summonerd | do you want to die together

do you want to die together

Sheena hadn't really expected this whole summoner thing to work.

The temple at Luca is a temple in little more than name only, small and humble in a way that she remembers Kilika Temple wasn't, without even statues of the high summoners. The little statue that houses its fayth is well-tended, but it sticks out like a sore thumb in a building that might have been a little-used warehouse a few years ago. Even the cloister of trials doesn't feel complete, easy enough even for Sheena to figure out on her own, but none of that really matters, in the end - what's important is the fayth itself, and her ability to pray to it to its satisfaction.

She hadn't been able to shake the feeling that it wouldn't work - that no fayth would ever accept an Al Bhed summoner despite her upbringing, that she'd pray for days with no response - but in the end, it hadn't taken more than a few hours before she'd been answered. Let me come with, her new aeon - Corrine - had requested, and Sheena had been so grateful to them for her success that she'd agreed.

Really, the looks on the temple guardians' faces when she'd walked out with an aeon almost as tall as she was at her side had been more than worth it.

It's sunset when she untangles herself from the small crowd that had gathered to see Spira's youngest aeon, and she can see the sun flashing brightly through the gaps between buildings as she makes her way outside. She rests her hand on Corrine's shoulder lightly for a second without thinking, then realizes her mistake and jolts, pulling it away - but they just laugh silently in her head, nudging at her hand playfully.

There's a second building just adjacent to the temple, a more traditional Martelite affair that existed long before the fayth's temple did, and as Sheena gets closer to it she can hear a commotion of some kind, a woman's voice raised in annoyance and a lower voice answering her. She considers just leaving, the tension of her trial starting to evaporate in a way that makes her long for her room at the inn, but there's no way back to her lodgings without passing by, anyway. Might as well see what's happening. So she puts her hand back where it was, asks Corrine softly not to wander too far as they head towards the source of the noise.

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The second that Zelos has regained his balance after the ship rocks again, Zelos is already rushing over to Sheena, kneeling to help her in any way he can. Her screams force him to turn and face Sin though, and he watches, miserably, as it disappears off into the sea, rushing in Kilika's direction.

A heavy weight settles in Zelos' chest at that, as the implications of Sin hitting land will be. His shoulders slump, and he goes from kneeling to just sitting there next to Sheena, watching the waves and Sin receding. Zelos curses under his breath. Well... that was...

Fuck. Holy Martel, Zelos feels like a failure.

Someone from the crew comes shouting over at them after a few minutes in silence, checking for injury, making sure who's still here and if anyone got thrown off the ship. They thank Sheena's quick thinking in summoning, and Zelos sticks to her side like glue through it in total silence as he watches the waves. A heavy and full-of-barely-restrained-grief silence, shared between every person aboard this ship as they stay behind and Sin rushes to the mainland.

It's not safe to turn the ship back on just yet, the captain says. And from here, they can only watch.

Edited 2019-10-05 04:55 (UTC)

Sheena shakes off the praise, numb - what does it matter? They hadn't done anything but make Sin angrier, if that was a thing it could be. She tries to pull herself to her feet, but can't, falling unceremoniously back down before she even gets far. That's fine. It's not important, right now. She pulls her knees to her chest instead, leans a little against Zelos without even thinking about it, unable to look away from Sin.

As they wait, the crew begins to sing.

It's just one midshipman at first, voice uneven and unsteady as they lift it in the hymn, but the others quickly join in. It's somber in a way that she's never heard it before, almost hushed as they watch Sin make violent contact with Kilika. Sheena joins in too after a moment, her voice low and hoarse from screaming.

It's surreal and detached, watching the ensuring contact all the way from here, in the safety of a boat at sea. It's even more so when the ship's crew begins to sing the Hymn of the Fayth, the serene and yet somber sound at odds with the horrifying imagery of Kilika's destruction.

And Zelos... feels a little like an outsider here, not really belonging in this communal bubble that's surfaced among Martelites. It's kinda funny, really. For all his religious upbringing and his hometown being one of the most fucking religious cities in Spira, it's not exactly like Zelos can call himself a man of faith, and so singing the Hymn of the Fayth along with the rest of these people feels like a bad idea, or even insulting to the moment at hand. So he stays silent, watching Sin instead. He doesn't move from where he sits though, not even as Sheena leans against him.

He doesn't mind it, not really.

Who knows how long it is between Sin's contact with Kilika and its eventual retreat back into the sea, but at some point, it happens. The air already feels empty without the crew's singing. Zelos remains silent even as the crew finally gives a green light to get back to the mainland, turning the ship's engine back on and slowly making their way to the shoreline.

