[FFXIII] Derivation, 1/3
...I think this is my way of saying 'MERRY CHRISTMAS, GUYS, HAVE SOME SPAM FIC!' XD
Title: Derivation
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII
Character/Pairing(s): very light Maqui/Hope
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Spoilers for end of game and the sequel to Kinematics.
Summary: Politics is a powerful thing on Pulse, and a lot more irritating than what Maqui wanted to think about. But as Bartholomew Estheim lobbies for l'Cie rights, Maqui has to learn that people don't always like to see reason.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
n. 1; The source from which something is derived; origin. 2; Something that is or has been derived; derivative. 3; Development of a theorem.
Maqui was not stupid.
He may be a teenager, but he was a valuable member of Team NORA and he was their chief mechanic. He liked reading physics books for fun, although he learned better than to speak geek to people after Yuj had decided that he needed to be a "normal" teen and watch normal teenage movies and go shopping... for hours on end. He was smart enough not to flaunt what he knew as well, because he was well aware of what he didn't know. He had barely passed high school, after all, despite being able to correct his teachers in his science classes.
He wasn't very smart when it came to history or languages, and knew that he still made mistakes with his spelling (thank the Maker for auto-spell check, right?), and he was a bit awkward with other people. In fact, he had never really felt comfortable around other people before NORA, and had rather liked sitting in a dark corner as a child and tinkering with toys.
Then he met Snow. And Yuj. And Lebreau. And Gadot. They had become the family he had lost early on before the system had taken him in, and they were all so bright and vibrant and honest in a way that Maqui wasn't used to that it made him want to be just like them. Especially Snow, who was a hero and Maqui had never met a hero before. It helped that they had taken to him as quickly as he had taken to them. Gadot encouraged his obsession with machines and praised him for the methods that had his teachers yelling at him for ruining perfectly good, working parts. Lebreau sympathized when he had trouble with girls, or when he just wasn't feeling up to par. Yuj was his best friend- who constantly nagged his fashion sense and made sure he got out of the garage enough to see some sunlight every day.
And Snow... Snow was awesome. He was strong and lucky and charismatic and everything the popular kids at school had been, except he was also exceptionally nice and genuinely liked helping people. Maqui wanted to be just like him. When Snow had gotten together with Serah, Maqui had felt a bit awed with how even the prettiest girl in the world had fallen for Snow.
And then he met Lightning.
In passing, of course, but he was smart enough to duck right back into the garage when he had seen the pink-haired soldier march into the Lebreau's bar with a stormy look on her face. The scary part about that first partial meeting was that he hadn't heard screaming and yelling when she spoke to Snow. He had peeked out half an hour later to realize that the scary soldier lady had left and Snow still had a terrified and befuddled look on his face. That was the first time in his life that Maqui was glad he wasn't Snow.
But now, after the entire incident with the Purge and the fall of Cocoon... Maqui realized that he was gearing himself to step into Snow's shoes.
And while he had been distantly scared of Lightning the first time he had seen her, not even realizing who she was and how much butt she could kick, he was now pretty much terrified of her. He hadn't been before. Scared, yes, but it was in a respectable manner. Scared for Snow was more like it. He was a smart kid; being afraid of her was a smart fear to have. He had seen her kick a Behemoth King five meters in the air before with ease. Fear was a healthy response.
But he wasn't scared right now. In fact, he was feeling rather pissed off. At Yuj. Who was laughing at him.
"This is unfair." Maqui hissed out as he ducked his head from around the corner. "How does she always know?"
Yuj couldn't stop laughing long enough to get speak without wheezing. "Aww, man, I told you, didn't I? I told you she'd know!"
Maqui cursed under his breath and stepped heavily on Yuj's foot, making the older boy yelp in pain, but even that didn't stop the snickers.
It had been three weeks since the incident involving the crash landing of his beloved airbike, and it was the second time that Maqui had tried to make his way across the city to pick up Hope from school. The first time he had explained it to Yuj, he had whined that he needed the other boy to go with him to make it look like a casual trip and that they had coincidentally crossed by Hope's school just as it was time for everyone to go home.
Yuj couldn't stop laughing back then, either.
Maqui was starting to think that Yuj wasn't as awesome a best friend as he had originally thought.
"There's no need for violence," Yuj wheezed out after he finally got his breath back from laughing. "You should have learned last time that she's going to know."
Maqui scowled, and then dared another glance around the building they were hiding behind. He caught the tail-end sight of Lightning and Hope as they vanished around the corner, looking like they were in the middle of a deep conversation.
No one even knew he was coming out. Alright, Yuj knew, but Maqui made sure the other boy didn't have time to tell anyone else before he dragged the both of them out there. He really had learned from the last time, and he had found out that Miss Lightning really didn't normally pick Hope up from school.
