scowled slightly, but no one saw it.
"This was all useless," he thought to himself. He had often heard his sister and adoptive brother talk about fighting off the Empire if they were to ever invade Fynn. A notion Leon thought of as completely desperate and futile. The Palamecian Empire had been known for razing villages full of capable fighters; how could they even think they stood a chance? He knew they meant well, but it was also that hope and idealism that made him doubt his siblings. Or sibling. He was well-aware that Firion considered him a brother and a friend, but he was never sure if he felt the same. Often, the fact people paid more attention to his friendlier "brother" peeved him inside, but all the same he couldn’t deny he sometimes felt for the boy.
Unconsciously, he went back to drumming his fingers.
"Repetition. That is all there truly is to life," he mused to himself. He felt tired; every day, he did the same trivial tasks which passed as “work,” and they were getting him nowhere. Maria and Firion did not seem bothered, but he was sure one day their hope would catch up to bite them. He rested his head on his free hand, and turned to gaze out the window. From here, they had a clear view of the castle. That was hardly unusual; it towered above the rest of Fynn, and there likely wasn't a single house in the area which couldn't see it. The drumming got louder.
Leon wondered how life would have been different if he had been born to a richer family, or even royalty. It was a question that crossed his mind often, but the older he got, the more he found himself longing for a house that didn't need fixed every time there was a severe storm. A room that he didn't have to share with two others. A bed that he didn't share with bugs. Many shared this common plight, but every time Leon saw the minority who didn’t, he felt a twinge inside him.
He glanced back at the house, where Maria was practicing shooting with dull arrows and Firion was absorbed in a book Guy had found somewhere - Leon didn't even dream of asking where - and given to him. He assumed it was these same thoughts that made Firion and Maria dream of protecting their home. They would gain honor and be hailed as heroes, if they survived. To Leon, that was a big "if," and would be the hardest of their options. Maria had once again turned to him, and this time walked over to him in a couple of steps and grabbed the hand he was drumming.
"I told you, st--" She loosened her hand mid-sentence as her eyes widened and her mouth slightly dropped. At the same time, he smelled the distinct aroma of burning wood.
Leon turned to the window again. Vibrant flames had suddenly consumed the other side of the city, with another house being set aflame every second they watched frozen in place. Riders clad entirely in black, riding equally dark horses were rushing through the city, torching indiscriminately. The day they knew would come, that was always on their mind, was finally here. Leon found himself smiling very slightly, and rushing up from his seat. Beside himself, he couldn’t help but find the break from everyday occurrences exciting.
"We have to get out of here." Maria had broken away from the window and instead motioned towards both Firion and Leon. Without even bothering to gather basic belongings, they bolted out the door.
"We're running?" Leon thought once again to himself, "They have more sense than I thought. All those discussions were childish fantasies."
"Should we find our parents?" Firion inquired while they were running in a direction that Leon was certain was random and aimless.
"No..." there was distinctive sense of fear and hopelessness in Maria's voice now. She pointed towards the district their parents were working in, "There's nothing left. They're likely dead... and if we go there, we'll be..."
The two turned to run again; Leon turned their back on them and ran the opposite direction. His parents dead? This was to be expected. He had tried to train himself for detachment, as he knew this was inevitable the moment the Empire declared war.
"You knew this would happen someday," he repeated to himself. "You also left your siblings to die. These are the people who have always supported you, the only ones who--" He swallowed and suppressed this thought. "No," he muttered out-loud, "it's either this or die alongside them." For reasons beyond him, his eyes stung a little.
"He's willing?" a high, proud voice from the other side of wall asked to someone not visible to Leon.
"Yes," a rougher voice replied back, "It's most curious. Many of his countrymen died protecting others, but he wants to join us!"
Leon had heard of what the Palamecian Empire did to prisoners; many said it was better to die. He hoped his treachery would spare him, and with any luck, give him something more. His chest felt heavy; thoughts at the back of his mind wanted to claw their way through. He had fleeting visions of his parents, Maria, Firion... all dead, but he swallowed and suppressed them.
Keys rattled, and Leon's eyes burned as his cell door swung open. Next to the damp, ill-illuminated cell, the figure in front of him seemed to glow like a shiny golden god. "Even this bastard's boots are covered in gold" he thought as he focused his eyes.