There will be many dead on the beach, Zelos realizes. A lot of souls and pyreflies left behind to fester in their own anger at the unfairness of their demise, and rightfully so. The only logical thing to do would be for a summoner to perform a Sending before they can even think about becoming fiends, hopefully as soon as they hit land, which means...

Zelos spares a glance at Sheena. Well, if she's really going to do this, then he hopes she's ready for that.

In the wake of Sin, the ocean calms itself, offering almost no resistance on their approach to Kilika. It should be welcome, but instead it just feels worse than before - a funeral march, bringing them closer and closer to the destruction. Sheena's silent, too, once the singing stops, though she does eventually realize she's leaning against Zelos and straighten herself out with a soft apology.

The rest of the ride she spends curled in on herself, hands tented over the back of her neck, regaining what energy she can for what she'd have to be stupid not to realize is waiting for them. Sinspawn, she can handle, but all the people Sin must have just killed... She hasn't performed a Sending in years, not since (don't think about it now, you can't fall apart here), and she offers up a silent prayer to Martel that her awkward form, learned more from watching her grandfather than from temple instruction, will be good enough on such a wide scale.

The captain calls out when they're a few minutes from shore, the ferry thankfully flat-bottomed and able to drift close even with no docks intact enough for them to moor to, and Sheena pulls herself to her feet, expression grimly determined, as the crew around them readies to make the bare minimum of docking preparations and then help where they can. Sheena swallows hard at the sight laid out before them - the Sinspawn less of an issue than she'd worried about, just a few down the beach that will need to be dealt with but aren't as pressing an issue as the injured and dead laid out in uneven rows, where the survivors had tried to provide what medical care they could. The crew and the few other passengers who'd been on the boat scatter, some making beelines for what might have been their homes until earlier and others for the leftover Sinspawn, and Sheena follows them off the boat, not caring about the shallows she splashes down into as she looks for someone who seems like they're handling things best. She needs to... offer her services as a summoner first, right? Make sure all of the dead are in the same place? Having to do this twice sounds impossible.

It's not too hard to find someone, thankfully - the people still on their feet are few enough. "I'm a summoner," she says, after exchanging hopelessly small greetings. "If you need somebody to... to send the dead, I can do that."

Sheena really looks like she knows what she's doing at least, offering her services as a summoner to send the dead before too much time passes. Zelos, meanwhile, helps himself to the shore at a slower pace than Sheena had, surveying the damages. So many injured, off to the other side from where Sheena left. Whatever survivors aren't too badly hurt or have already made it here from the inland after the attack are already trying their best to help, but it will be a while until word travels further into the island and brings more capable hands.

He's so engrossed in his observations that Zelos doesn't notice the man running up to him until he's already in his face. "You; are you a white mage?" he asks, a pleading look on his face. He looks so miserable that Zelos doesn't have the heart to say no, but before he can even do so, the man's eyes lower to the necklace with the symbol of Martel over his chest and immediately widen. "You-- you're from Luca!" he says, bowing. "The son of Maester Mylene!"

Crrrrap. Well, there goes fading into anonymity, huh? "That I am," Zelos says, bowing back. And properly, too. Just for show. "You need my help," he adds. Not a question, not a statement, but an observation, a fact.

The man visibly relaxes. "Yes," he breathes. "The injured, we--"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Do me a favour, though--you go see that the summoner over there," Zelos points over to where Sheena left off to, "has what she needs for her sending, yeah? And when she's done, tell her to come meet me here. Oh, and-- can you arrange somewhere for us to stay, also?" The man nods to his requests, obviously eager to please someone of such high standing, injured be damned. Typical. Zelos bites his tongue to keep the acid in his mouth, plasters a grin on his face instead. "Cool," he salutes the man, pats him on the shoulder, and walks off to do his job. "Thanks, man. Appreciate it."

When the man's already gone and he's a little further from the prying eyes at the beach, Zelos pats the necklace, tracing the symbol with idle ffingers. He totally just... forgot about it, so used to it as he is. And well, shit. Word will spread that he's here, now. Leave it to Mylene to fuck up everything even from a distance, eh?

It's fine, it's fine. That just means Kilika wasn't the right place. He'll just take it off later they leave Kilika, and maybe try for Besaid.

As it turns out, Sheena doesn't really need much - just a confirmation that all of the dead are here, moved down onto the beach or into the water, and for someone to grab her bag from where she'd left it belowdecks on the ferry. Her staff is in there, collapsed down for easier transport, and she's going to need that.