"This is a conspiracy," he muttered darkly. It had been three weeks. Even Lebreau had pretty much forgiven him by now, especially seeing as he normally pulled kind of silly stunts to being with. Lately, she was just mad about how he ruined her favourite skirt by using it as a grease rag.
"Dude, this more than just a conspiracy," Yuj grinned from behind him, giving him a hard pat on the back. "This is Lightning Farron. She will kick you ass so much as look at you, and she knows everything you're up to. No shit."
He knew that. Of course he knew that. But the more he thought about it, the more worth it his actions seemed. Not that Yuj would understand that at all. Yuj enjoyed chatting up all types of different girls, although he never had a steady girlfriend before. It wasn't for lack of interest on their part, either. It was because they had both decided that Team NORA was more important than girls and that's what they wanted to dedicate their time to.
"I don't see how you're going to explain being here this time, anyway." Yuj continued, oblivious to Maqui's thoughts. "How were you going to get him to follow you? 'Hey, want to hang out at the arcade neither of us go to?' Man, it makes you feel like a creep offering candy to children."
Maqui waved his best friend off, still looking around the corner, hoping to catch sight of the boy he was looking for. "I hadn't gotten that far yet, okay? I would have thought of something, though."
"Uh-huh." Yuj nodded sagely. "Just like you'd think of what would happen if you were cock-blocked once again?"
Okay, so that was too harsh. Maqui huffed and whirled around, jabbing a finger at the blue-haired teen. "It's not like that, okay! I'm just... trying to get Hope out to socialize a little-- he should be one of us, right? It's hardly fair that we don't get to see him all that often, and especially because Miss Lightning is convinced that we're bad influences! I mean, we're totally great influences!"
Yuj gave him an incredulous look. "...Like that time when you crash landed your bike outside of the colonies and got him into trouble?"
"Exactly." Maqui responded, and then kicked himself when he realized what he had just agreed to. So much for best friends always having your back. "Wait. I didn't get him into trouble at all! I was the one who was grounded all this time!"
His friend sighed, and then reached out to pat him on the shoulder, looking almost placating. "Maqui, Maqui... when are you going to realize that that kid--" He pointed toward where Lightning and Hope had disappeared to. "Is totally out of your league?"
Maqui narrowed his eyes. "You said the same thing to Snow about Serah."
"Yeah, and she's still out of his league. Dude, it's a damned miracle she agreed to marry him, okay? And it took the world crashing down before Lightning agreed, you know that? Literally. Cocoon. Crashing down."
Maqui's cheeks colored slightly as he mumbled under his breath, "I'm not out to marry Hope or anything. Just... wanted to talk to him."
"Talk to him on the phone." Yuj shook his head, and then shrugged an arm around Maqui's shoulders, pulling the dejected boy along with him out into the open. "You're not going to get him alone here, no matter how many times you try. Sergeant Farron? She knows, dude. She always knows."
"She can't know every time."
Yuj sighed as they walked down the street back to where Maqui had parked the airbikes. "Maqui. Friend. Fellow Team NORA. You do know who Bartholomew Estheim is, right?"
Maqui kicked at a pebble and shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling somewhat stupid now. "Of course I do. He's the only trying to form a council down here on Gran Pulse. He's Hope's dad."
"He's the reason that Snow and all the others aren't being burned at the stake." Yuj stopped, looking more serious than he had been the entire conversation. "He's pushing for some... really big changes here. On how to rely on ourselves and not the fal'Cie. Building settlements and harnessing our own energy, growing and hunting food rather than relying on it being generated. Dude. He's pretty much tried to say that the entire Orphan incident wasn't the fault of the l'Cie."
"So what? That's all true, anyway." It wasn't their fault. Team NORA had decided this long before the events in Eden, anyway. Lebreau had drilled it into his head that people couldn't help being chosen to be l'Cie, and that the only thing Snow had to account for was how he hadn't trusted the rest of the team enough to help him. That had stung, but it hurt more to know that there was something they couldn't help Snow out for. It had hurt Maqui to realize that despite being heroes, there were still some things that couldn't be done by them.
Snow being a Pulse l'Cie had been a painful fact to bear, especially watching the broadcasts daily and seeing news of the Sanctum soldiers hunting down the errand group of Pulse l'Cie. It had taken a day to get used to the idea that Serah had been a l'Cie, but Serah was bright and kind and sweet. She was nothing like what the history lessons had taught them about Pulse l'Cie... and neither was Snow.
"True? Of course it's true." Yuj rubbed at the back of his neck, a habit he had picked up years ago to look sheepish, and was picked up by the rest of the male members of Team NORA whenever they were in trouble... and now whenever they were thinking hard about something as well. "Doesn't mean people are going to believe it."
"Why wouldn't they believe it? All they have to realize is that l'Cie are people, too." Maqui shrugged as their approached the airbikes. "S'not rocket science."
"It's not that easy. People don't like changing their ideas on things. You've seen how people argue on the holo-vid. It doesn't matter if someone's right, most people just don't like being wrong."
