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ipuck

 
puck

All by his lonesome, Vivi heads through the streets of Alexandria to the Ticket Booth to redeem his pass for entrance to see the famous Tantalus theatre's play, "I Want to Be Your Canary". But when he shows his ticket to the ticketmaster, he's informed it's a fake.

Vivi's none too happy about the turn of the events, and ends up loitering the alleyways of Alexandra, not able to do a thing about his situation. In one particular alleyway, his klutzy ways get the best of him, and he upsets a repairman working on a sign hanging high above a shop. The angry repairman curses him out, but gives up his work for the day and heads in. Vivi's left to pick himself up off the ground and feel that much worse for disturbing someone else.

That's when Puck comes along. He'd been watching Vivi, and knew that he'd tried to exchange a fake ticket to get into the play. For unknown reasons, he recruits Vivi to help him out with some great, unknown task, and Vivi meekly agrees.

The two work together to steal the repairman's ladder and scale the roofs of Alexandra to the Alexandrian castle walls. There, they use the ladder to cross into the castle and watch their favourite play.

Vivi, the meek little kid he is, has just set himself up for being used. Puck's even perfectly honest with his intentions, calling Vivi a "slave" and forcing him to do whatever he tells him to. Puck orders Vivi to watch the area for him as he steals the ladder, knowing it's more likely for Vivi to get caught and for him to get a chance to run if Vivi is the first any wandering eyes would see. In the church, Puck forces Vivi to go up the dark, dangerous ladder to the roof first, using him as a shield. Trivial stuff in the grand scheme of things, but in the little world these two find themselves in at this moment in their lives, it's not exactly dismissable stuff.

And not only does Puck use Vivi, but he takes every opportunity to mock the little black mage, even going so far as to laugh at Vivi as he places him before himself when dangerous situations demand it. He makes fun of Vivi's fear of heights, has a good chuckle when a moogle accidentally falls on his head from out of the dark church ladderway, lashes out at him when Vivi innocently asks him if he's "Alleyway Jack".

It all seems to add up to one conclusion: the rat boy's a bully, plain and simple.

But something's out of synch here. Why did Puck need Vivi in the first place, really? Aside from tagging along, all Vivi did was watch for bystanders when Puck stole the ladder and act as a punching bag for any potential nastiness in navigating the church ladderway — nothing Puck couldn't have done himself. Not to mention the latter of which is potentially negligable, given that someone must have already been up the ladderway to place the already existing wood planks leading across the roofs. And how else did Puck know that one more ladder was needed?

By agreeing to give up an iota of his pride, Vivi scored a free pass into the play he'd been dying to see. Puck scored an extra hand he didn't really need. So what did he really gain in recruiting Vivi to be his "slave"?

Puck gained, of course, the most invaluable resource of all: a friend. Puck had all the outward makings of a bully: an offensive, imperious attitude and a demand to lead and be listened to. But the shell only masked his true intentions. He saw in Vivi something of himself: Vivi, like himself, didn't look like anyone else, seemed to be by himself, without friends of his own. He probably thought to himself, deep down inside, "Hey, lookie here, it's someone a little like me..."

Puck, of course, felt entitled to act this way, being none other than the prince of Burmecia. Though his nobility was likely the reason he found it hard to make friends, he was either too used to it or too reliant on it to act differently. Using his royal wiles, he created a situation in which he had complete control: he was the master, and Vivi his slave. Beyond being his birthright, Puck's temperament guaranteed Vivi's friendship. And aiding his efforts was Vivi's greatest flaw: his insufferable meekness. Without control, Vivi couldn't push him away. Puck had effectively gained himself a permenant ally.

quote Vivi § He's the first friend I ever had. quote

But despite how Vivi was treated by Puck, he comes to think of him as a friend. Puck was the first person to take notice of him, even if it was in order to use him for his own ends. Puck brought Vivi along on his adventure, sharing the results of his scheme with Vivi, knowing that seeing the play was what Vivi wanted most. Puck helped him out.

And Vivi seems to be able to look past Puck's not-so-great outward personality to recognise his hidden worth. When the two meet up again at Cleyra, Vivi happily greets the rat prince. Later, Vivi runs off to find him in order to "tell him something"... He's sad when Puck seems to have run off on his own, before giving Vivi a chance to speak with him.

In the end, Puck's brazen, puerile prince behavoir is only a front. Vivi takes his attitude in stride, apparently not concerned by it in the least. Though he may act like one, Puck is not a bully: he's a friend, and Vivi considers him as such.

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