It's nervewracking, everyone watching like this. She slips her boots off, leaves them there, and steps out onto the water. Her feet wobble as she steps off the ruined edge of the dock, the water rippling under her but accepting her weight gracefully. She pauses for a second, closes her eyes to center herself, and presses the button on her staff to expand it to its full length. Alright, Sheena, no more hesitating. The dead need to rest. She spins her staff around her, beginning to send the spirits she can somehow feel around and behind her. It's longer and more draining than Sheena thinks it should have been, the concentration needed to send dozens of souls to the Farplane much more than for one summoner, but - it does work, and the pyreflies rise up from the dead, spiralling around her briefly before they wisp away.

She's not quite sure how she makes it back to land, but she must have somehow, because afterward she finds herself sitting on the edge of the shore, staff stuck into the sand as she lets the water ripple around her feet. A couple of people make their way over to speak to her, but she can't muster much in the way of conversation. Hopefully they don't hold it against her.

Edited 2019-10-06 11:13 (UTC)

After the sending, with the rest of the injured taken care of and with the worst of the attack under control, the activity by the shore slowly dies down.

Just as he'd thought, it takes a few more hours until help from the inland can arrive to them, but soon enough it does, and with that, most of Zelos' field work here is done. All that's left are some official documents and things to take care of after the fact, some messages on behalf of the church to deliver to his mother, blah blah blah, something or another, shit he can't really care about. Easy peasy, it shouldn't take long.

It's already sunset by the time Sheena makes it back to her guardian's side, and with her silence and somber mood Zelos is left wondering if she had trouble with her Sending, or if maybe this is her first. Somewhere at the back of his mind, Zelos is morbidly and pettily kinda mad that he missed it; sure, he knows the basics of how to perform one due to his mother shaping him up to be a summoner, but he's never seen one before. Might as well treat the whole damn thing like a show if people are just going to keep on dying everywhere they go.

Sheena remains quiet the rest of the night while Zelos finishes up by the beach, and, sure enough, once he's done that guy from before fetches them to bring them to their lodgings for the night. It's a fine inn room with two rooms that's being fully paid by the church; and really, that sticks out to Zelos as maybe the only good thing the church has ever done. Zelos flops back on his bed, arms behind his head. He listens as Sheena prepares herself to sleep and thinks. Kilika's temple lies further into the island, so once they're rested here, the two of them will have to make their way in. Today was a distraction from the goal at hand.

And as such, there's still something left unfinished from their boat ride here.

"Sin makes contact with Spira's settlements and people die. People die, and the lands are riddled with pyreflies," he begins reciting into the room, voice blank and yet soft. "Pyreflies are left to fester, fiends are born, and then more people die. It's a vicious cycle. It's not going to stop; or, not until a summoner destroys Sin and brings forth a Calm, at least. Such is the way of Martel." He pauses there, glaring at the ceiling for a few more seconds before slowly turning his head to look at Sheena, the glare turning questioning. He licks dry lips, says, "It's not like the Al Bhed follow the teachings. Despite that, you're really going to go through with it?"

Edited 2019-10-07 02:33 (UTC)

After Sheena's recovered a little she does her best to help out with the preliminary restoration efforts, recovering things that had been thrown into the surf, but she's clearly wiped, and she doesn't protest much when they send her away. She finds her way back to Zelos, instead, sticking close but not enough to get in his way as he finishes up.

She's getting ready for bed when he speaks up, combing out her dampened hair after rinsing as much of the salt out of it as she can, and she pauses, the comb stilling. It's... a fair question. But her mind's been made up for years; who does Zelos think he is, to walk in on her pilgrimage and question her resolve now?

"You saw what happened today," she says, her voice still rough. "How many people are dead because of Sin. What else am I supposed to do? Go back to Luca and wait for someone else to do it?" Of course not. She's an Al Bhed in heritage only, anyway - what the others believe doesn't matter. Her grandfather had raised her into Martel's faith, and that's what she believes in.

...Wait. Speaking of Al Bhed... earlier, before Sin had attacked, she'd noticed the mismatch of Zelos's eyes, one of them a green that's just familiar enough to be strange. And he doesn't look that much like a Guado, the leafy vines in his hair aside. She sets the comb aside as she gets to her feet, crosses the room to stand over him. Squints for just a moment, but now that she's realized, it's not hard to see. "Your eyes... Oui'na mega sa, ynah'd oui?" she asks. Her accent is awful, but - she's surprised she remembers even that little bit, honestly. It's been so long since she's spoken any of her first language. "What about you? Why'd you want to come with me so bad?" She can't make heads or tails of his motives, here. He's part Al Bhed, and he keeps asking why she wants to be doing this, but he'd jumped at the chance to be her guardian not even knowing the truth about her. Sheena crosses her arms, watching him with a frown.

