To A Thief - Chapter 30: My Little Summer - Part I

A blood red summer? Heh, maybe...

Stiff sighed as he sat at the edge of the pier at the Windurstian departures area in Port Jeuno, chewing on a meat mithkabob while lost in his thoughts. He continuously stared at his own reflection looking back at him on the surface of the water. "Have I truly made much progress the last 5 months? Vincent sure has made it hard for me to feel any different," He thought to himself. He saw a shadow looming behind his reflection, and before he could turn to look, a soft pair of hands slid over his eyes. 

"What're you doing up here, up here? Huuuh?" Okina's small voice spoke to him from behind. "Stiffy still isn't bummed out about what happened earlier today, is he, is he?" She asked, resting her chin on his shoulder. 

Stiff let out another more drawn out sigh as he held the other end of the mithkabob idly over the water's surface. "It's not fair," He muttered. "I'm sure I busted my a*s harder than anyone else the last couple of months training, yet Vincent tells me to stay here... it just doesn't make any sense! I should be the one out there, at least in Veronaut's place." 

"I knew it!" Okina smiled helplessly as she removed her hands from his eyes and remained crouched behind him while keeping a hold of his shoulders. "You know how Vincent is, Stiffy! He does lotsa' things for many reasons... I'm sure his decision to have you stay has a purpose, purpose," She smirked as she ruffled his hair. "Let's go do something fun, Stiffy! You're so boring just sitting out here, out here... it's the middle of summer and the Sunbreeze Festival has already begun!" She exclaimed, jumping to her feet and pointing her finger to the heavens. "And I, Okina, vow to taste every single yummy dish that the stands have to offer! That's my mission!" She said, then pointing her finger at Stiff's face and shoving it against his cheek. "And you're going to help me, help me!" 

He pulled his head back as she plastered her finger against his cheek, rubbing it afterwards and turning to face the crazy monkey girl. "Come on, Okina... I don't care about some stupid fest- HEY! That's mine!" He called out as he saw her munching on his mithkabob. He didn't even notice she had snatched it from his hand.

"Heehee! There's plenty more to eat at the festival! Let's go, let's go!" She giggled as she hopped from railing to railing, chucking the empty kabob back at Stiff. "Hurry up, slow poke! Annie, Mel, and Flint are waiting for us! I told them to come along, but they didn't want to at first... but then I persuaded them," She smiled wide. 

"Persuaded, huh?" Stiff snickered as he stood up. "Well, take me to whatever lamp post you tied them up in. Let's check this stupid festival out." 

"Okay! They're tied up in this one!" She called back as she ran out of the departures area. 

Stiff couldn't help but chuckle as she ran off energetically to wherever she had bound the poor trio. 

It had been quite a while since Okina had woken up from her comatose state after unleashing the power of the magicite on her back, but I couldn't deny how happy I was to have her back up and running around. She brought about more spunk when things were down, and keeping her out of trouble kept me at least somewhat busy. As you can see, she has settled into Jeuno quite comfortably. 

But as the thoughts of Vincent's decision made another lap around Stiff's head, he sighed. 

Earlier that day...

"What do you mean I can't go!?" Stiff furrowed his brows in frustration at Vincent. "What the hell have I been working so hard for, then!?" 

Vincent just turned his back to the young thief and shook his head. "You should know by now that I am quite specific with the people I choose for the missions I assign. This mission is especially not an exception. I don't have to explain this to you, Stiff. You do what you are told, and that's final. If you want, I can run your a*s out of here too so you can go play rogue." 

Clenching his fist, Stiff narrowed his eyes at his leader and looked off to the side. "But you let Draven go... me and him are practically even when it comes to skills! It's not fair... I should be the one to get back at these guys! I want my revenge." 

"I've told you before. I only choose those I need for an assignment. And I have decided I'm taking Veronaut and Draven with me. I could care less who's got the better skills. Besides, your need for revenge could very well be what gets us killed out there. I can't afford such a risk. We've got them right where we need them. Now leave me be... I've got a lot of preparing to do." 

"But-" Stiff began to protest, shortly cut off by Vincent. 

"That's final!" 

"D****t!" Stiff growled as he kicked the edge of the desk, stopping for a moment before storming out of the room. He brushed past Claire as he walked out, who was just now entering the room and rose a brow at the angry thief who walked past her. 

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Vincent slumped back on his chair and sighed. "That damn kid sure has gotten a lot more stubborn."

"Sounds like he's being a brat, as usual." Claire gave a pursed smile. "Should I remind him to mind his manners around our leader again?" 

"Nah, it's fine," Vincent waved his hand in the air. "I called you here to ask a favor. Do you think you could run things here while I'm gone? Just make sure everybody doesn't get too restless."

Claire blinked and tilted her head. "Sir?" 

"Moku's going to be gone for a while as well. He's off to do some dealings with his "connections"," Vincent contined. 

