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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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."

Oh. Oh.

"Wait wait wait wait wait, holy shit," Anna says, pushing herself a little bit more upright so she can better stare at Zelos. No wonder his name was familiar. "You're Mylene's kid? God, fuck her," Anna says, before she thinks about it. Then she realizes. "I mean-- no offense?" It's pitched like a question, unsure if Zelos minds.

"Hey," she says, a second later, a memory occuring to her. "Your sister doing okay? Or is she stuck in this mess same as you? Can't believe the church forces their kids to be priests, what a nightmare--" As if she needed a reason to hate them more!

There's half a laugh on Zelos' tongue already when Anna apologizes for justly getting mad at Mylene, but he doesn't get that out. Instead he chokes on it, grinds it to dust between his teeth, a growl in his throat replacing it the second that Anna mentions his sister.

The smile is gone, as is the easy, carefree air around the two, now a cold, distant barrier immediately erecting itself between Zelos and Anna. Honestly, Anna knowing Seles isn't a surprise; summoners all pass through most of Spira's landmarks, Luca's temple included. She must've met her on Yuan's pilgrimage. And, at the back of Zelos' memory, he thinks he remembers seeing the trio when he was a child. That's not the problem here. The problem is that being reminded of her after Kilika is just...

Cruel.

"She died," he says. Flat, easy, simple as that, anger hidden away behind his mask. "Four years ago, during a Sin attack near the Luca-Mi'ihen border. I was in the city at the time." He leaves it there, staring blankly at Anna as the waves fill in the silence.

And just like that, Anna stops laughing.

It's cold on her tongue, sharp in her stomach, like she swallowed pieces of glass except they were her own goddamn words. What's she thinking, poking into other people's business? She only met the girl like once, in passing, she didn't really need to know, she didn't really fucking need to--

It's not Kratos' fault. It's not his fault. It's not his fault but it was still--

"Sorry," Anna says, tight, not looking at Zelos. "I'm-- god I'm so-- sorry to hear that." She feels like she's going to throw up. She feels-- Disjointed. The world spins a little, at the edges of her vision. She feels. Fuck. Not now. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," she says in a rush, pushing off the railing and then holding herself tight, as if she could physically hold the pyreflies that make her up together when they threaten to pull apart for a few terrible seconds.

Hold it together, Anna. Bear it just a little longer, Anna. If you don't make it long enough to save him, then what's the point?

(She has to believe he can still be saved, or she will fall apart.)

"Sorry," Anna says again, and excuses herself without another word, leaving Zelos there alone.

Edited 2019-10-13 05:14 (UTC)

He doesn't really blame her for mentioning it--everyone in this goddessforsaken world has lost someone to Sin, Anna included--but he can't really help it that the subject hardens his demeanour, Zelos closing in on himself as Anna breaks. As such Zelos doesn't say anything anymore, just blankly watches Anna try to pull herself together until she leaves, then turning to gaze out at the sea again.

It's way too quiet without Anna around, and the somber mood she's left behind weighs heavy like a rock at the pit of Zelos' stomach. He despises it. What the hell, just a few minutes ago he was happily ridding himself of all Martelite traces on his person, already starting a new life. Well, let's not forget why we're here then, Zelos thinks, taking a deep breath, eyes closed, savouring the sea breeze while he has it to himself.

Sometime later, when he's satisfied, he turns to walk away the opposite way Anna left.

Unfortunately for everyone he is still in a bad mood. What Zelos needs is a distraction, anything at all. There's not a whole lot to see around the main deck, just a bunch of sailors caring for their jobs and the other passengers idling about. As expected, the sight of a redheaded Guado without the religious attire he came on board with catches a few of their eyes, but even as some begin to whisper among themselves Zelos pays them no mind, instead turning the growing anxiety in his heart into a grin and an even more purposeful walk. It's fine, let them talk. Sooner or later they'll hit Besaid, and then none of this shit will matter anymore.

It's fine.

Sheena had drifted belowdecks some time after they'd gotten out of sight of Kilika, watching the ocean waves less appealing after what had come out of them yesterday. Corrine had enjoyed poking around the passenger areas of the ship, but let her dismiss them after a little while, and it's a little quiet even with the few other people on the ride. But there's food offered, for a ride this long, and she thinks it might be nice to eat on the deck with her travel companions. It means not having to keep her eyes down, at least.

