#rogue things

“The aether here is different,” Aiden signed with a quick flash of his fingers, then went back to flipping a knife between them. The glove would do, he decided. “I keep getting headaches, bouts of aethersickness. It’s annoying.” 

Jacke’s eyes flicked to Aiden’s fingers, and there was a moment where he seemed he lost the thread but ended up following along easily enough. He was more used to the Rogue’s variety of symbols to catch a target, but he picked up Aiden’s lexicon relatively quickly. 

“Ye might want te ask around about it,” Jacke shrugged, and tossed another dagger at Aiden. “Miqo’te lass by t’name Y’shtola, knows about aethersickness.” 

“I’ve met her,” Aiden signed after catching the dagger, and sliding it into his boot. “Those disappearing pirates in Summerford, she was investigating something. Ended up fighting an enraged goobbue together.” 

“Oh?” Jacke asked, tilting his head. He was staring now, Aiden noted, more than happy to ogle Aiden’s bare chest as he plied away more knives. “Llymlaen’s tits, ye get into the craziest shite when I’m not around. Bene that you’re a skilled cove in yer own right, else I’d have a heart attack like me dear departed cousin’s sister’s aunt.” 

“It’s the years of experience.” He snorted, motioning with his offhand. He paused for a moment, as another small wave of aether washed over him, making his head pound. He blinked slowly for a moment, willing it to go away, and shook his head. “She showed up again after I fought that strange golem. Seems to be everywhere and nowhere. Why haven’t you recruited her?” 

Jacke rolled his eyes and huffed. “Tried. She’s a scholar, or somethin’, and has the Admiral’s ear.” 

Aiden huffed a small breathy laugh and shook his head. “If it lasts for a few more days, I’ll ask her about it. It only started the morning we pulled into the harbor.” 

“Bene,” Jacke laughed, and crossed his arms as he watched Aiden pull on a thin undershirt with long sleeves. “Ye sure a shirt like that is best? Ye practically fainted on the doorstep when we got ye in here.” 

“You’re just sad to see my chest go away,” Aiden teased lightly, his voice rough from disuse as he croaked out an answer. “I don’t like people touching me.” 

“Mm. Shame, that,” Jacke murmured, looking put out. “Also a shame ye don’t use that voice more, ye sound pretty, like yer disheveled.” 

“Something you’d like to hear in private?” Aiden asked, shooting Jacke a soft smirk. 

“... Maybe,” Jacke grinned, and stood up from where he was leaning to walk over. He flicked a knife between his fingers, and offered it to him, hilt first. “Tuck it away somewhere special, since I can’t touch ye.” 

Two voices filtered into his ears, a gruff clip, and a smoother tenor. 

“Sorry, sorry!” The tenor said, giving a little sigh. “The package will be in the hawker’s alley until noon, by the weather vale.” 

“Good.” Gruff snapped, and there was the sound of the gruff person shaking the tenor. “If ye cheat us again for your own gamblin problems, it’ll be the least of yer worries.” 

“It’s not my fault, I--” 

“Spare me! Ye gambled yer life away, lost yer child n’ wife, and then started sellin’ spice to fund yer habits. I’d have just killed ye meself if me brother weren’t addicted to the stuff.” Gruff said, and there was a slapping sound. 

“Alright, alright!” Tenor whined, and shook themselves. “I’m sorry about your brother, really I am, but I had to make a sale--” 

“Shut yer mouth, and just give me back the money. Tch, parasite.” 

Aiden finished his hardtack and stood up, starting to walk away. He angled himself to catch a glimpse of the two speakers, a rougher looking lalafell in green, and a hyur with nicer clothes. Now he knew who to circle back to. 

As he walked, he let loose his hair then went to pull it up again, folding his pointed ears back underneath the strands of hair and tie it at the nape of his neck. It wasn’t perfect, but a slightly strange hairstyle that covered his ears wouldn’t be as noticeable as his half-elezen heritage. Hilda was lucky, he mused, she got the ears that pointed up, while his stuck out like most of the elezen he’d met. It just took her a hood to hide if she needed, and he had to make his ears uncomfortable. 

The chatter of the marketplace washed over him, with people hawking their wares and shouting as they bartered. He walked at a fast clip through the alley, dodging merchants and buyers and knowing better than to look as though he was gawking. If he acted like he knew what he was doing, then no one would question it. 

Gruff probably wouldn’t go and grab the package immediately, wanting to avoid suspicion and likely would wait another bell or so. More than enough time for him to grab what he needed. He spotted the weather vane easily enough, and a package sitting underneath. A quick stride over to grab it, and he was walking through the paths to the upper level in a minute or so. 