Edited 2019-10-07 07:36 (UTC)

He's heard the exact same tone and cadence of Sheena's determination before, from the mouths of many more summoners before her, those whom he's had the chance of meeting on their pilgrimages either as they pass through Luca to meet the Maester or watch a game of blitzball. Were Sheena any other summoner, it'd be nothing special to him; just the same string of words every other before her has ever said. But Sheena's not just any summoner, is she? She's an Al Bhed, one that's foolishly made up her mind to die for a world that wouldn't hesitate to vilify her if it suited their needs. Coming from her, the typical summoner's oath of motivation sounds even more genuine and powerful.

That's just about enough for Zelos to decide to drop the subject. It's not like he can just tell her what to do, can he?

But then Sheena points out his eyes, speaks in a language that Zelos can barely understand, but one that he understands, and Zelos freezes.

It's... not like it's a secret, the fact that he's half Guado, half Al Bhed. It's more like a happily and willingly forgotten fact. The only reasons why his existence is tolerated by the church, why he's even given a position of power within it, are his exile and some stupid promise his mother made for him when he was a child, one that he's selfishly rejected when he jumped on Sheena's pilgrimage. The world doesn't want him, and in exchange Zelos couldn't even care less about the world as it is. He's just using the pilgrimage as an excuse right now, really.

But Sheena doesn't need to know that. No one does.

Okay. Well, he has to say something, so. "I was originally supposed to be a summoner myself. But when I saw you with that Aeon, I guess I figured being a guardian would be fine, too," is what he chooses. It's not a lie, but it's not the full truth, either, only half of it. Zelos sighs, shrugging before he turns on his side, facing away from Sheena as if ready to sleep. "Fine, then. It really doesn't matter now." He waves a hand over his shoulder. "I'll take you to Besaid. You have the right to choose your reasons, and I have mine. It's not really any of my business what you decide to do with your life."

Edited 2019-10-07 16:37 (UTC)

Zelos's response kind of takes the wind out of Sheena's sails, it's so far from what she was expecting. She stands there a moment, still watching him, before she nods, even though he can't see it. "Alright," is what she says, finally. "I guess that's fair enough." She's not exactly interested in opening up to him about her full reasoning, either. A mutual agreement not to interrogate each other works fine for her. She finishes the last of her getting ready for bed, settles down not long after. For the second night in a row she's too tired even to dream, but honestly, that's better than the alternative.

As they leave the inn the next day, Sheena warmly thanking their host as they go, the first thing she does is summon Corrine - their link had still been present, enough for her to know that Sin hadn't really killed them, but it had been on her mind the whole time anyway. (What if they'd been seriously hurt? What if this was the wrong way to fight alongside an Aeon, and they were about to revoke her ability to summon them?) But they're as cheerful as they had been the day before yesterday when they answer her call, none the worse the wear for their brush with Sin. It's fine, they assure her, as she hugs them around the neck. I'm here to fight for you, remember?

"I know," she tells them. "But... I'll be more careful next time. I promise." She releases them from the hug, straightens up. "We're headed for Kilika Temple today. Want to come?"

By way of response, Corrine circles first her, then Zelos, fast and energetic, and Sheena laughs. I want to meet Efreet, they say. Come on! They take a few steps down the path towards the jungle and the temple beyond it, then look back, as if to ask the pair why they're not already moving.

Sheena looks at Zelos. "I think Corrine wants us to hurry up," she says, still amused. "Ready?"

She missed Spira.

The smell of this sea, the breeze on her face, the way the wooden boards of Kilika’s pathways give under her feet. Sturdy, but more flexible than stone. Yuan had shoved Kratos into the water here, once upon a time. And then Anna had shoved Yuan in after him, laughing the whole while-- blasphemy, to shove the Summoner you’re guarding? Maybe, but Yuan had seemed fond under all the spluttering and cold shoulder he tried to give her the rest of the day, and Kratos had laughed soft and sweet and...

There’s a sound that isn’t a sound, exactly. It’s something that hums in her bones, sings in her heart.

She turns to its source with a sad smile, even as all the people around her either start trembling in terror or start running.

“Hey,” she says, gently, as she stares Sin down, stares her husband down. “Been a while, hasn’t it?”

He doesn't answer. Not exactly. Once upon a time, he would have. Once upon a time, she used to be able to hear his voice. Now all she gets is vague images. Herself, laughing. Lloyd, when he was young and riding on her shoulders. Home back in Zanarkand, for a moment, then Yuan, beautiful and terrifying. Grief tugs at Anna's heart, as she takes this to mean he misses home, misses Yuan, misses her. And then:

A fuzzy image of Lloyd, kicking the blitzball into the goal before he turns and laughs proudly at the crowd. Something Anna recognizes as happening-- just hours ago, was it? She laughs, tears startled into her eyes.

