Being a mercenary sounds like great fun. No allegiance to anyone, and
you get paid for it. The only problem was, finding a job to do. In Midgar,
there weren't many people who needed a monster to be killed, unless you
counted the occasional lizard or roach. And the pay was usually a stellar
100 gil for the strenuous work I performed.
My family did the same thing to me that they did to all my brothers and sisters: They sent us off with 2,000 gil at the age of eighteen. I was the last to leave, and the amount given to me was no different. I came to this huge city from the beautiful retirement town of Mideel, looking to make a name for myself like the great ones: Pedro, Kitty, and Red Moon. If you were a mercenary starting out, you wanted to be like them. Have Pedro's amazing speed and skill, Kitty's wit and charisma, and the cleverness of Red Moon, who was a master of disguise. No one knew where they lived now, but they had to be rich.
I was no different. I owned a striking staff, worn out from being dropped so much by yours truly. I wasn't exactly masterful, but not so bad you'd ignore me. I had my share of fights, doing just enough to fend off people, and give them second thoughts about approaching me again. I knew good and well if they challenged be again, I'd be defeated. But, as my parents taught me, if you're going to fight, make sure the person has known they've been in a fight.
My house lay on the north side of Sector 3, the one closest to the ocean, and Junon. I'd sometimes visit the city, as my sister, Vel, lived there. She opened a kitchen, serving all sorts of food. I remember calling her and telling her my occupation. She laughed and said I should have invested in something more business like. She was always like that: Business like, very professional. She was the second youngest, and youngest of the three girls. My other sisters and only other brother stayed at Cosmo Canyon, always showing interest in the stars and the cosmos.
And here I was, wondering where my next job was going to be. It was only 11 in the morning, this was usually the time that Ms. Sturn, an elderly lady, would call me and ask me to come over and kill a few roaches. I didn't mind, she paid me two hundred gil, enough to keep from going hungry. The call didn't come, and my stomach was grumbling. I only had fifty gil, so I decided to waste the last of my money on a burger or something.
This led me to Mack's House, where I would frequently visit, if not to eat, just to chat with Mack himself. Mack was a thirty year old who knew a lot, but never really got the chance to do much with it. I ordered a burger, and sat down. The shop was empty, sans me, so Mack slapped a fresh towel over his shoulder, then sat across from me.
"Yo Mike," he said, eyeing his creation as I was about to devour it, " How's business going?"
"Slow." I took a big bite, almost hurting my jaw.
"Hey, the burger don't got no appointment." Mack laughed. "You can slow it down. Really don't sound like you speedin' around anyways."
"Yeah. I'm just really hoping for a big job. One that will make my name known, an give me a lot of gil." I said, wiping my mouth of excess crumbs. Mack simply laughed, then put a hand on my shoulder before he got up.
"Kid." He said. "Just remember me when it happens."
I couldn't fight the smile that formed on my face as he returned to grilling and frying. It's not impossible, I thought. Maybe, just, maybe the job I'm looking for is just around the corner. Maybe I need to be in the right place at the right time. It was only noon, a lot of day left for anything to happen.
Eight at night, and I sat on my bed, looking at the flickering TV. Still, no sign of a job. No clues, nothing, nada. Maybe Vel can give me a job. I was always good at clearing the table at home.
"Hi, I'm Leon Nicolas, and this is a breaking news bulletin. In the city of Nibelhiem, there are signs of an ever increasing monster population in the Nibel Mountains, slowly making their way into the growing town. Though armed forces are preparing to protect Nibelhiem, it is reported than any help would be needed. Back to the Vincent Valentine Comedy Hour." The broadcast cut back to the awesomely weird show, but my chance had come. Opportunity had practically tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to dance. If I didn't take this job.
My family did the same thing to me that they did to all my brothers and sisters: They sent us off with 2,000 gil at the age of eighteen. I was the last to leave, and the amount given to me was no different. I came to this huge city from the beautiful retirement town of Mideel, looking to make a name for myself like the great ones: Pedro, Kitty, and Red Moon. If you were a mercenary starting out, you wanted to be like them. Have Pedro's amazing speed and skill, Kitty's wit and charisma, and the cleverness of Red Moon, who was a master of disguise. No one knew where they lived now, but they had to be rich.
I was no different. I owned a striking staff, worn out from being dropped so much by yours truly. I wasn't exactly masterful, but not so bad you'd ignore me. I had my share of fights, doing just enough to fend off people, and give them second thoughts about approaching me again. I knew good and well if they challenged be again, I'd be defeated. But, as my parents taught me, if you're going to fight, make sure the person has known they've been in a fight.
My house lay on the north side of Sector 3, the one closest to the ocean, and Junon. I'd sometimes visit the city, as my sister, Vel, lived there. She opened a kitchen, serving all sorts of food. I remember calling her and telling her my occupation. She laughed and said I should have invested in something more business like. She was always like that: Business like, very professional. She was the second youngest, and youngest of the three girls. My other sisters and only other brother stayed at Cosmo Canyon, always showing interest in the stars and the cosmos.
And here I was, wondering where my next job was going to be. It was only 11 in the morning, this was usually the time that Ms. Sturn, an elderly lady, would call me and ask me to come over and kill a few roaches. I didn't mind, she paid me two hundred gil, enough to keep from going hungry. The call didn't come, and my stomach was grumbling. I only had fifty gil, so I decided to waste the last of my money on a burger or something.
This led me to Mack's House, where I would frequently visit, if not to eat, just to chat with Mack himself. Mack was a thirty year old who knew a lot, but never really got the chance to do much with it. I ordered a burger, and sat down. The shop was empty, sans me, so Mack slapped a fresh towel over his shoulder, then sat across from me.
"Yo Mike," he said, eyeing his creation as I was about to devour it, " How's business going?"
"Slow." I took a big bite, almost hurting my jaw.
"Hey, the burger don't got no appointment." Mack laughed. "You can slow it down. Really don't sound like you speedin' around anyways."
"Yeah. I'm just really hoping for a big job. One that will make my name known, an give me a lot of gil." I said, wiping my mouth of excess crumbs. Mack simply laughed, then put a hand on my shoulder before he got up.
"Kid." He said. "Just remember me when it happens."
I couldn't fight the smile that formed on my face as he returned to grilling and frying. It's not impossible, I thought. Maybe, just, maybe the job I'm looking for is just around the corner. Maybe I need to be in the right place at the right time. It was only noon, a lot of day left for anything to happen.
Eight at night, and I sat on my bed, looking at the flickering TV. Still, no sign of a job. No clues, nothing, nada. Maybe Vel can give me a job. I was always good at clearing the table at home.
"Hi, I'm Leon Nicolas, and this is a breaking news bulletin. In the city of Nibelhiem, there are signs of an ever increasing monster population in the Nibel Mountains, slowly making their way into the growing town. Though armed forces are preparing to protect Nibelhiem, it is reported than any help would be needed. Back to the Vincent Valentine Comedy Hour." The broadcast cut back to the awesomely weird show, but my chance had come. Opportunity had practically tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to dance. If I didn't take this job.