-1"I never think of the future. It comes soon enough."

Albert Einstein

I slip into whatever clothing I can find on the floor, despite any wrinkled segments or odor. Seems to be tan baggy trousers and a dark brown tunic. I slip into some comfy sandals and head out the door of my apartment. Down the hallway I pass some doors. Doors of people I've never really met or cared to meet really. So, ignoring that fact as usual I descend the three flights of stairs and head out into the street.

Ah, I breathe it in. This, is Asteria! The sounds of a bustling marketplace fill the air. Merchants and gypsies stretch down the street for as far as the eyes can see, many of them no doubt selling crap to locals and travelers alike. I pass down the various stands on my way to the public bath. A few merchants try to attract me with calls of 'Sugar dates! Sugar dates and beans! Sugar dates and pistachios!' and 'FRESH FISH! We catch 'em, you buy 'em!'.

"Would you like to buy a necklace? A pretty necklace for a pretty lady!" a voice calls out to me. I turn and smirk.

"Good day, Tiana! How doin'?

"Oh, same old same old. Where you headed off to?" she replies with a smile.

Tiana is quite a good friend of mine, and a very cute one at that. She is about my age and is a Viera. That is to say she is a member of humanoids, not much different than my own. They have large rabbit like ears, tan skin and lean, agile builds. Probably what sets them apart the most as a race is the fact that all Viera are female! To thrive they must mate with human (or mostly human) male. This causes any girls born to be Viera instead of human. It is said that male Viera haven't existed for since before Heaven's Parted. It is also said that any male Viera born is destined to conquer.

"Just headed off to the bathhouse. Thanks for the pretty comment, though you know I'm not a lady…" I reply

"Oh, well that's yet to be proven!"

"What? You want me to prove it? Right here in front of all these innocent people?"

"Ok! Ok! Knock it off!" she giggles and punches me playfully.

"Anyway…you know what today is don't you?" I say as I stick a piece of gum in my mouth.

"Of course I do! It's the 12th day of Darnaster in the 1,847th year since the Heaven's Parted!" she jests. When I roll my eyes she darts her fingers in my mouth and ganks what was my last stick of gum, popping it in her mouth with a wink.

"You're a real weirdo, you know that…and you know what I meant by do you know what today is!" I shout back, rather stunned.

"OH I see! It's Flußday!" she giggles back at me and chews the pilfered gum rather loudly.

"NOOOOO! …Besides it's Saulday, you silly silly girl…" damn…that gum wasn't cheap either.

"You got me, Vaughn! I know it's your graduation day and yes I am coming. Wouldn't miss it for all the treasure in Alpinse! Of course…I'm going to miss some opportunity for gil…I have a real job now you know!"

"Speaking of your job…have you decided if you are going to join me or not?" I say, slightly peeved.

"Well! I have to be off! Time is money, and I have deliveries to make. I'll see you at graduation, I promise!" Tiana replies and runs off.

Argh! She's done it again! All I asked if for her to join me on my year long journey. I know she's probably going to accompany me, but she never misses an opportunity to tease and generally torment me. Tiana is a rather decent Red Mage and an even more valuable archer. Red Mage? They are also practitioners of versatility. Red Mages combine the spell casting of Black and White Mages, though not at the same strength of either. They are known as daring adventurers with decent swordsmanship, rather than being a slave to musty tomes like other magi.

I've known Tiana for about a year now, but she is still quite a mystery to me. She doesn't talk much about her past that is, only about the future. The young Viera came to Asteria to escape her life elsewhere. She was living in the northern metropolis of Zonagrad with her mother and two younger sisters. They are quite a wealthy family and her mother arranged a marriage to the son of another wealthy family when Tiana was still quite young. Tiana excelled at her archery, schoolwork, and later Red Mage training because of what she said:

"It's not like I could fall in love like the other girls, well I did fall in love a couple times…I think, but I always held myself back due to my betrothal…Eventually I made a plan. With a ball coming up I asked mommy-dearest for some money to buy some accessories or some such gaudy crap. However, I took the money and ran! I've made my own way and I always will."

So she made her way southward to Asteria where she has been for quite sometime. Tiana has worked (and is even now) many odd jobs here, mostly delivery and waitress…ing. Still I know the bug of wanderlust has been biting her more and more lately. I can see it in her lovely hazel eyes…Ok! So I have a thing for her! But who wouldn't really? I mean especially today's outfit. She wore a bright red tube top and baggy light tan pants tied with a matching red sash. Her thin and slightly midriff was of a perfect tan and her navel was accented with a ruby jewel. Still, what completes the ensemble is her cute hairstyle choice for this special day. Her bangs are cut evenly just above her brow and fan out across from between her large pointed ears. The rest of her hair is long however and was tied in two long pigtails that went around behind the ears and down her back. I've always been a real sucker for pigtails and always will, no thanks to Tiana.

"Uhh, sir are you in there? Are you going to buy anything?" a voice calls out to me.