She gave a stiff nod in response. "Yes, of course. I'll keep everyone in line, you don't have to worry about that, Sir..."

"Very good," Vincent nodded back as he stood up and grabbed his great sword. "Well, I'm off to make preparations with the other two. Do as you please with the rest. Take care."  

"Sir!" Claire saluted her leader as he made his way out. It was all so sudden. Even if it might only be for a day, she was now responsible for running the Brigade. 

******

"Couldn't help but overhear..." Draven stood leaning against the wall outside of Vincent's office. "You know, I don't think it's such a good idea to snap at Vincent like that." 

Stiff turned away from Draven and crossed his arms. "I don't care. He should know better than to not take me along... I've dealt with these guys more than anyone else! I'm an ideal group member." 

"Hmph... who knows? Maybe he left you here just in case they dispatch some undercover Descent members to come cause trouble in Jeuno. You know how Vincent is, Stiff... he does everything for a reason. And if that's the case, you be sure to take some out for our sake." 

Stiff turned around and gave a grumpy look at Draven before easing up his expression and letting out a drawn out sigh. That probably wasn't the case, but at least it made him feel a little better. "Maybe... but at the very least, make sure to let those Descent maggots know Stiffy sends his best wishes!" 

Pushing himself off the wall with a brief chuckle, Draven shook his head and began making his way down the hall. "Roger that." 

"Hey." Stiff called to him, stopping him in his tracks. Giving his friend a sincere look, he brought a hand to the back of his own head and said, "This is the first mission in a long time that we won't be working together in. You probably don't need it, but good luck out there... it's about time we get back at them." 

Draven looked over his shoulder at Stiff, then turned forward once more and continued on his way. "Sure." 

Back in the Sunbreeze Festival...

"Oiii! Over here, hurry up already!" Okina waved her arms frantically to the group as she hopped up and down. She stood by the exit to Rolanberry Fields, where the countless sunbreeze decorations such as lanterns and chimes stretched out past the city gates and on to the outskirts of the city, where the more lively events were taking place. 

"She sure is excited." Mel gave a toothy grin as she rolled up the sleeves of her coat. She never took the damn thing off, even during a warm summer like this. "It almost makes me excited. Almost." 

"Okina can bite me." Annie muttered as she looked off to the side in defeat. "Why did I agree to come along, again?" 

"Oh, I dunno, maybe because the meals you freeload off of me aren't exactly free? Or maybe it's because I cover for you when you receive an unwanted assignment... oh, and there's also-"

"Shut up!" Annie quickly interrupted, shifting her eyes at the others. "... Just so you know, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I just don't feel the need to bother myself doing so when I have a perfectly capable servant." 

"Hmph! I'm no servant!" Mel scowled, crossing her arms and twisting her gaze away from her friend. 

"Ladies, ladies..." Flint walked in between them with a smug grin on his face, throwing his arms over their shoulders. "You're both beautiful! No reason to  fuss over it. Hey listen, how about you two come with me and sift through the wine stands? I sure as hell fancy myself a bottle of 812 Rolanberry right about now..." 

"Keep dreaming..." Mel pulled her head back as she sneered at lover boy, daintily picking his hand off her shoulder. "Besides, we all know I'm the beautiful one. No question about it!"

"What did you say!?" Annie growled at Mel, shooting her a glare. "I too am beautiful! Isn't that right, punk!?" She grabbed at Stiff's collar, whom was silent the entire time looking out at the crystal sea stretching beyond the long walkway of Lower Jeuno. 

"Wuh!?" Stiff choked out as he was pulled inches away from Annie's glaring face, forcefully snapped from his thoughts.

"Aren't I beautiful?" She asked him again in a menacing tone.

"Ahh! Yes, you're beautiful!" Stiff answered for his own life. "Just don't hurt me!" 

Annie suddenly lifted her hand, ready to bring it down but turning it at the last second and jerking it towards Flint's face, letting out a loud SMACK!

"That's for touching me!" 

"YEOW!" Flint cried out as he clutched his cheek and jumped forward, turning towards the group with a pained look on his face. "Why do I get slapped for telling you you're beautiful, but Stiff doesn't?" 

"Hey pal, don't drag me into this!" Stiff quickly retorted as his eyes went from Flint to Annie and Mel. 

Taking a hold of Annie's hand and walking pompously towards the already-tired-of-waiting Okina, Mel smiled sweetly and said, "It's a girl thing." 

"Unlike you, Stiff at least tries to pretend he doesn't fancy us." Annie chuckled. 

Flint turned to Stiff with a confused and demanding look, half-expecting him to say something before he followed behind the girls with slumped shoulders. 

"Pfft, don't flatter yourselves..." Stiff muttered. "Flint's got balls to chase after those demon twins." 

"GET OVER HERE!! Ruuugh! Hee-hee, hee-hee!" 

"AHH!"

"Wait, Okina!" 

"Okay, we'll hurry!" 

