Characters/Pairings: Basch/Society (Noah, Vossler, Raminas, Ashe, Vaan)
10 prompts lifted from another community. 10 100-word drabbles exploring one character within a few societies.
The Servant & The Master (10 drabbles, 1 arc)
Running Away…
Basch hopes Noah still lives. His aches for his sister, his little brother, his mother too, but Noah he misses most. Oh, he still yearns for the girl he fancied back then, but even when inside her, his bond with her was not as strong as the bond he had with his twin. Born of the same flesh and blood, one half mirroring the other, he and Noah were the same. For the hope of his family, his girl, and his village's safety, Basch severed the cord. He looked back once, silenced his words, withheld his tears. He ran away.
Wars…
Vossler found Basch in Nabudis: a penniless refugee with a twenty thousand gil chocobo. Basch rode in the circus. He had sold everything he owned in exchange for food: his bird's war saddle and harness, even his armor and some of his clothing. The Azelas family paid to sponsor Basch as a knight rather than send another of their sons into the King's military and Basch was indebted to them for ten years. Once his contract of service had been completed, the King himself purchased Basch as his top servant: a commoner styled as the commanding Captain of the Order.
You & Me…
When Basch forgot his place, the Galtean language would remind him. With a dozen words for 'you,' each implied a specific relationship between speaker and listener: social hierarchy encoded in common words. After ten years Basch still made mistakes. He knew it was best to communicate in humblest form, so he did, always, unless absolutely certain and among trusted friends. Basch's deferential manner of speaking always sounded as if he were apologizing. He knew this, so he spoke little and chose words carefully.
He remembers a time when he once spoke proudly like every other man and woman in Landis.
Done Away With…
There were no royalty in Landis, no divinely appointed descendants of Dynast Kings who spoke law that brought order to all. Instead, there were the orators who spoke for the people of each village and fort; clashes of words continued until consensus was reached. Rule in Landis was organic. The elderly and the eloquent received respect but everyone's voice was heard. Titles were rarely used. Basch was Basch, his father was Henrik, and never Lord of Ronsenburg, unless foreigners addressed him when calling for a leader to step forward. Neither his father nor grandfather led. They merely listened and repeated.
Sunrise, Sunset…
For as long as sun shone, the bazaar in Rabanastre was a kaleidoscope of wares, foods, sounds, and cultures. Raminas said that the bazaar was Dalmasca's future.
"The age of the Dynast King's blood is waning. Empires built on man's ambition rise to our east and our west. If they find peace, their influence will be great."
Basch puzzled over these words until Raminas promoted him to high command in the Order. Then he understood when the king entrusted him with knowledge about the Dusk Shard. His commoner hands touched it and it glowed not. Dusk. Someday it would end.
Make Believe…
When he walked the streets in the East End, Basch made believe he was the son of one of the wealthy merchants. That was not too far from his own truth. He would talk and joke with others while they drank ale at the Sandsea. It was easy, almost like home.
When he walked the streets in the North End, Basch made believe he was a son of a title-holding nobleman. It was really not as ludicrous as it seemed. He knew their ways.
But when he walked the bazaar in the West End, Basch remembered he was foreign.
Old Saying…
"A good servant thinks first of his master."
Noblemen like Lord Azelas swore fealty to the King. His fortune rose and fell with his ability to provide what the King and High Council desired.
For Basch, Raminas asked something new. Swear fealty not to his king but to his nation and his people. "A Captain of the Order from common blood should see his master as those who sweat, trade, and toil."
Raminas proposed this idea after asking Basch to tell him about his homeland. The King's idea held noble value but it was an experiment that was often misunderstood.
Forgetfulness…
Ashe's braced posture, sharp tone, vexed expression, and stiff hand made it clear: he was her servant. He forgot to look down.
And it stung.
But for all he had lost — lost for himself and for others — Basch still had his pride. Without dignity and pride, one's Self is lost. And once the Self is lost, one's Will is harnessed by others. That is when one truly becomes the servant of another master.
Basch waited.
It was she who had lost her pride. If Ashe refused to listen, he would wait. He'd do his duty even if she refused hers.
Blind…
Basch stilled the corners of his mouth whenever Vaan addressed Her Highness using words befit for orphans and beggars in Lowtown. And, for as long as Vaan persisted in speaking freely and informally, Her Highness bristled and ignored Vaan's advice. Her anger would escalate but Basch never corrected Vaan; Penelo was quick to do that for him. Instead, Basch thought about Raminas's words.
Basch had commanded young men like Vaan. They cared only for the safety of their family, home, and friends, and the freedom to live and work as they chose. Preserving royalty mattered not. Raminas had been correct.
Undone…
"Remember, the Empire is not a monolithic establishment." Noah spoke these words while Basch held his hand. Noah was leaving him.
Archades was the reverse of Rabanastre.
Sitting at a crossroads, Rabanastre welcomed all yet everyone quietly knew their place. Archadians, on the other hand, were certain to tell you where you belonged; it seemed they needed to remind themselves of who they were.
But this was Basch's home, both here and far to the west. His duty ended once he helped three Dalmascans return home; now it was time for him to regain his own.
His service was over.