FIC: Chasing, Running & Frustrastions (Final Fantasy XII)
Title: Chasing, Running
Author: ShadowSpirit
Email: HPFerret@aol.com
Rating: G
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Summary: [During the party at Jahara] Ashe chases ghosts, Vaan runs from them.
WIP: Complete
Word Count: 150
Disclaimer: Not mine. Woe.
Chasing, Running
Vaan realized something that night while he spoke with Ashe about their ghosts on the bridge in Jahara. It was strange, and he stayed on that bridge, even after Ashe wandered back to the others around the fire. Vaan had tried for so long to run away from the ghosts. And here was Ashe, chasing after them. How different they all were, but here they all gathered, stood together for the sake of Ivalice. The ghosts were all around them. They couldn’t avoid them. It seemed each of them had their own ghosts to deal with, to avoid, to chase.
He wasn’t going to run anymore; that’s what he told the Lady Ashe. He would be another one of her swords, just like Basch. Could never have too many. It would be his purpose, for now. Chasing Ashe’s ghost of Rasler. They’d face the party’s ghosts, one at a time.
Title: Frustrations
Author: ShadowSpirit
Email: HPFerret@aol.com
Rating: G
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Summary: [Around the party's first trip to the Eruyt Village.] It's always something. He's a thief, he's a kid, he's a hume.
WIP: Complete
Word Count: 562
Disclaimer: Squeenix.
When I was playing, I could kind of picture Vaan having issues with the viera's reactions to them. So I played a bit with that. *shrug*
Frustrations
It was always something, wasn’t it? He was a thief, he was a kid, he was a hume. It never seemed like he could win, or get a break. There was just always something wrong with him, and Vaan was sick of it. Sick of the stares everyone cast at him; it didn’t matter where he was, there was always someone to look down upon him and treat him differently. He wasn’t useless! He wasn’t what people thought he was! Couldn’t they just get to know him? Couldn’t they give him a chance to show them what he was?
His knuckles dug into a tree outside the Eruyt Village, skin starting to tear off and be left behind amongst the bark from how many times he had punched it, just to try and get his anger out. The viera. The viera and their stupid, stupid ways. Hole themselves in a village while there are wars going on around them; people are dying! And they don’t care. They just want to keep their kind all to themselves and a bubble around them that no outsider was allowed to enter. Fran was different. Fran and any one of the others who left their home.
Vaan felt ashamed of how he stared at Fran the first time they met. He should apologize, and thank her at the same time. She didn’t look at him as though he was a filthy hume, someone that would pollute the Wood. She was free from it. She wouldn’t -
He growled and punched the tree again, eyes narrowing at the sight of blood, but not caring. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair! Why did it always have to be like this? Why couldn’t anyone see?!
He felt a warmth fall around his body, see a soft white glow dance over his skin, specifically around his hand. He pulled it back and flexed the healed fingers, still tinted in his blood, then turned, around to see Balthier standing there, slightly calmer from his confusion. Vaan quickly looked away with a scowl.
“Vaan, you can’t let them get to you. It won’t change anything,” Balthier told him.
“It’s not just them!” Vaan snapped, and went in to punch the tree again, but Balthier stepped forward and caught him by the wrist. Vaan stared at him with wild eyes before trying to rip his wrist free. Balthier kept a firm grip, expression neutral. Eventually, Vaan stopped struggling and looked away again. “…It’s everyone. Always. Even you.” Something flickered in Balthier’s eyes at that. Vaan’s gaze wandered everywhere. “No one ever tries to get to know me before they make their judgment. Just a hume to the viera, just a street urchin to you.”
“Vaan -”
The boy hung his head and Balthier’s words died off.
“Never mind,” Vaan mumbled, “don’t worry about it. We should head off before we offend anyone else.” He tugged his wrist free again and began to walk back to the village so that he could meet up with the others.
Balthier called after him. “You earn your approval quick enough, Vaan. Maybe you will leave a mark on the viera. You left one on us.”
And for a moment, Vaan paused, looking over his shoulder at the serious expression on the sky pirate’s face. He stood, blinking the shock away, then smiled softly and replied, “Maybe I will.”