"Huh? What? Oh…Uhh no sorry, I have places to go." I reply, snapping back into reality.

So I continue once again on my way to the baths, not letting any mental or physical pigtails deter me this time. After a short walk I arrive at the bath. I walk into the establishment and set a five gil piece on the counter. The proprietor, an elderly Bangaa woman, smiles at me and pushes it back towards me. Bangaa? They are lizard people (though don't call them that to their faces!) famous for their strength and discipline. In the desert, their kingdom stands thanks to the legendary Bangaan Dragoons and Warrior Monks. Anyway, back to the mundane…

"I know what today isss, child!" she smiles to me, "Please it's on the house!"

"How did you know?"

"Oh, your lady friend came and dropped off your uniform not 2 minutes ago."

'My uniform!' I slap myself mentally and take the towel she offers with a bow. Seriously…was I planning to walk back to my apartment in just a towel? Ugh, what's up with me…

I walk into the men's prep room and strip down hastily. As I start to put my glasses in an available locker, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Well, if it isn't my good friend Vaughn!" the voice attached to the hand speaks.

I turn and face "Big Mikey" Mike McCalugin. He has that normal thin lipped grin on his red face and fog on his diminutive circular spectacles. Mike is quite the large pale fellow from the northern isles, 2 yarls tall and easily 12 jinkles in weight. I don't find him an unpleasant fellow, though I prefer not seeing him in the buff. He's a classmate of mine and although he generally annoys the professors with constant questioning, he has surprised them with his incredible ability to stand through onslaughts of magic when others falter. Big Mikey says that when he is done with his training, he wants to return to the northern states to become a royal guard. Though they are usually fighters, he wants to prove himself capable of guardsmen-ship with defensive magic, or so he has told me. I wish him luck.

"Oh, not much Mike, I was just going to get cleaned up for graduation. Anyway, how can you see with your glasses like that?" I reply.

"Well, I can hardly see at all without my glasses off…so you know! Rather see fog than nothing!" He echoes with a large belly laugh from his…large belly. Thankfully he is getting dressed now.

"Uhh…right. So I'll see you later then."

"Right, right. Well, best get squeaky clean my brother! It's going to be awhile before any of us will get to bathe, I'm sure! Especially for whoever gets sent southwest into the desert! Oh shit…I probably just jinxed myself."

I watch him leave and am surprised as he lifts up his ever present bowler hat and pulls out a donut. What a weirdo…besides the fact he hides food in there, a hat like that is out of place in this town near the desert where turbans and fezzes are the norm. I hang up the garment bag in the large locker and head for the showers.

…

So after a quick but thorough wash, I turn down both nozzles and reach for my towel. I walk back into the locker room and toss the towel in the hamper. Thankfully there aren't any weirdoes here today, well no one is here today save me. I put on some white boxers and unzip the garment bag that houses my uniform. This is my first time wearing it and I'm a little bit excited. I take out the black slacks with thin gray pinstripes and slip into them one leg at a time. Next is the white undershirt and suspenders, followed closely by the fancy dark blue vest with zigzag gray decoration running the length of the entire edge of the piece. And lastly I don the magnificent light blue shimmering cape which ends just before my feet and is clasped with a oval aquamarine clip. Wow! I look professional!

Oh yeah…shoes. Well, I guess I'll have to go back to the apartment in my sandals. Hopefully everyone won't notice the flaw of my uniform and focus on the rest of the ensemble. Yeah, it's a little distracting but it's a prestigious outfit, what can I say.

(LATER…)

"Time to get packing!" I sing to myself as I climb the stairs, "Pack-a, Pack-a, Pack-a, packing up my sack-a! Packing up my clothes into the sack upon my back-a".

I slide the key into door number 42 and swing it open. To my surprise…

"Oh! Hey there Vaughn! I was just cooking up some lunch." Tiana turns and calls to me.

"…Honey I'm home…." I mumble as I shut the door, "How many times do I have to tell you not to break into my apartment!"

"Oh hush you! Tehehe…" she giggles and wiggles her erect ears, "You should thank me for delivering your uniform! Although…I did forget the shoes. But, I decided to make lunch to make up for my forgetfulness!"

"Ugh…that's not the point! Anyway, why are you wearing an apron if you were making sandwiches?"

"Because it's cute! What other reason does there have to be? Now, shut up and eat!" she replies.

We sit at the wooden table. Still, she makes a killer sandwich and fresh squeezed lemonade, so I shouldn't complain. Besides she does look pretty cute with the apron on…Argh! Stop ogling her and get down to brass tacks!

"So answer me, are you going to come with me or not?" I say as I set my plate and cup on the counter.

"Oh look at the time! I have to get to work!" she replies and dashes off like the bunny she is.

I rub my forehead and grumble to myself, "Look at the time? Like I can afford a clock…Well time to pack."

"Pack-a, pack-a, pack-a…"

END CHAPTER 2

Weeee I finally finished it in between my other fic and my Deviant Art submission. What do you think? Review me please!