"Their fault for being stupid." Everyone was wrong sometimes. Guys more than girls, apparently, especially during certain weeks of the month. "'There's always someone smarter than you out there.' That's what Lebreau always said."
"Yeah, but not everyone thinks about that." Yuj picked off his own parking breaks to his bike, but before getting on, he leaned closer to his companion, voice lower now to prevent anyone from overhearing. It should have been fine, seeing that most of the reconstruction work on Gran Pulse had been to create homes and businesses rather than rebuild their impeccable surveillance system. There weren't any street cameras or the sort around them, and wouldn't be for a long time- at least, not until the newest laws were to be put into effect after their agricultural boost. Not that the law enforcement was having an easy time with the after-effects of the lack of Cocoon fal'Cie.
"It's not just that Hope's one of the former l'Cie," Yuj said more seriously, and Maqui took a moment from starting up his bike to listen to his friend. "Although that's a big part. It's being the kid of a upcoming politician. People aren't very impressed with Mr. Estheim's ideas. They don't want to stop relying on the fal'Cie, and they certainly aren't ready to point fingers at the benevolent beings who have cared for us for hundreds of years. Why believe that they were trying to kill us? It's easier to think that a group of evil Pulse l'Cie ruined their lives."
"Don't be an idiot, Yuj," Maqui grumbled. "They saved as many people as they could. It was the fal'Cie's fault that everything happened."
"People don't see it like that, man."
"Don't see it like the truth?" He sighed. "Why are we even talking about this, anyway?" Because, really, he wanted to sulk just a little more about having been thwarted in his plans by Lightning... again. Maybe he should really try a different method. Should he really just try to call Hope and see if the other boy wanted to hang out? It just felt felt... more special to try and see the other boy again.
Maqui yelped as the older boy reached over to swat him on the head. The blond reached up and readjusted his headphones, giving the blue-haired boy a dark look. Yuj had been the one to get him the headphones anyway, surely the other boy didn't want to destroy those?
"We're talking about this because you don't seem to get it." Yuj snapped. "Bartholomew Estheim is a very public figure now, especially promoting all his controversial ideas. And it's not a huge secret that his son was one of the l'Cie that brought down Cocoon... do you really think Hope would be able to walk home from school unescorted?"
"He's just promoting common sense!"
"Common sense to us, maybe. But you've seen how many people decided to stay up in Cocoon despite it pretty much being a dead planet now. It's just a pretty decoration hanging in the sky without Orphan to power the fal'Cie that lived there. But all those people who won't leave even knowing that they might die up there? They're so scared of Pulse that they'd rather hole up and die. People don't like change, man. You're going to have to understand that before I think Sergeant Farron lets you see Hope again."
Maqui deflated a bit at those words, knowing that if the woman had her way, he'd never see the platinum-haired boy again.
"Politics, Maqui. You'll need to learn them and build up a reputation for yourself."
"What reputation? We've got all the reputation we need! We're Team NORA- we're heroes!"
Yuj jabbed a finger at him before starting up his airbike. "Then maybe you just need to convince Mr. Estheim of that before you try telling Miss Farron."
-------
It only took a few seconds before the holo-vid feed went through, and another moment before the screen flickered on and Maqui grinned widely at the sight of the pale boy on the other side, looking just a little frazzled, probably from trying to find his ringing phone.
"Hi, Hope!" Maqui said brightly, really hoping that he didn't have grease stains on his face or something from working in the garage earlier. But as long as Miss Lightning wasn't watching, then he should be alright. It wasn't as if Hope had never seen him working before, anyway. Or like the other boy hadn't gotten as dirty as him while helping him fix a few things.
"Maqui." The younger boy broke out into a smile, which just made the blond's grin wider. How was it that he had never noticed how brilliant the younger boy's smile was until three weeks ago? "What's up? Finally out of being grounded?"
"Hey, just because no one ever blames you for anything doesn't mean that it's the same for me!" Maqui protested, but he still had his grin. He was just...happy to see the other boy again, that was all. "I was off the leash a week ago. Just been a bit busy since then." Busy trying to see Hope again, but the other boy didn't need to know that. "How have you been, though?"
"Okay." Hope disappeared off the screen for a second, but then reappeared with a with a few school-grade logs. Maqui felt the slightest pang of guilt when he realized he must have dropped it to answer the phone. The younger boy had probably been working on homework, then. The phone was placed in a docking station, and the blond could see the entire desk, with the computer on and multiple school logs. It really looked like a lot of work, more than what he had attempted to do when he had been in school. "High school's pretty tough."
"Looks like it." Maqui glanced at the amount of homework. "How'd you end up with so much work, anyway?"
"Dad signed me up for a bunch of classes. He'd have me take self-defense classes, too, if it weren't for the politics."