"Let me go! Let go!" 

 So after being hauled out to the green fields of Rolanberry by Okina, we were brought to the first stop for today's sunbreeze festival. Just kill me now. 

"'Are you ready.. to be.. Torrorized?'" Stiff read the white banner hanging over the entrance of the outer Jeuno gate with a rather large pair of horns placed above it. "Um... Okina? What is this?" 

"You'll see, you'll see!" The eccentric monkey girl exclaimed as she pointed towards the crowd of gathering contestants. "This is going to be a lot of fun!" 

"Look at all those people..." Mel blinked in surprise as they approached the crowd. "What do you suppose this is?" 

"Something stupid," Annie grunted. 

"Hohoho~ will you take a look at those!" Flint ran towards the gate and pointed at a rather large steel corral that had been placed just outside. Inside of the large corral that could honestly fit an entire ranch, was a herd of giant toro-like buffalo. 

"C'mon Stiffy! We're just in time for the event!" Okina grabbed a hold of Stiff's wrist and dragged him over to the crowd, where a bearded hume spokesman in a fancy tuxedo spoke. 

"Right then, I think we've got ourselves a damn good number of contestants here. Onto the rules!" He called out as he motioned a pair of white gloved hands at the wall behind him, where a scroll was unfurled by a tiny tarutaru who used his weight to do so and tumbling on the soft grass upon landing. At the same time that the contents of the scroll were exposed, a band of bards began to play some intimidating music. 

Sliding out an ivory wand from his sleeve, the bearded man tapped the tip of the wand on what appeared to be a map of Rolanberry drawn on the scroll with two squares that really stood out; most likely corrals like the one just outside the gates. One of them was at the bottom of the map- the one outside - and the other was way at the top of the map where Rolanberry cuts off into Pashow Marshlands.

"These corrals, as you might have already seen-" The man said, tapping the squares on the map as the artwork began to animate itself to his words,"-are the respective team's  Toro corrals. That's right, I said team. Opposite from our end of the map, lies another gentleman such as myself explaining now these rules to another crowd of brave participants such as your lovely selves, ready to take you on and give their all to stop you from winning. As of now, you are all an alliance! Take pride in your comrades, for the rewards you shall reap should you win, are valuables that can only be gathered from such an event that takes place annually in Vana'diel. Think about it. A whole year." The man grinned, twirling his wand along his fingers before continuing with the name of the game. 

"The objective is quite simple. The process, not so much. The Ravaging Rarabs - that's you - must compete with the Malicious Mandragoras - the other team - in herding the opposing team's Toros into your own team's corral. There are ten Toros per team, all which are marked by their colored horns depending on what team they belong to. Ravaging Rarabs' Toros all have red horns. The Malicious Mandragoras' Toros all have blue horns. Before the event begins, we will release all the Toros into the wilds of Rolanberry to mix and match before releasing y'all and then locking up for our own good safety until one team wins or until time is up. Sound simple enough, eh? Wrong. Giant Toros are majestic creatures. The kind that belong in the wild, where they can romp freely without having to gore someone in order to make a statement. Don't think so? Well, these big boys what have been locked up seem to want to get that point across somethin' fierce. It's gonna take more than a poke in the a*s with them shinies of yours to get these to mosey over to some corral. I wish you all, ladies and gentlemen, the mightiest of luck." 

"Yeehoo! We be just like cowboahs!" A tarutaru within the crowd jumped up and down, throwing on a cowboy hat he just happened to have in his persona. "Yippee ki-yay!" 

The bearded man gave a sly grin as he tapped the end of his wand at the unfurled scroll. The map of Rolanberry was erased and on the clean sheet, a new image was drawn on its own by some form of magic. The new image represented a sneaking tarutaru in a cowboy hat, ready to get the attention of an unsuspecting blue horned Toro. 

"Ey', that lil gah look just like mey!" The taru smiled wide as he pointed towards the scroll. 

The taru in the picture didn't realize a larger group of blue horns coming up to him from behind until he briefly turned around before being charged at and smothered in a flurry of goring horns, which abruptly caused the scroll to shred itself to bits as an expression of the aggression one shall face should he or she get careless. 

The once-enthusiastic taru's expression sunk back into itself leaving only a "torrorized" look of fear. 

"Tch... could they have thought of a stupider name for our teams? Well, we'd better win... or I'll kick all your asses to next year's festival." Annie sighed as she pulled out her great katana and made her way towards the gate.

Stiff, Flint, and Mel all huddled together in Torror. They weren't exactly looking forward to being stuck through the guts by a pair of giant colored horns. 

"Haha! Hurry, hurry! I'm going to ride one of them! This is going to be so much fun, fun~"

"RELEASE THE TOROS!" 

Dear Altana, 

Have mercy on our souls. 

-Stiff

___________________________________________________________________________________

The Torror begins... 

*Herds you all over to Chapter 30: My Little Summer - Part II*