"You got to see it too, huh? That's good. I'm glad."

Kratos still doesn't have any words, but he does have a stronger image of Lloyd, young, holding a blitzball and grinning brightly.

"I think he's in Besaid," Anna says, though she's not sure if that's the question Kratos is asking. "That's what Mithos said."

An image of a dragon, cut off abruptly. Anna blinks, really takes in the horizon before her. Sin is so close to Kilika, now.

"It's not your fault," Anna tells him, as she starts backing up, trying to judge the range of destruction and get out of the way. It'd be difficult for just anyone to kill her, now, but Sin could probably manage it. "It's not your fault," she repeats. "Just-- hang in there. I'll find a summoner, soon, and then... We'll figure something out. It's not your fault."

There's nothing to do but watch, so Anna does, washing down the sight with a little booze. At least the damage is minimal. Even still, Kratos is resisting, isn't he?

"You should get out of here," comes a voice, from beside Anna. If she didn't recognize it, she'd be startled.

"Hi Mithos," she says, tired, not even turning to the boy fayth.

"The summoner will be doing the sending, soon."

Anna perks up, a little. "A summoner!" she says, delighted. She wonders if this one will be better than the others. It's difficult to judge that, really, but Anna thinks she'll know which one could be the one to help her, once she sees them. And if she doesn't know, then Mithos will tell her. He's working just as hard to see this end as she is.

"The sending," Mithos repeats, firm, and Anna remembers herself.

"Right," she says, and she moves further away from the beach. Tomorrow. She'll try and catch them tomorrow.

She almost misses them before they start heading for Kilika's temple. If the summoner hadn't stopped to summon Corrine, she probably wouldn't have noticed the little group at all. She makes her way over to them, quickly but casually, and then once she's within speaking distance changes her mind, just a bit, and--

"Hey, Corrine!" Anna calls, trotting across the last distance between them. "It's good to see you! It's been so long."

Pretty much as soon as Sheena turns to Zelos to ask if he's ready, Anna calls out in their direction. She doesn't react immediately, not having expected anyone to have a conversation with her new Aeon, but Corrine does. They make a beeline for Anna immediately, shoving their head into her hand. Anna! they say, mental voice warm. What are you doing here?

"You know her, Corrine?" Sheena asks, frowning. Someone who knows Luca's Aeon, but hasn't seen them in a while... A summoner who'd given up on her pilgrimage, or a guardian? But a guardian wouldn't be able to hear Corrine, and Corrine would know if she couldn't, she thinks. Sheena doesn't get the summoner vibe from this woman, but it's not like she's any kind of typical summoner, either.

"Yeah, I know Corrine!" Anna answers, bright, as she scritches their ears where she remembers they like it. "I'm looking for a summoner, actually, but finding you was a nice bonus," she tells Corrine. Does she remember that it's not normal for people to hear aeons? Absolutely not! And even if she did, she wouldn't give a fuck.

She looks up to the summoner and her guardian, smile bright. "I'm Anna Irving," she introduces herself, still petting Corrine. "Maybe you recognize me?" She knows they will. "If you'd let me, I'd like to join you on your pilgrimage."

She knows that sometimes summoners prefer guardians they're close friends with, or family that they already know. Hopefully her fame will weigh the odds in her favor, though. And if not, she's going to have to come up with some excuses, because she's pretty sure... this? This is where she's supposed to be.

Edited 2019-10-09 04:38 (UTC)

Getting Kilika's Aeon and moving on to Besaid shouldn't be hard, and the faster they get to it, the better. Like, please! Zelos would rather avoid news of his travels around the world with a summoner reaching Besaid before he does, thank you very much.

However, he should've known that literally nothing in this life is ever easy. A woman stops them before they can even catch onto what the fuck is going on, petting Corrine and distracting Sheena from the goal at hand. Which, valid, but. Please, lady. They can't just stay here and chitchat! Summoners are on a time limit, here!!

But then the woman says her name, and Zelos feels the gasp escape him before he can even think about holding it.

Of course he recognizes her. "Anna Irving?" he laughs, incredulous, as he steps forward to get her attention. "As in, Lord Yuan's guardian? Talk about incredible with a capital I!" Zelos crosses his arms, grinning at Anna. "The church has been looking for you, you know."

Now this is amusing as hell. The legendary, only surviving guardian to High Summoner Yuan Ka-Fai, avoiding the church for the past decade and wanting in on Sheena's pilgrimage? What could she possibly want?