Maqui frowned, remembering when when had crashed in Sulyya Springs three weeks ago. "You totally kick ass already- why would you even need self-defense classes?" Not to mention, he wouldn't doubt Miss Lightning would be teaching the younger boy more things about fighting than any classes ever could, anyway.
"I don't." Hope's smile widened at the compliment. "But I can't exactly use magic in front of anyone. And he wants me to be able to fight back in something happens, but at the same time he wants to keep that 'non-violence' image for the former l'Cie to make us look harmless." The silver-haired boy rolled his eyes. "I know he's been talking to Light about it- Snow, too. Sazh is pretty lucky- he's just being promoted as the father who did everything for his son- it apparently makes the adults sympathize more, since Dahj is so young. But Light can't rejoin the GC, and I'm not allowed into anything resembling a military occupation, either."
Personally, Maqui was a bit glad that Hope wouldn't run off to some dangerous job, but he didn't want to say that in front of the other boy. "So what are you going to do?"
"Right now?" Hope's smile turned a bit sheepish. "Finish school. Four more years, and then, wow, another four years of college. How exciting."
Maqui chuckled a bit at the sarcasm. He hadn't finished high school, mostly because he hadn't a use for school especially when he was good enough at fixing things anyway, and his time was so much better spent on his mechanics and building stuff for Team NORA. It had all paid off when the Purge had started and Bodhum was stocked with all the vehicles that Maqui had fixed up.
"Hey, at least school's as safe as it gets. But, hey-- think you have some time this weekend from all that homework you've got stockpiled up?"
Hope pointed to the pile of school logs. "This? I'm just finishing things in advance. It's not actually that much- I'm just getting a few weeks ahead, that's all. But I should have time this weekend, why?"
There it was, the moment of truth- and Hope had already said that he was free that weekend, so-- "Did you want to hit up an arcade or something?" Maqui winced a bit as he realized that came out a lot more high pitched and nervous than he had intended, and cleared his throat just a little nervously. "I mean, it's no big deal or anything-- I just figured that you might want to play some video games instead of studying all the time and doing all that homework--"
"That sounds fun." Hope looked a lot more nonchalant than what Maqui felt. "I haven't been to an arcade. But..." he looked thoughtful for a moment. "We could just play here, too. I've got a bunch of games- what type do you play?"
What type of games did he play? Maqui could have sighed in relief. For some reason, he had figured that Hope was the type who didn't play video games, but spent all his time reading and studying and generally being a all-around good kid, but... he should have realized, really, that Hope really was just another teenage boy, just like him. "Oh, man, I'd play any racing game you have. Any at all."
This was promising. Going to Hope's house sounded even better than just meeting at some random arcade.
"Racing games?" Now Hope looked just a little worried. "...Oh. I don't... um, you can bring a few if you want? I have a bunch of consoles."
"Yeah, I've got a bunch of games. What would you like to play?"
The silver-haired boy looked a bit sheepish. "I don't... well, I've never played those games before. Well, I have, but... that was a really long time ago; don't quite remember how to play those."
"Really?" Maqui stopped when he realized that he hadn't even asked Hope the type of games he played. "Well... what games did you play?"
"Just the stereotypical shooter ones?" The pale boy shrugged. "I guess I'd probably have to stop playing those soon, too, anyway."
"No, no, I could totally play shooter games with you!" It was a total lie, since Maqui couldn't shoot accurately at all, but he could feel his face flushing as the younger boy stared at him curiously. "I mean, you don't have to play my games if you won't want to- I could totally play yours, too."
Hope gave him a strange look, but then shook his head. "We can play yours. I'm pretty sure my dad's going to throw mine out soon, anyway."
Maqui floundered for a moment, but finally attempted a nod and grin. "Yeah, sure, I can bring my games over. So I'll... I'll see you in two days?"
"Sure. It'll give me some time to finish this up so that dad's got nothing to complain about this weekend." Hope gestured to the pile of school logs on his desk. "Might as well get ahead just in case something happens."
"Yeah, it's good to get ahead-- hey, what do you mean by if something happens?" And something else registered to Maqui. "Why would your dad throw out your old games, anyway?"
Hope just shrugged before turning back to his homework. "Politics." There was a second when the younger boy looked extremely bitter about the word, but then that second was gone and Maqui wondered if he had just imagined the look, especially when Hope turned toward him again with that same sweet smile. "Anyway. I'll see you later, Maqui!"
"Yeah." Maqui regained his good humor fast as he beamed at the other boy. "I'll totally see you later."
It wasn't until he hung up that Maqui whooped where he was sitting in the garage, stretching his arms up high as he grinned foolishly up at the ceiling. Was this a date? Most likely not. No way. It definitely wasn't a date, but it was something. It was the hanging out that he wanted to do. It was him finally getting to spend some time with Hope again.
It was a perfect excuse to get him out of the shopping trip that Yuj had planned that weekend.
He's just have to make sure to tell his best friend that. In perfect detail, of course, it wasn't like he had asked if Hope was busy that weekend because Yuj had planned that stupid trip.
