Accidental Stowaway (Ziddy)

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It had started out innocently enough. Well…as innocently as thievery ever was. Kjell had been lounging on a rooftop, eating probably his sixth sea salt ice cream, when he just happened to turn over and see an airship docked nearby. Well…it was easy to put two and two together. Kjell came from a world where airships were used, and he knew they were usually filled with cargo from many places, and if there was unique cargo then he could take some and sell it to the merchants for more than the common items found on this world. The plan seemed foolproof!

So, Kjell had leapt from roof to roof, nearing the airship and catching a rope hanging over the side. Getting in was easy, really easy, and Kjell was free to search through crates and barrels of…absolutely nothing interesting. The interesting stuff was probably in the captain’s quarters, but Kjell wasn’t going to check just yet, maybe one of these crates had something cool in it. Kjell used the tip of his dagger to pry the lids off of the musty barrels and boxes, finding nothing more than trinkets and food. This obviously wasn’t a cargo vessel, it was a traveling vessel.

Kjell grabbed a loaf of bread and tore off a piece, chewing it thoughtfully, he supposed the best place to look would be the captain’s quarters, but where were they? This was a bit more modern than the ones he had used back home, and was laid out differently. The captain’s quarters were probably on the other side of the ship, and this was just storage, so with a disgruntled sigh, Kjell began his climb back up to the main deck. It probably wasn’t worth it, he should just leave and go find someone in the rich upper district to steal from.

Taking another bit out of the bread, Kjell tightened the bandana around his head and took another step towards the exit…only to lose his balance as the ship began to move. The ship was moving. That meant it was leaving. So basically he was leaving the place he had called home for several years to some unknown land. It was definitely a sense of déjà vu. It was odd, though, Kjell wasn’t really worried, he knew he could get back somehow, so he would welcome this adventure to break his agonizingly boring routine.

A second realization hit Kjell like a sack of bricks. He was aboard someone else’s airship, so it would probably be best to hide until they landed. Then he could escape, wander around, find some interesting items to bring home, and pay someone with a gummi ship to bring him back to Twilight Town. He should probably find somewhere big enough to hide in first though. Probably one of the crates near the back would be his best bet for a comfortable ride. Upon closer examination, he found that one of the crates was mostly empty, save for a few old rags.

This hiding place was good, and Kjell crouched in the box, replacing the lid as best he could before settling in with his bread. Time was hard to judge without anything to go by, but after somewhere around an hour Kjell heard footsteps nearby. The driver had probably come down to get food or something, they would be gone in just a—
The footsteps stopped…and slowly began to approach him. Kjell silently pleaded that he wouldn’t be discovered…
The lid was lifted off the box, and Kjell blinked at the light, looking up at the person with a grin, “Hey there.” He greeted casually, standing and stretching out. “Nice to meet ya.”

