Don't call it a clunker

[dodgyallround]

It had taken months of hard work, a fact which would have had some of the clan loudly wondering what Xigbar considered to be hard work, but they'd finally been able to afford an airship. Still, the budget had been a little restricted, and the nefarious purposes Xigbar had in mind meant that he'd gone for the ability to hide things over mere

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[dodgyallround]

Noir had cited 'business' and left. That had given Xigbar limited options. On the one hand, he'd have preferred to take Xaldin with him in case there was trouble, and on the other hand, he wanted someone he could trust and with decidedly non-flammable abilities to guard the ship in case trouble came to wait for them while they were gone

[dodgyallround]

"Ha!" Xigbar laughed, derisively, if it could be called a laugh, and did a very good job of appearing to make smalltalk. "Tourist destinations are just cities that washed their faces. If you really want to get a feel for somewhere, go where the tourists don't."

The truth was, Xigbar found tourist destination useful. Hiding in a crowd was a great plan, but only if you didn't stand out in that crowd. The problem was, in a small town, the crowd was much harder to hide in.

For someone like this guy, who seemed intent on running from some sort of trouble, his best bet would be to make appearances somewhere big and public; let whatever he was running from search for him in the throngs of Rabanastre, Midgar, Archades, or Bhujerba, always a step or two behind him. Then he could drop off the radar entirely.

Not that Xigbar was about to offer that kind of advice; this guy was his own problem once he got off the ship.

First they had to get him on it. "Drink up," he said, and raised his beer again, "you don't want to miss your flight."

[myfullmeaning]

It didn't take Simon long to finish the drink off when instructed to. He didn't neck it, mostly because that would have looked too weird, but he managed to drink it all in about four mouthfuls, each of which was accompanied by something of a cringe.

He really wasn't a wine person and he wasn't sure whether the scarred man's henchman was just a bad judge of character, or whether it was the very opposite and he'd done it on purpose.

When he placed his empty glass down on the table for the final time, he looked at Xigbar and nodded, trying not to catch Axel's eye again.

[gotitmemorised]

Axel finished his own drink lazily. He had less than Xigbar, but more than Simon, but he didn't have to finish it then and there. Ah, such was the convenience of bottled beverages.

When Simon and Xigbar had finished, he raised an eyebrow, waiting for them to stand.

[dodgyallround]

Xigbar smirked at the way the doctor downed his drink. Too quick; especially for wine. Either he was a frequent drinker - he didn't look it - or he was used to something stronger - a possibility - or he was completely unused to alcohol - also a possibility, but a considerably funnier one. Xigbar hoped it was strong wine, and the latter option; impaired reasoning skills could come in useful.

Once he'd finished, slower than the doctor, he grinned. "Time to make a move," he said, "don't forget your things."

[myfullmeaning]

Oh yes, that wine was going to go straight to Simon's head. He knew it, they knew it, but he didn't worry. He was fairly sure that his nerves, concern over his cargo and the fear that he was knee deep in something he didn't want to deal with was going to keep him sober. Mostly, anyway.

He bent wordlessly to pick up the case which seemed extremely heavy, for what it was. Luckily for him, there were wheels one corner. How he got it up the stairs was a bit of a mystery unless he was stronger than he looked.

[gotitmemorised]

Axel held out a hand to Simon, cocking both his head and one eyebrow.

"Y'want me to take that?" He asked, referring to the case.

He didn't bother to make his smile anything less than crocodile-like.

[myfullmeaning]

Simon, although he didn't look defensive, shook his head.

"No, it's fine." He replied, gripping the handle more tightly.

[dodgyallround]

Xigbar observed his client with interest, but it was subtle, and seemed harmless. It was heavy, but the doctor didn't seem even remotely willing to let go of it. Not surprising, given how much he was paying out to transport it, but it'd slow them down.

"Breakables, or you just don't trust flamesilocks, here?" Not that he could blame him for that either, because Axel was putting on a damn fine show of being a complete, untrustworthy bastard.

Xigbar figured, wryly, that it wasn't an act.

[myfullmeaning]

"Breakables," he said, although the reason was a little bit of both.

Reluctantly, Simon relinquished his hold on the handle. He didn't think that Axel looked particularly strong, but in order to not get left in the city for being rude to those he'd he'd half paid to get him out, he relented.

"Be careful with that," he warned, not seeming convinced by Axel's mock salute as he took the case from him.

[dodgyallround]

Xigbar considered his options. It was too big to go through any portal he could make; anything bigger than his arrowguns was out of the question there, but he didn't really want to go and warp gravity in the middle of this pub, in front of everyone.

"Let's get outside," he decided, "I'll take it from there."

They definitely didn't want the contents getting broken, anyway. They might not get paid if that happened.

[gotitmemorised]

While he let Xigbar take the lead, Axel left Simon to walk in the middle, with him bringing up the rear. The case was heavy, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He didn't look it, but he was stronger than most guys of his build, mostly due to extensive practice with hefty weapons. He didn't look like he was struggling, which made them look more natural than three men flailing at moving a single case or even resorting to magic to move it.

"I can handle if you want," he told Xigbar, not finding it any trouble. "But whatever you want. You're the boss, right?"

[dodgyallround]

Ideally, Xigbar would prefer to transport the case, and contents, without drawing attention, but it wasn't as though they were right next door to the airship port.

"Just give me a poke if it needs a little extra lift," he said. He wouldn't trust Axel on most things, but if he thought he could handle carrying the case back, Xigbar was willing to let him in the name of making all their lives easier.

Except Axel's anyway, for the duration of the walk.

[myfullmeaning]

Simon watched Axel nod. It was an odd feeling to allow this clearly dangerous man take his precious cargo, but he knew that he'd just slow them down if he had to carry it himself. He wasn't exactly used to manual labour, so giving the heavy object to somebody suitably strong and nearly thuggish, he thought, even if he looked twig-thin and flimsy, was a better idea, especially since he didn't seem to have any of the trouble he would have had he been the one to take it the whole way.

They didn't look out of place. Celapaleis was busy and bustling and a few people walking together with one heavy case didn't look too off or strange, especially since they were heading for the aerodrome. Traders, small time and big time, did much the same and nobody batted an eyelid.

He walked stiffly, but he was sure that he'd be able to relax and squash the constant urges to look over his shoulder and avoid the eyes of everybody that passed once the ship was in sight. When he was actually on it, he'd probably breathe a literal sigh of relief.

[dodgyallround]

On the outside, the ship had been given a paintjob. It was an old model, no question, but it looked as though it was fully functioning and well cared for. That was exactly why Xigbar had spent time having the outside done up; the ship might be at risk of breaking down, or dropping out of the sky, but at least it didn't look it.

Not that Xigbar would admit it was at risk of breaking down or dropping out of the sky, eiher.

It had been neatly done out in black. There wasn't any other colour it could be done in, for ex-Organization members, at least as far as Xigbar was concerned.

It looked as though Noir wasn't back yet, judging by the lack of extras in the cargo hold that it had been told to pick up. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long before it was.

"Say hi to your ticket outta here," he said to Simon, and then added, "be nice," because when it came to the ship, no one else was.

[myfullmeaning]

"It's a salvage," Simon observed, looking a little surprised