Oh, man. It was going to be a good day.
Title: Derivation
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII
Character/Pairing(s): very light Maqui/Hope
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Spoilers for end of game and the sequel to Kinematics.
Summary: Politics is a powerful thing on Pulse, and a lot more irritating than what Maqui wanted to think about. But as Bartholomew Estheim lobbies for l'Cie rights, Maqui has to learn that people don't always like to see reason.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
n. 1; The source from which something is derived; origin. 2; Something that is or has been derived; derivative. 3; Development of a theorem.
Maqui was not stupid.
He may be a teenager, but he was a valuable member of Team NORA and he was their chief mechanic. He liked reading physics books for fun, although he learned better than to speak geek to people after Yuj had decided that he needed to be a "normal" teen and watch normal teenage movies and go shopping... for hours on end. He was smart enough not to flaunt what he knew as well, because he was well aware of what he didn't know. He had barely passed high school, after all, despite being able to correct his teachers in his science classes.
He wasn't very smart when it came to history or languages, and knew that he still made mistakes with his spelling (thank the Maker for auto-spell check, right?), and he was a bit awkward with other people. In fact, he had never really felt comfortable around other people before NORA, and had rather liked sitting in a dark corner as a child and tinkering with toys.
Then he met Snow. And Yuj. And Lebreau. And Gadot. They had become the family he had lost early on before the system had taken him in, and they were all so bright and vibrant and honest in a way that Maqui wasn't used to that it made him want to be just like them. Especially Snow, who was a hero and Maqui had never met a hero before. It helped that they had taken to him as quickly as he had taken to them. Gadot encouraged his obsession with machines and praised him for the methods that had his teachers yelling at him for ruining perfectly good, working parts. Lebreau sympathized when he had trouble with girls, or when he just wasn't feeling up to par. Yuj was his best friend- who constantly nagged his fashion sense and made sure he got out of the garage enough to see some sunlight every day.
And Snow... Snow was awesome. He was strong and lucky and charismatic and everything the popular kids at school had been, except he was also exceptionally nice and genuinely liked helping people. Maqui wanted to be just like him. When Snow had gotten together with Serah, Maqui had felt a bit awed with how even the prettiest girl in the world had fallen for Snow.
And then he met Lightning.
In passing, of course, but he was smart enough to duck right back into the garage when he had seen the pink-haired soldier march into the Lebreau's bar with a stormy look on her face. The scary part about that first partial meeting was that he hadn't heard screaming and yelling when she spoke to Snow. He had peeked out half an hour later to realize that the scary soldier lady had left and Snow still had a terrified and befuddled look on his face. That was the first time in his life that Maqui was glad he wasn't Snow.
But now, after the entire incident with the Purge and the fall of Cocoon... Maqui realized that he was gearing himself to step into Snow's shoes.
And while he had been distantly scared of Lightning the first time he had seen her, not even realizing who she was and how much butt she could kick, he was now pretty much terrified of her. He hadn't been before. Scared, yes, but it was in a respectable manner. Scared for Snow was more like it. He was a smart kid; being afraid of her was a smart fear to have. He had seen her kick a Behemoth King five meters in the air before with ease. Fear was a healthy response.
But he wasn't scared right now. In fact, he was feeling rather pissed off. At Yuj. Who was laughing at him.
"This is unfair." Maqui hissed out as he ducked his head from around the corner. "How does she always know?"
Yuj couldn't stop laughing long enough to get speak without wheezing. "Aww, man, I told you, didn't I? I told you she'd know!"
Maqui cursed under his breath and stepped heavily on Yuj's foot, making the older boy yelp in pain, but even that didn't stop the snickers.
It had been three weeks since the incident involving the crash landing of his beloved airbike, and it was the second time that Maqui had tried to make his way across the city to pick up Hope from school. The first time he had explained it to Yuj, he had whined that he needed the other boy to go with him to make it look like a casual trip and that they had coincidentally crossed by Hope's school just as it was time for everyone to go home.
Yuj couldn't stop laughing back then, either.
Maqui was starting to think that Yuj wasn't as awesome a best friend as he had originally thought.
"There's no need for violence," Yuj wheezed out after he finally got his breath back from laughing. "You should have learned last time that she's going to know."
Maqui scowled, and then dared another glance around the building they were hiding behind. He caught the tail-end sight of Lightning and Hope as they vanished around the corner, looking like they were in the middle of a deep conversation.
No one even knew he was coming out. Alright, Yuj knew, but Maqui made sure the other boy didn't have time to tell anyone else before he dragged the both of them out there. He really had learned from the last time, and he had found out that Miss Lightning really didn't normally pick Hope up from school.
"This is a conspiracy," he muttered darkly. It had been three weeks. Even Lebreau had pretty much forgiven him by now, especially seeing as he normally pulled kind of silly stunts to being with. Lately, she was just mad about how he ruined her favourite skirt by using it as a grease rag.