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Jovial Prince of Thieves Invincible was best described as a blue and gold, metal whale. The ship had a sleek, unique design that made it stand out against other airships, but there stood no doubt to its origins. It still retained the sleep, aerodynamic shape that encompassed, almost uniformly, most airships. But it was modeled against them in the manner that it was not one of those old rickety, wooden ships run by Mist or driven by shaky engines that could possibly overheat and light ablaze. It also lacked the many propellers that often kept them aloft. The metal bird still carried the feeling of an airship, regardless. Anchored among the Gummiships and other absurdly average looking ships in the hold, the Invincible was quite a sight to beholden. Invincible’s main bay was wide open, inviting any questionable visitors aboard, but who would dare board such an intimidating ship? It barely hovered off the ground with its own power, a soft hum groaning from its shape mimicking something akin breathing and a heartbeat. Ridges and spines decorated the body of the ship in sharp angles of gold and silvered steel creating a menacing visage of war. But even so its beauty was haunting. Who could resist the lure of the aquaesque gleam that traced along the ship’s metal hull? The colors seemed to swim across the curved surface making it seem as if it was physically breathing, or held blood within it, flowing beneath the surface. But -- there was no way a ship was alive. At least it seemed to be the case from the outside... Though it shone against the light of the morning and held a great sense of majesty, there seemed to be a dark feeling that came with it. The flowing reflections, in truth, were of the souls trapped within the hull, their sorrow and cries fueling its flight. ZIdane Tribal did not often resort to grunt work, but he was determined to visit her again. Perhaps it was loneliness or perhaps it was the knowledge he held of the nature of man? In the end he had made a promise to come visit her, but this time he would be prepared. Food for the voyage and all the things he needed for a little camping trip. He also decided to bring necessities required for such a voyage. He would be leaving as soon as the cargo was all packed. The rogue was not worried someone would steal his ship because Invincible truly had a mind of its own. He was the only one that could pilot it, well aside from any others born of Terra, but Kuja was not getting his hands on this ship any time soon, nor were any of his smaller, more mentally fragile siblings. The ship had cause enough torments in the hands of mad men and the thief felt it was calmer under his possession. He may have been thinking to hard into it, but there were times where it helped his allies. Maybe it knew the truth of its birth, something Zidane did not want to delve into after what little information he had found in Oeilvert and the knowledge he had with the creation of seemingly all things on Terra. Perhaps it was better not to accept it, or the horrors the ship likely had faced before it was born. All that was important was that whatever spirits remained trapped within it and could not be returned to the Cycle, lived free. He did not go anywhere the war ship would have to resume that life once again. Boarding the ship he would step pat its side, indicating it was time to lift off. The living warship groaned to life as its engines pumped power into its veins, which traveled through the entirety of the vessel. The weight of its cargo bay doors caused a growling sound to escape the sealing gates. Zidane made his way to the cockpit of the ship, easily climbing through the strange tube-like passages that brightly glittered with foreign runes that only he could read (aside from the rest of the Genome population). As he walked bright glowing lights of blue and yellow raced along the floor and walls and would eventually lead him to his destination. Arriving in the brightly lit and spacious cockpit the rogue made his way over to a glowing platform. The thief held out his hand over the strange mechanism that seemed more like a bicycle's bars than a ship’s steering wheel. The action brought the Invincible to full life. Slowly, but surely, the Airship would lift off and quickly hover up, soon carrying itself beyond the clouds until the world was but a speck on its viewfinder. It would not be for several hours until the thief arrived in Port Royal. The pirate-hating world was riff with their kind, but that did not stop many from making their rounds and fighting against the East-India Company for rights of swag and merchandise even if that meant all out wars on the seas. In such a world an airship like Invincible would certainly turn the tides of power, but something like that was just no good. It was not safe to land the ship in the view of a bunch of greedy Vagrants and power hungry Lords. The rogue would allow Invincible to hover just above the Isla de la Muerta. It was land that could only be found by those who knew of its existence. Making sure Invincible was safe in the clouds the rogue would hover his hand over a panel which let down the tractor beam to allow him to exit and safely re-enter his ship whenever he needed to. His first goal was to check the cargo once more before making his exit. He would have to tote the barrels and crates down one by one. It would not be too problematic as he tried to pack them lightly. Shuffling his hands into his pockets the rogue could not help but let out a heavy sigh as he proceeded toward the bay doors where most of the goods were packed up tight to keep them from sliding here and there. Reaching down toward his holster with his gloved hand the Genome would unhook the leather strap from the blades’ hilts and skillfully draw one of the daggers from its resting place. Twirling the weapons between his idle fingers the young man would press his free hand against the cargo, testing their weight in an attempt to remind himself just what he had packed. It would not be long before he hit a snag in his testing. One of the crates was absurdly heavier than he had previously recalled. Maybe he was just tired? He had been feeling the exhaustion of traveling falling behind him, but there was never any rest for the weary when it came to such matters. Even though he fought his hardest he did not seem any closer than he was a month ago to his goal. Even with Invincible finding home was as growing impossibility in the stream of possibilities he had seemed to fall upon as of late. It made him tired and he felt heavier with each passing day. His fingers gripped against the wooden cover tightly as he bit back his shout of self-anger that seemed to boil over. Sometimes it was just the little things that tipped over the kettle. His blade stabbed into the edge of the crate and pried it open. A thin brow was arched when he was greeted. Literally greeted. With dagger in hand Zidane would stand there dumbfounded for several moments. “Um… hey.” He waved lightly. Now the thief was known for taking things in stride, but this situation sort of tripped him up. “What the heck are you doing in there?” He definitely did not pack up a person. That would be crazy. To be honest he felt a little drained and crazy at this point. With a sign the rogue stepped from the crate, tucking his knife into his holster once more. Zidane rest his fingers against the belt of his pants, his tail hanging behind him and slowly swaying. What the heck was this?

►TAGS: Kjell~!

►NOTES: Things are a bit weird.

►SKILLS USED: n/a

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE; EDITED BY OUREX DRACO