Edited 2019-10-09 20:42 (UTC)

Oh, says Corrine, leaning into the scritches like it's their job, and then, oh! Does that mean--? They cut themselves off, looking back and forth between Anna and Sheena. Well. You know.

Sheena doesn't know what to make of that, but it's of less interest to her than the fact that this woman just said she's Anna fucking Irving. "You're--!" She gasps, mirroring Zelos without realizing it, drops into the Martelite prayer. "I don't-- I'd be honored if you'd join us," she says, unable to keep the awed look off of her face as she struggles not to trip over her words.

But, okay, wait. "The church has?" she asks Zelos, looking over to him, curious. "What for?" Well, everyone's been wanting to know what happened to Anna Irving and her husband for the last ten years, but why the church in particular? Sheena steps forward, so that she's not the only one on the other side of the path.

Edited 2019-10-10 05:59 (UTC)

"It does," Anna tells Corrine, soft, her smile a little tight, but then Sheena's tripping over herself to bow, and both her and Zelos regard Anna with the recognition she was expecting. She grins wide, all teeth. "The one and only, that's me," she tells them, bright, and then, a little more sincere: "Thanks for letting me tag along. You won't regret it."

Well, they might regret it. No more than if they'd done this journey without her, though, Anna thinks.

She laughs, a little startled, when Zelos suggests the church has been looking for her. She wonders what they wanted her for-- though she could probably figure it in three guesses-- but there's no point asking when Sheena already has. She's not sure she really wants to know, anyway. The church can go fuck themselves twice over.

"Well, were they looking in Zanarkand?" she asks, her smile all teeth again. She knows exactly what kind of reaction this will bring. "Because that's where I've been!"

Edited 2019-10-10 15:06 (UTC)

Well, Zelos could have said that the church really only wanted to find High Summoner Yuan Ka-Fai's only surviving guardian and ask her everything about the pilgrimage and Zanarkand that they could, all without a care in the world for her personal well-being, just digging under her skin to get what they wanted. He could have, maybe should have--and, at the back of Zelos' mind, Mylene's voice is already screeching at him for keeping his mouth shut.

However, Zelos has little to no personal interest in giving Martelites anything that they want, so the statement was mostly to satisfy his own curiosity about Anna's whereabouts. Like, please, he didn't turn an Al Bhed summoner in and is personally escorting her all the way to Besaid. The church can get fucked; he is not going to cooperate with them anymore, so long as he's out here. What's a surprise, however, is the second that Anna opens her mouth, the moment that she mentions Zanarkand.

Zelos blinks. Waits a second, two. And then, startled, he wheezes out a laugh that slowly turns into a loud cackle, Zelos bending down a little as he laughs his lungs out. Holy shit, Zanarkand? This woman has a sense of humour, huh!

Hell yeah she can come along!

"I'm afraid the Maesters are much too absorbed in their own faith to even think about stepping foot in Zanarkand themselves!" Zelos laughs, rising back to his full height and flipping some hair off his shoulder and back behind him. He's giving Anna a huge grin as he sets a hand on his hip, posture relaxed and completely friendly, and then offers his free one for her to shake. "Anyway, good thing you already know the way to such holy grounds, huh!"

Sheena's pretty sure she lost control of anything that was happening to her life a couple of days ago, and this is what cements it. A son of a church official joins her pilgrimage, immediately finds out her secret, and then says he won't stop her? Anna Irving wants to accompany her? It's enough to make her wonder if she's dreaming. Her answering smile to Anna is warmer, if still a little shellshocked.

"Zanarkand?" she asks, surprised out of her reverence. "The whole time?" Zanarkand is in ruins, right? How could anyone, even a guardian to a high summoner, stay there for a decade?

Zelos laughs, and Anna grins, not sure if she appreciates being taken as a joke, but... This is a better reaction than she could have hoped for, really. And he seems to have relaxed, so that's a bonus. And Sheena looks like she believes Anna almost wholesale. They're probably thinking about the wrong Zanarkand, but. It's fine, it's fine. She'll never get them to let her come along if she tells them the whole truth up front, anyway.

"Oh, not the whole time," Anna says, still smiling, but here it edges towards sad. "I've been in Spira off and on. Keeping tabs on my husband. Looking for... things."

Summoners who are okay with a little blaspheming, specifically, but that's not something she can really just. Say.

Which brings her, obliquely, to her next point.

"Actually, hey if you two don't mind humoring me, would it be a bother if we headed to Besaid, first? Like now?" She really, very much does not want to leave Lloyd there alone, not for long. She's frustrated that they even got separated to begin with. Maybe it was better he wasn't immediately confronted with Sin, like she was, but... she has to tell him eventually. She might tell him as soon as she sees him. Anyway. "There's something Yuan left behind, and I got a lead finally that points to Besaid." A lie? Yes. Does Anna care? No. "I've been trying to find it for a while, and it's a little time sensitive, so... I really don't want to put it off."