"Dude, this more than just a conspiracy," Yuj grinned from behind him, giving him a hard pat on the back. "This is Lightning Farron. She will kick you ass so much as look at you, and she knows everything you're up to. No shit."
He knew that. Of course he knew that. But the more he thought about it, the more worth it his actions seemed. Not that Yuj would understand that at all. Yuj enjoyed chatting up all types of different girls, although he never had a steady girlfriend before. It wasn't for lack of interest on their part, either. It was because they had both decided that Team NORA was more important than girls and that's what they wanted to dedicate their time to.
"I don't see how you're going to explain being here this time, anyway." Yuj continued, oblivious to Maqui's thoughts. "How were you going to get him to follow you? 'Hey, want to hang out at the arcade neither of us go to?' Man, it makes you feel like a creep offering candy to children."
Maqui waved his best friend off, still looking around the corner, hoping to catch sight of the boy he was looking for. "I hadn't gotten that far yet, okay? I would have thought of something, though."
"Uh-huh." Yuj nodded sagely. "Just like you'd think of what would happen if you were cock-blocked once again?"
Okay, so that was too harsh. Maqui huffed and whirled around, jabbing a finger at the blue-haired teen. "It's not like that, okay! I'm just... trying to get Hope out to socialize a little-- he should be one of us, right? It's hardly fair that we don't get to see him all that often, and especially because Miss Lightning is convinced that we're bad influences! I mean, we're totally great influences!"
Yuj gave him an incredulous look. "...Like that time when you crash landed your bike outside of the colonies and got him into trouble?"
"Exactly." Maqui responded, and then kicked himself when he realized what he had just agreed to. So much for best friends always having your back. "Wait. I didn't get him into trouble at all! I was the one who was grounded all this time!"
His friend sighed, and then reached out to pat him on the shoulder, looking almost placating. "Maqui, Maqui... when are you going to realize that that kid--" He pointed toward where Lightning and Hope had disappeared to. "Is totally out of your league?"
Maqui narrowed his eyes. "You said the same thing to Snow about Serah."
"Yeah, and she's still out of his league. Dude, it's a damned miracle she agreed to marry him, okay? And it took the world crashing down before Lightning agreed, you know that? Literally. Cocoon. Crashing down."
Maqui's cheeks colored slightly as he mumbled under his breath, "I'm not out to marry Hope or anything. Just... wanted to talk to him."
"Talk to him on the phone." Yuj shook his head, and then shrugged an arm around Maqui's shoulders, pulling the dejected boy along with him out into the open. "You're not going to get him alone here, no matter how many times you try. Sergeant Farron? She knows, dude. She always knows."
"She can't know every time."
Yuj sighed as they walked down the street back to where Maqui had parked the airbikes. "Maqui. Friend. Fellow Team NORA. You do know who Bartholomew Estheim is, right?"
Maqui kicked at a pebble and shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling somewhat stupid now. "Of course I do. He's the only trying to form a council down here on Gran Pulse. He's Hope's dad."
"He's the reason that Snow and all the others aren't being burned at the stake." Yuj stopped, looking more serious than he had been the entire conversation. "He's pushing for some... really big changes here. On how to rely on ourselves and not the fal'Cie. Building settlements and harnessing our own energy, growing and hunting food rather than relying on it being generated. Dude. He's pretty much tried to say that the entire Orphan incident wasn't the fault of the l'Cie."
"So what? That's all true, anyway." It wasn't their fault. Team NORA had decided this long before the events in Eden, anyway. Lebreau had drilled it into his head that people couldn't help being chosen to be l'Cie, and that the only thing Snow had to account for was how he hadn't trusted the rest of the team enough to help him. That had stung, but it hurt more to know that there was something they couldn't help Snow out for. It had hurt Maqui to realize that despite being heroes, there were still some things that couldn't be done by them.
Snow being a Pulse l'Cie had been a painful fact to bear, especially watching the broadcasts daily and seeing news of the Sanctum soldiers hunting down the errand group of Pulse l'Cie. It had taken a day to get used to the idea that Serah had been a l'Cie, but Serah was bright and kind and sweet. She was nothing like what the history lessons had taught them about Pulse l'Cie... and neither was Snow.
"True? Of course it's true." Yuj rubbed at the back of his neck, a habit he had picked up years ago to look sheepish, and was picked up by the rest of the male members of Team NORA whenever they were in trouble... and now whenever they were thinking hard about something as well. "Doesn't mean people are going to believe it."
"Why wouldn't they believe it? All they have to realize is that l'Cie are people, too." Maqui shrugged as their approached the airbikes. "S'not rocket science."
"It's not that easy. People don't like changing their ideas on things. You've seen how people argue on the holo-vid. It doesn't matter if someone's right, most people just don't like being wrong."