The package felt a little light, admittedly, and he frowned a tad as he went to open it. He couldn’t help the snort of wry amusement that left his lips at the sight of a few rocks tied together instead of a spice pouch, and a meager coin purse. A note was inside as well, seemingly a note from Tenor -- 

My sincerest apologies, but I couldn’t get any more spice. The coin should pay for a soothing potion for your brother. By the time you read this, I’ll be long gone. 

So Tenor was a cheater and a dick. Wonderful. Just the type Aiden needed. 

He swung back around to the docks with the “package” at hand, and spotted the hyur tapping their foot as they waited for a ship that was out in the harbor. Aiden went to stand next to the man, putting on a bored air as if he was waiting for the ship as well, and held the package in clear view. 

“Excuse me, could you not stand so close--” Tenor said, turning to face him, only to yelp. “You’re not-- You shouldn’t have that package, who are you?” 

“Insurance,” he said, the lie coming to his lips easily. His voice was rough from disuse, but he didn’t have his hands free to sign the way he wanted, nevermind that signing would be more memorable than a gruff voice in Limsa. “They figured you’d cheat them, you know.” 

“That--That’s impossible, I covered my tracks--” 

“You’re just digging yourself deeper.” He sighed, shaking his head. “If you give me what you actually owe, maybe a little extra for my troubles, I won’t hand you over to them.” 

He was totally going to hand Tenor over. Spice, really? Tenor blanched, their lightly tanned skin turning pale at the casual threat. 

“N-now listen here, I am an upstanding gentleman of Ul’dah--” 

“You’re not in Ul’dah, are you?” Aiden said lightly, and gave a wan smile. “That ship is getting a little closer, don’t you think?” 

“F-Fine--” The man huffed, and flushed dully as he dug into his bag, pulling out the actual package this time, as well as another coinpurse. “You’re all brigands, all of you, I just need a little more time to pay my debts…”

“And you thought selling spice was the best way to do that?” Aiden snapped, his temper getting the better of him. “If you were actually honest about it, you wouldn’t be in this situation.” 

“I don’t need your judgement,” the man growled at him, and handed over the package to him. Aiden could see another pack in his bag, and noted it. “There, take it. Just let me leave, now that you’ve extorted me.” 

“Pleasure doin’ business with you,” Aiden said, taking the coin and the pack. “Don’t let the boat’s cannons hit your ass on the way out.” 

Before Tenor could do more than splutter indignantly, Aiden was already walking away and back into the hawker’s alley. He got rid of the bigger box and pocketed the packet of spice and the coin, and went up to the Yellowjacket stationed at the market entrance. 

“Excuse me, ma’am?” He asked, pulling his brow together in mock worry, and a grimace. “I think a hyurian man over there, in the black coat, had some spice in his bag. Maybe it’s nothing, but…”

The miqo’te woman blinked in shock, but gave a nod. “Thank you for letting me know, I’ll go and see what I can do.” 

Aiden watched her go, her hand on her ear as she called for back up from a linkpearl, and nodded to himself. Now all that was left was to go and meet Gruff, under the weathervane. It didn’t take long to get there again, and he sat himself down on the low wall, placing his elbows on his knees and keeping a careful watch on the crowds. Roughly ten minutes later, a pair of Yellowjackets hog marched Tenor through the marketplace, his hands bound behind his back. He was complaining about the rough binds, that he was innocent and didn’t have to be treated this way. Aiden’s eyes tracked them through the crowd, until they disappeared in the northern section of the Alley that led to the Yellowjacket’s command. 

When he finally looked back to the plaza, a rough looking lalafell in green was staring at him, their arms crossed. He nodded to them, and beckoned them over. 

“He was going to jump ship and cheat you. The package had nothing but a few rocks and enough gil for a sleeping potion.” Aiden said by way of greeting, and reached into his bag for the packet of spice and the coin. “I went and got what you needed.” 

The lalafell stared at him for a long, long moment, before taking it. “You’re a mite strange for a mort. Why’d you not cut the coin n’ scamper off?” 

Aiden didn’t answer immediately, just rubbing his gloved hands together idly. “A friend of mine died due to addiction, after he couldn’t get more from his supplier. It was ugly, and I don’t want to see it happen again. Your brother -- if you take that and start weaning him off of it, you might be able to save him. Use some of the coin for soothing potions, if it gets bad.” 

“Hm.” The lalafell said, scratching at their head underneath their green bandana. “... The name’s Underfoot. I think a mort like you might just be who my brother needs to see.” 

Aiden glanced at them, lifting a brow.