"Emperor," Leon muttered in acknowledgment; no one could mistake this guy.
"Hmm," the golden man gazed down at him, in what Leon took for contempt, "This perfidious one has potential. How would you like to help up?"
Instinctively, the younger man gulped, and then intentionally tried to hide it, "It would be an honor, your majesty." Despite his best efforts, he could not bring himself to look into the Emperor’s eyes.
They now call him "The Dark Knight." He has everything he ever thought he wanted. His house is now adorned with jewels, silver, and gold. His bed composed of the finest sheets, which no insects have seemingly ever touched. Everything appears as it has never been used, as it rarely has; he is almost constantly on the move, on the warpath. He is feared, and also fully aware of being used. What better way to demoralize than to show that even one of your own people will willingly turn against you?
"I won't let him, or anyone, win" he declares to himself, "I'll hide my identity as long as possible." The dark knight was vaguely aware of his teeth biting into his lip, but he had now learned to ignore all types of pain. Or so he told himself.
"I will not be a tool." He shook his head in disgust, although he was no long sure who he was most disgusted at. He finally had recognition, but everyone knew what Leon knew; that he was a pawn. "Only one way to fix that," he muttered. Imagining the Emperor was standing in front of him, he slashed his sword through the air.
He had heard rumors that a purple-haired archer and a young man always reported wearing a bandanna were helping lead the Resistance movement. It could not possibly be... He shook the thought out of his mind; yes, a complete impossibility.
no subject
Also, random but...I love the icon you're using for this post, but I can't quite place which FF game it's from. It's a great icon and image though--just wanted to mention that! :D
no subject
Yes, he definitely doesn't take agreeable actions. DX He's always both intrigued and frustrated me in that regard, as I wanted to know why, but considering how he never shows any signs of regret in the game... I wasn't sure if his reasons would really make him more likable. (I would blame it on the age, but then we have characters like Gordon who are swimming in regret, so that can't be it.)
It's actually of Firion and Gordon from FFII! here (http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m311/pointsixeight/12389276.jpg)'s the original image. :]
no subject
Haha, maybe they were trying to make him mysterious on purpose and it didn't quite translate in the game itself as well or something? I always thought of him as a perplexing character in a way, but he's not one that I could particularly say I like because of how he acts in the game...so I appreciated seeing something that tried to flesh him out more. (And Gordon is awesome, I always like his parts! :D)
Oh cool...I THOUGHT that looked like Firion. Thank you for sharing the whole image--it's quite pretty. ♥
no subject
That's certainly a possibility. The FF series isn't really known for antagonists with extensive backgrounds, and it usually works for them. XD (... why do I suddenly want to write a Gordon-centric fic. ♥ Gordon)
no subject
I know you said that this wasn't the most heroic interpretation of Leon's actions and attitude, but I certainly felt that it was very realistic. I mean, seriously. As stated in the narrative, the Empire has killed more experienced men than a handful of teenagers, what reason would Leon have to expect otherwise?
So I find your portrayal of Leon, as a realist, accurate and enjoyable. Not every character is genre savvy and despite Leon's questionable actions, I feel you characterize him as reasonably sympathetic. To him, it's a choice between life and death, and he chose to live. Decisions in these cases are seldom easy.
I also liked the use of rationalization and other cognitive distortions to justify his decisions, even when he's uncomfortable with the outcome. Further, I liked his anger at being a pawn of the Emperor, and his intention to change that.
Anyhow, thank you very much for sharing! I know you said you have a very complicated and detailed headcanon for FFII, and it's awesome to be able to read a little of your interpretations!
no subject
I almost wanted to give him less a less survivalist rational, but considering how the Empire wipes villages off the map for their own power-hungry, selfish reasons, I think there would be little reason for someone to side with them "for the good of the world" or anything along those lines. I'm glad you liked it, in any case!
no subject
no subject
Seriously? These comments made my day. XD I've always wanted to know more about Leon, so I'm glad I made him seem human to you! Thank you :]
no subject
I always liked Leon, so it's really nice to read a fic where he's wavering in that grey zone between "good guy who went bad" and "self-deluding jerk." He's very interesting despite FFII having skeletal characterization.
no subject
... and thank you!
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