"Their fault for being stupid." Everyone was wrong sometimes. Guys more than girls, apparently, especially during certain weeks of the month. "'There's always someone smarter than you out there.' That's what Lebreau always said."
"Yeah, but not everyone thinks about that." Yuj picked off his own parking breaks to his bike, but before getting on, he leaned closer to his companion, voice lower now to prevent anyone from overhearing. It should have been fine, seeing that most of the reconstruction work on Gran Pulse had been to create homes and businesses rather than rebuild their impeccable surveillance system. There weren't any street cameras or the sort around them, and wouldn't be for a long time- at least, not until the newest laws were to be put into effect after their agricultural boost. Not that the law enforcement was having an easy time with the after-effects of the lack of Cocoon fal'Cie.
"It's not just that Hope's one of the former l'Cie," Yuj said more seriously, and Maqui took a moment from starting up his bike to listen to his friend. "Although that's a big part. It's being the kid of a upcoming politician. People aren't very impressed with Mr. Estheim's ideas. They don't want to stop relying on the fal'Cie, and they certainly aren't ready to point fingers at the benevolent beings who have cared for us for hundreds of years. Why believe that they were trying to kill us? It's easier to think that a group of evil Pulse l'Cie ruined their lives."
"Don't be an idiot, Yuj," Maqui grumbled. "They saved as many people as they could. It was the fal'Cie's fault that everything happened."
"People don't see it like that, man."
"Don't see it like the truth?" He sighed. "Why are we even talking about this, anyway?" Because, really, he wanted to sulk just a little more about having been thwarted in his plans by Lightning... again. Maybe he should really try a different method. Should he really just try to call Hope and see if the other boy wanted to hang out? It just felt felt... more special to try and see the other boy again.
Maqui yelped as the older boy reached over to swat him on the head. The blond reached up and readjusted his headphones, giving the blue-haired boy a dark look. Yuj had been the one to get him the headphones anyway, surely the other boy didn't want to destroy those?
"We're talking about this because you don't seem to get it." Yuj snapped. "Bartholomew Estheim is a very public figure now, especially promoting all his controversial ideas. And it's not a huge secret that his son was one of the l'Cie that brought down Cocoon... do you really think Hope would be able to walk home from school unescorted?"
"He's just promoting common sense!"
"Common sense to us, maybe. But you've seen how many people decided to stay up in Cocoon despite it pretty much being a dead planet now. It's just a pretty decoration hanging in the sky without Orphan to power the fal'Cie that lived there. But all those people who won't leave even knowing that they might die up there? They're so scared of Pulse that they'd rather hole up and die. People don't like change, man. You're going to have to understand that before I think Sergeant Farron lets you see Hope again."
Maqui deflated a bit at those words, knowing that if the woman had her way, he'd never see the platinum-haired boy again.
"Politics, Maqui. You'll need to learn them and build up a reputation for yourself."
"What reputation? We've got all the reputation we need! We're Team NORA- we're heroes!"
Yuj jabbed a finger at him before starting up his airbike. "Then maybe you just need to convince Mr. Estheim of that before you try telling Miss Farron."
-------
It only took a few seconds before the holo-vid feed went through, and another moment before the screen flickered on and Maqui grinned widely at the sight of the pale boy on the other side, looking just a little frazzled, probably from trying to find his ringing phone.
"Hi, Hope!" Maqui said brightly, really hoping that he didn't have grease stains on his face or something from working in the garage earlier. But as long as Miss Lightning wasn't watching, then he should be alright. It wasn't as if Hope had never seen him working before, anyway. Or like the other boy hadn't gotten as dirty as him while helping him fix a few things.
"Maqui." The younger boy broke out into a smile, which just made the blond's grin wider. How was it that he had never noticed how brilliant the younger boy's smile was until three weeks ago? "What's up? Finally out of being grounded?"
"Hey, just because no one ever blames you for anything doesn't mean that it's the same for me!" Maqui protested, but he still had his grin. He was just...happy to see the other boy again, that was all. "I was off the leash a week ago. Just been a bit busy since then." Busy trying to see Hope again, but the other boy didn't need to know that. "How have you been, though?"
"Okay." Hope disappeared off the screen for a second, but then reappeared with a with a few school-grade logs. Maqui felt the slightest pang of guilt when he realized he must have dropped it to answer the phone. The younger boy had probably been working on homework, then. The phone was placed in a docking station, and the blond could see the entire desk, with the computer on and multiple school logs. It really looked like a lot of work, more than what he had attempted to do when he had been in school. "High school's pretty tough."
"Looks like it." Maqui glanced at the amount of homework. "How'd you end up with so much work, anyway?"
"Dad signed me up for a bunch of classes. He'd have me take self-defense classes, too, if it weren't for the politics."
Maqui frowned, remembering when when had crashed in Sulyya Springs three weeks ago. "You totally kick ass already- why would you even need self-defense classes?" Not to mention, he wouldn't doubt Miss Lightning would be teaching the younger boy more things about fighting than any classes ever could, anyway.
