If the life don't seem to suit ya... [OPEN]

[returntosomeday]

Characters: Zidane Tribal (returntosomeday), and OPEN
Content: Zidane Tribal comes aboard for his interview. May God have mercy on us all.
Setting: The Winding Way, Bydan Docks
Time: Backdated to the day before the bombings.
Warnings: 'Scruciable cheek. Manufactured in a facility that processes nuts.

Comments

[tiny_tinker_toy]

Rikku was running around, trying to find where she'd left her goggles, when some random blond came up and bowed. (Most people would have curtsied back, but Rikku didn't do that. Unless she met a King or something.)

"I'm Rikku Dalabane," she replied. "And...uh...what post, exactly?"

Hey, he was kinda cute.

[returntosomeday]

Rikku, huh? With eyes like those, he wouldn't be forgetting that name in a hurry.

"It's a pleasure, Rikku," Zidane said, and meant it. "As a matter of fact, with a little luck, you're looking at your newest powder monkey!" He rolled the title out with all the cheerful pride he figured it deserved--even powder monkey on the Way was a sight high enough to thumb his nose at any ground-hugging lumber driver or petty cutpurse.

[tiny_tinker_toy]

"Oh, a powder monkey? Great!" Haine would he happy to have someone new to boss around. "Well, I can show you to the captain's office, if you want!" Rikku offered.

[returntosomeday]

"That," Zidane exclaimed, seizing her hand to shake it gratefully, "would be perfect! Thank you." Turning her hand over, he bent slightly and dusted a kiss across her knuckles, looking up at her with amused blue eyes. "Very much. I definitely owe you one."

[fatherofcute]

On the other hand, Hughes was in his office (for once), puttering around some paperwork that he felt needed to be done. Zeetha was an amazing boatswain and all, but he seemed like the paper sort of guy between them. Even if he didn't actually like it, it was still something the needed to be done, and Hughes was nothing if not a man of duty.

Well, it also helped if he found some secret document or detail in the papers, though he doubted if he would. The captain and the first mate took care of the more sensitive matters, after all.

[returntosomeday]

Well...this looked like an office, all right. Hesitantly, Zidane peered around the doorframe and got a glimpse of a serious-looking, bespectacled man working through a deskful of papers.

It was embarrassing to realize, but now that he was here, with no cute (or terrifying) distractions handy, butterflies were starting to cavort in his stomach. This was it. If he got sent home now...

Not a good thought to dwell on. Taking a deep breath, he put on his best smile and reached over to knock on the open door. "Hello?"

Sorry, I went to bed!

[fatherofcute]

Hughes looked up to an unfamiliar face at the door and immediately greeted the stranger with a bright, friendly smile. "Hey! What can I do to help you?"

Now who was this... Hughes admittedly hadn't met everyone on board yet, but he had researched the crew members well enough to recognize them on sight. If he couldn't recognize this one, then...

"Are you new?" he asked with a grin, standing up from his seat and ushering Zidane in. "I'm Maes Hughes, the boatswain here."

Frick, I am so sorry... OTL

[returntosomeday]

Well...so much for serious. Or at least the alarming sort of serious. The man--Hughes--did seem professional, but the kind of professional Zidane didn't mind working with.

"I'm Zidane Tribal," he said with an answering grin, holding out a hand to shake. "And I'm not technically new, but I'd like to be. Your captain said there was a place open here for a powder monkey?" Might as well not beat around the bush...