She smiles, winningly, persistently. No one has been able to say no to Anna Irving, yet.

Sheena doesn't really catch the sad edge to Anna's smile, but Corrine can hardly miss it, knowing what they do. They lean against her side gently as she speaks, offering what comfort they can without spilling the beans in front of their summoner. There's a lot to wonder about in what Anna said - Zanarkand's still part of Spira, right? why would her husband need keeping tabs on? - but she's changed topics before Sheena can pick one to ask about first. Maybe she shouldn't pry, anyway. It's not like she'd want Anna to do any prying of her own.

"We haven't been to Kilika's temple yet," she says, uncertain. "But we'll have to come back this way, anyway. And if it's that important..." She trails off, glances to Zelos. He should technically get a say in this too, she realizes, but unless he has a very good reason, he'd be outvoted anyway. "I guess it's okay."

"Is the ferry running today?" she asks. She hadn't even checked, headed into the heart of the island as they'd been until a few minutes ago, but with the aftermath of Sin's attack still apparent even here towards the edges of the town, she wouldn't be surprised if the sailors were otherwise engaged. It doesn't occur to her that their party might have the combined social clout to make the ferry run, if they needed to.

Oh? What's this? An excuse for them to leave Kilika like, right now? Immediately? Well, holy shit; this is perfect! As soon as Anna suggests that, before even hearing her reasoning, Zelos is already grinning and nodding away, wholeheartedly agreeing even when Sheena looks his way. "Sure! I don't mind at all," he confirms, just for good measure. "Changing the order of factors does not change the product, right?"

Now comes the question of transportation. The original plan was to pray in the temple and leave, so it's still early enough in the day that they will definitely be able to catch a ferry. Sheena sounds worried, but Zelos dismissively waves a hand around in the air, chuckling. "Kilika's a bigger island than Besaid; they're definitely bound to have several ports along their beaches." He shrugs, focusing on and smiling at Sheena as if he were trying to ease her worries. "Sin's attack was concentrated in one beach. If we hurry along to the south, we should be able to find one that wasn't affected by it, and then easily hitch a ride."

Zelos is very, very pleased when no one in this trio has any objections to that plan, so he gains a slight spring to his step as they make their way south to a port that can ferry them down. The only things in the air as they walk are their idle chitchat and the sounds of nature around them as they go inland, all enveloping them whole until they break into a beach, the unaffected sailors readying their boats. Here, finding and hitching a ride isn't hard--hell, they don't even have to raise a finger to get on board.

Preparations done and the passengers on board, their ferry leaves Kilika just a little before noon. Zelos stands at the back of the boat, a hand around his necklace, watching the island slowly fade in the distance as they get further away from its southern beach. Honestly, it feels weird to be departing this soon, but maybe word of his presence has only extended to the temple and not anywhere else. Definitely nowhere on the boats, though; no one's bothered to come check on the Guado hanging out at the back. So far so good, Zelos thinks. And hey, maybe this way no one will bother him and he can try his luck on Besaid--you know, settle down, enjoy life while it lasts?

Alright, then. Only one thing to do about that.

He lets go of the necklace and focuses on undoing his robe and outer layers of clothing, revealing a lighter and more travel-friendly outfit underneath that he'd changed into before leaving. The fresh, otherwise disgustingly salty breeze of the sea feels way better than he remembers it now that he's not covered with the goddamn horrible garments. Zelos fixes his hair, plucks away stray leaves, and then sets it up in a high ponytail. It's hot, okay? Just for the rest of the trip. And, now that he thinks about that--he kicks away the Guado robes off the deck and into the ocean with a "Whoop".

That felt good, didn't it? What a relief. With that taken care of, Zelos now reaches back up for the necklace and, without hesitation, rips it away from his neck with a satisfying click.

Humming and with one eyebrow raised, Zelos looks down at the offending piece of jewelry. The Martelite symbol of the church stares back at him on his hand as he examines it. Look at this thing, Zelos thinks. It's not just useless and caging, it's also damn ugly to boot. What a piece of garbage, really. He tosses it into the air, catching it once, twice, three times before he holds it tight in his fist, winding his arm back and then quickly throwing the necklace off the boat to join his clothes at the bottom of the ocean.

Plip, it sinks into the water. So long, Martel. See you never.

Zelos sets his hands on his hips and grins. "Nice."

Edited (Timeskip is a gooooooooo) 2019-10-12 22:58 (UTC)

Holy shit.