"I don't." Hope's smile widened at the compliment. "But I can't exactly use magic in front of anyone. And he wants me to be able to fight back in something happens, but at the same time he wants to keep that 'non-violence' image for the former l'Cie to make us look harmless." The silver-haired boy rolled his eyes. "I know he's been talking to Light about it- Snow, too. Sazh is pretty lucky- he's just being promoted as the father who did everything for his son- it apparently makes the adults sympathize more, since Dahj is so young. But Light can't rejoin the GC, and I'm not allowed into anything resembling a military occupation, either."
Personally, Maqui was a bit glad that Hope wouldn't run off to some dangerous job, but he didn't want to say that in front of the other boy. "So what are you going to do?"
"Right now?" Hope's smile turned a bit sheepish. "Finish school. Four more years, and then, wow, another four years of college. How exciting."
Maqui chuckled a bit at the sarcasm. He hadn't finished high school, mostly because he hadn't a use for school especially when he was good enough at fixing things anyway, and his time was so much better spent on his mechanics and building stuff for Team NORA. It had all paid off when the Purge had started and Bodhum was stocked with all the vehicles that Maqui had fixed up.
"Hey, at least school's as safe as it gets. But, hey-- think you have some time this weekend from all that homework you've got stockpiled up?"
Hope pointed to the pile of school logs. "This? I'm just finishing things in advance. It's not actually that much- I'm just getting a few weeks ahead, that's all. But I should have time this weekend, why?"
There it was, the moment of truth- and Hope had already said that he was free that weekend, so-- "Did you want to hit up an arcade or something?" Maqui winced a bit as he realized that came out a lot more high pitched and nervous than he had intended, and cleared his throat just a little nervously. "I mean, it's no big deal or anything-- I just figured that you might want to play some video games instead of studying all the time and doing all that homework--"
"That sounds fun." Hope looked a lot more nonchalant than what Maqui felt. "I haven't been to an arcade. But..." he looked thoughtful for a moment. "We could just play here, too. I've got a bunch of games- what type do you play?"
What type of games did he play? Maqui could have sighed in relief. For some reason, he had figured that Hope was the type who didn't play video games, but spent all his time reading and studying and generally being a all-around good kid, but... he should have realized, really, that Hope really was just another teenage boy, just like him. "Oh, man, I'd play any racing game you have. Any at all."
This was promising. Going to Hope's house sounded even better than just meeting at some random arcade.
"Racing games?" Now Hope looked just a little worried. "...Oh. I don't... um, you can bring a few if you want? I have a bunch of consoles."
"Yeah, I've got a bunch of games. What would you like to play?"
The silver-haired boy looked a bit sheepish. "I don't... well, I've never played those games before. Well, I have, but... that was a really long time ago; don't quite remember how to play those."
"Really?" Maqui stopped when he realized that he hadn't even asked Hope the type of games he played. "Well... what games did you play?"
"Just the stereotypical shooter ones?" The pale boy shrugged. "I guess I'd probably have to stop playing those soon, too, anyway."
"No, no, I could totally play shooter games with you!" It was a total lie, since Maqui couldn't shoot accurately at all, but he could feel his face flushing as the younger boy stared at him curiously. "I mean, you don't have to play my games if you won't want to- I could totally play yours, too."
Hope gave him a strange look, but then shook his head. "We can play yours. I'm pretty sure my dad's going to throw mine out soon, anyway."
Maqui floundered for a moment, but finally attempted a nod and grin. "Yeah, sure, I can bring my games over. So I'll... I'll see you in two days?"
"Sure. It'll give me some time to finish this up so that dad's got nothing to complain about this weekend." Hope gestured to the pile of school logs on his desk. "Might as well get ahead just in case something happens."
"Yeah, it's good to get ahead-- hey, what do you mean by if something happens?" And something else registered to Maqui. "Why would your dad throw out your old games, anyway?"
Hope just shrugged before turning back to his homework. "Politics." There was a second when the younger boy looked extremely bitter about the word, but then that second was gone and Maqui wondered if he had just imagined the look, especially when Hope turned toward him again with that same sweet smile. "Anyway. I'll see you later, Maqui!"
"Yeah." Maqui regained his good humor fast as he beamed at the other boy. "I'll totally see you later."
It wasn't until he hung up that Maqui whooped where he was sitting in the garage, stretching his arms up high as he grinned foolishly up at the ceiling. Was this a date? Most likely not. No way. It definitely wasn't a date, but it was something. It was the hanging out that he wanted to do. It was him finally getting to spend some time with Hope again.
It was a perfect excuse to get him out of the shopping trip that Yuj had planned that weekend.
He's just have to make sure to tell his best friend that. In perfect detail, of course, it wasn't like he had asked if Hope was busy that weekend because Yuj had planned that stupid trip.
Oh, man. It was going to be a good day.