Seated on one of the many stools they had, Ginji looks at the papers with little interest. Books lay open, some were left untouched, a few stacked up here and there. He eyes it for a brief moment, before shifting his attention to the sky, from what little view there was, from what his small window could offer. Sighing, Ginji stares longingly into the vast expanse of the sky.
How he missed the feeling of absolute control, the air that carried him into the sky, that propels him into a world where only he knows. When he was up in the clouds, the Albiore was under his command.
Ginji had been itching to get his hands on the control wheel and soar the skies like he used to, but no. He had to look into some blueprints his little sister had left him, and if possible, polish the outsides, tighten up loose screws and bolts, check if the engines were still running, and if the oil needs changing—just the usual.
What a great way to start the morning!
He groans into his hands, and the pilot practically dropped his head on the surface of his desk. Don't get him wrong—he loves sticking around in the small workshop, spending the majority of his time fixing and adding a few modifications of his own. What he hates about his job was when her sister decides to dump all the work on to him, leaving him to take care of it. And this happens a lot.
Dragging his feet to the surviving Albiore, he grabbed his tools from the table and went to work. He meticulously removed some of the parts of the air craft, putting them down with care. Ginji bends down to wipe the fabric, scrubbing at it hardly, making sure he didn't miss a spot.
Putting the pieces back together, he fastened the bolts in, securing them in place so they won't easily come off when he's in the air. Once he was done, he checks the back. A small puddle of dark liquid underneath the aircraft caught his attention. "This isn't good."
Time for an oil change, he thought.
Similarly, the current princess from the neighboring kingdom was burdened with work and duties that day. As the reigning monarch, Natalia sees to it that the job is done properly. That said, she had to make sure to watch over her people and their goods while they carry them safely across, which explains why she was there. "What do you mean there won't be any ship leaving until tomorrow?"
Frantic were the waves as they hurl themselves towards the posts and pillars that supported the dock, rocking the small boats. Clouds, all darkened in color, hang grimly over the sky, the tides rose higher and higher, making it impossible for one to sail under the weather.
The Kimlascan princess, arms over her chest and brows knit closely together, was apparently about to lose her temper. There were no ships headed to the floating capital, and it takes about days before she gets there if she waits that long! Sure, she couldn't stand the emperor and the very idea of him annoyed her to no end, but she really wanted to get their meeting done and over with. There had been some change of plans in her schedule, so she doesn't have that much of a choice.
"I'm terribly sorry, Your Highness, but there aren't any ships available. And if there are, there is a high chance that the ship might get capsized. It's dangerous at times like this." with a sigh, Natalia dismissed the person in charge, thanking him.
Grand Chokmah was a very far off place, and if she wanted to make it there in about a few hours, she had no other choice than to fly. In order to do so, she had to find someone fast, someone who could take her there in the nick of time.
Thankfully, she was at Sheridan today. And, for some reason, she was feeling lucky.
On the way to the only facility she'd been to a couple of times before, Natalia was hoping, praying that someone was around at this hour. The ride was long and tiring. Her two knights were each by her side, making it hard for her to relax. But being squeezed in between two people would be the least of her worries.
Natalia couldn't afford to let these next few hours go to waste. If she wanted Peony to get him to stop sending her letters about their meeting that was due weeks ago, she had to go there. She stares at the huge doors before her. Right when she was about to raise her fist to knock, a man with silver hair pulled the door open.
Natalia jumped back a little, not expecting for him to answer that quickly. The man seemed to be a bit surprised himself. What was a pilot like him to do? He doesn't get a lot of guests, and it wasn't like every day he gets a visit from someone of high position, such as the princess of Kimlasca herself! Straightening his back, Ginji blurted, "Princess Natalia!"
Recovering from his shock, he bowed his head. Dark splotches covered most of his shirt, drenching it completely in oil. Right around that time, he was finished polishing the front, and done changing the fuel. He was about to get himself some breakfast until suddenly going up to the door to see Princess Natalia on his front steps. He didn't expect her to arrive on such a short notice. In fact, he wasn't expecting anyone.
"Good morning to you too," she nodded. There's not much time left to lose, and the only option left was to board the Albiore. She was looking forward to seeing her friend Noelle, but Ginji, who happens to be present at the moment, was just the perfect pilot for the job. She guessed that he would have to do.
"And what brings you here on such a fine day?" he nearly stuttered, trying to be formal as possible. Behind her were her two guards. Ginji felt small under their hard gaze. "Would you like to come inside for some tea and biscuits?" he gulped a small lump in his throat. Although it would be best not to, since the entire place reeked of oil and metal but then again, it would be extremely rude not to invite her in.
"No, I'll be fine." was her response.
"Are you sure? I mean I could get you something to drink. I think there's plenty in the—" he had to at least offer her something. But before he could continue, the princess cuts him right in the middle of his sentence.
"Ginji, it's fine." the princess gently called, "Can you take me to Grand Chokmah, while Noelle's away?"
I apologize for the lack of introduction and insufficient details! The entire piece seems rushed, and I have an explanation for that: school. Another reason why is because I've little knowledge about how the Albiores work and how long the travel would be, and the anime offered very little information about it. (Yep, you heard it right, anime, not the actual game itself)
Also, I wrote this piece to finally get this off my drafts and off back before I go do whatever we sixteen year-olds regularly do in their lives: linger here a bit longer before cramming all the projects that are due the next day :D
Or that's just me?
Hope you enjoyed this though! (Despite my mundane writing and all that :^)