Anna watches Zelos toss everything he owns, almost, into the ocean. Someone wants to get far, far away from home, then. She can't say she blames him. Sure, it took her a good five minutes after meeting him to really process the fact he 1) is a Guado 2) was dressed in traditional Martelite garb, but once she did... Well, yeah. She gets it.

"You hate the Church that much, huh?" Anna asks, sidling up beside Zelos and resting her elbows on the railing of the boat. Honestly, this is the best possible outcome, for her. The less stuffy Martelites around to sneer every moment she blasphemes, the better. "Cheers bro, I'll drink to that." She doesn't actually lift the booze from her hip to do so, but the sentiment's the same.

Well, of course people were gonna come questioning the Guado priest why he isn't wearing his traditional garb anymore and instead now looks like a total slut, so Zelos isn't surprised when Anna jumps at the opportunity first. At least it's Anna, though--Martel almighty (ha), she definitely sounds like the type to hate the church almost as much as he does, Zelos thinks.

Alright, then. Time to test that theory, as well as the limits of Anna's delightful blasphemy tolerance. "You know how it is," he says, carefree. He then goes to stretch his arms over his head until his bones pop, then sets one hand on his hip, the other free to gesture vaguely as he sees fit. "Can't really go anywhere and have a good time if you're lookin' like a priest on the job 24/7, yeah?"

"Oh, no, definitely not," Anna agrees, twisting so her elbows are behind her against the railing, leaning her back against it. "I mean, I'm not a priest, so I guess I don't know exactly what it's like, but I was worried about you being one of the stuffy ones up until--" she reaches over her shoulder and gestures to the ocean, where Zelos' clothes have vanished "--that. So."

She turns her head away from Zelos, looking over her shoulder to consider the ocean for a moment, watching it and the endless blue that she missed so much. For all that she has lived in Zanarkand, she missed Spira more than she has any right to, she thinks.

Most of her best memories were made here, though. It's just a shame that so too were most of her worst.

"Anyway," Anna says, dragging her mind away from all that as well as she can. "What'chu doing as a priest if you hate the church so much, huh?"

Edited 2019-10-13 03:08 (UTC)

Zelos laughs at that, a full-on, obnoxiously loud cackle. Oh man. Anna's great, actually. And he's having waaaay too much fun with this discovery, now. "Ah. You don't have to worry about a thing, ma'am." He crosses his arms. "It ain't like I care, really."

He's still got an easy grin on his face when Anna next asks about his job choice, but it slowly turns mischievous and slightly acidic, eyes narrowing a little. Ah, well. She did say that she's been a nomad all this time, didn't she? If she's asking who Zelos is, she definitely didn't stick by Luca or Guadosalam long enough to hear. Actually, she doesn't even seem like the type to step foot in the latter unless she has to. In that case, it probably can't hurt to fill her in, right?

Might as well introduce himself properly, then. "I am the lucky son of Maester Mylene Wilder of Guadosalam, the Minister of Civil Affairs," Zelos says, offering a mock bow that's way too sloppy for such a high ranking priest. That makes him laugh again, shrugging as he raises. "And when you're born to a Maester, you're kind of guaranteed a spot in the clergy, y'know? It's such a drag."

WELL. MAYBE WHEN HE'S NOT A GIANT WHALE

THAT'S. THAT'S FAIR

Hey what's the Fayth in Kilika

efreet i think??

Oh fuck yes absolutely

I can't believe Anna derailed the pilgrimage already she's not even here yet

Ok and what's the Fayth in Besaid. Other than Lloyd of course

hmmm maybe Undine since I never put her anywhere

Oh that is so fucking valid. Water Aeon

that feels kind of OP for a setting like spira actually

[undine voice] [lifts all the water out of the ocean]

put that back it doesn't belong to you!!!

[undine voice] i'm following in the steps of lapis lazuli and i'm taking it to the moon

WE DON'T NEED WATER ON THE MOON? THERE AREN'T EVEN ANY CATBOYS WHO NEED IT

What if there are lunar Ronso!!!

The lunar Ronso need the water!!!!! it's importnat!!!!!

I'M A THIRSTY LITTLE RONSO--

ARE YOU IMPLYING THERE'S A SUMMON SPIRIT OF PISS?

I HATE THIS THREAD

YOU COME INTO MY HOUSE, YOU STEAL MY WATER,

YOU'RE THE ONES WHO STARTED THIS MESS

WELL I WON'T BE THE ONE CLEANING IT UP

WELL NEITHER AM I!!!! Let Lloyd do it

smh lloyd always cleaing up anna's messes

[Over the intercom] Hey Lloyd you pussyfest cleanup in isle 69