She makes her way up, almost-overburdened by plates, only for Anna to brush against her, almost knocking her off balance with a low but swift apology. Sheena shakes it off, unbothered. "Hey," she says. "I brought..." but Anna is already gone before she can explain. What? She'd looked upset, too, not just in a hurry. Should she go after her? Maybe not; she hadn't looked like she was in the mood for company. So she pulls her gaze away from the direction Anna had gone in, seeks out Zelos instead. She raises one container of food to catch his attention, the closest equivalent to a wave she can manage with her hands this full.

"I brought lunch up, if you want some," she says, when she gets closer, and then takes in his change of outfit. She kind of wishes she could do the same; it's muggier than Luca already, the heat feeling more oppressive even with the gentle breeze. There's a pause, Sheena watching him thoughtfully. "Did... something happen?" She glances back again for a second, but Anna's belowdecks, or otherwise out of sight from here.

Zelos catches Anna pushing herself below deck. He can't help it when he stares at her receding back for a second, expression blank, until Sheena waving catches his attention. And--oh, food! Food's the perfect distraction, yes. A little too late, maybe, Zelos slaps a smile onto his face and waits for her as she gets closer, then takes some of the plates and a container from her hands, muttering a 'thank you' for her. Now, hopefully she didn't catch his bad mood and doesn't ask.

Andddd of course she then actually goes ahead and asks after a short pause. Zelos rolls his eyes and waves his free hand about again, chuckling. Well, today sure isn't going how he thought it would, is it! Ugh. "Nah, just your typical Sin talk, nothing big," he says, pulling his attention over to the food instead. "And you know what a great ice breaker that mess is."

That smile is pretty obviously fake, but Sheena doesn't call him on it, just shooting him a small one of her own in return as he takes some of the food.

"Oh," she says. "About... what happened in Kilika? Or--" Hey, why is she asking this? She is curious about her guardian, someone who seems like a walking contradiction already, but he's right; this is a terrible way to get to know someone. She tries again: "Sorry. You don't have to answer that, we can talk about something else if you want." She takes a seat, back against the deck rail so that even if the breeze picks up, the rolling of the ship won't move her, and sets the rest of the food down in front of her.

Edited 2019-10-13 06:24 (UTC)

Holy Martel, Sheena, he literally just said Sin talk is a terrible ice breaker.

The air tenses after she says that, Sheena's mental slamming of the brakes nearly palpable and visible. At least she backed down, but Zelos still can't help sighing and rolling his eyes, shoulders sagging a little as he quickly opts to join her in sitting down to hide his taut expression. Look at this mess, he thinks. They've all barely known each other a day and they're already stepping on everyone's toes. And here Zelos was thinking that yesterday was the crazier day.

Oh well.

Sheena gives him a new out, but Zelos doesn't respond right away, opting instead for a noncommittal hum. He goes for eating in silence for a few seconds, trying to pull himself together a little before he even dares entertain such a heavy topic after what Anna just said, but. Well, everyone dies equally under Sin's reign, right? What's talking about that kind of inevitable death gonna do? It's natural.

Let's try to look as nonchalant as possible, Zelos. That means shrug, hum, and look up to the sky. "Just Sin in general, I guess," Zelos says, gaze lost in the clouds. "Which, I mean, I highly doubt there's anyone on this boat not affected by Sin, so. Fair game."

Sheena watches him for a moment, worried she might have overstepped, but whatever he's feeling it doesn't seem like he's mad, at least. She reaches for her own food as he thinks it over, looking up when he speaks.

"Yeah, that's true," she says, and hesitates. He's right; it'd be more surprising for someone not to have lost someone to Sin. And maybe opening up will make up for her misstep...? "I mean, that's what happened to the village I was born in." And her parents, and most of the people she'd known. She doesn't remember that much, but it had been a particularly bad attack, explained away by the church that Sin had been incensed by the machina at use in a settlement composed almost entirely of Al Bhed. Her tone is somber if not as grief-stricken as it would be if the wound were fresher, but she quiets down a little, anyway. Definitely not something she needs anyone else overhearing.

You know what? Sin talk is a terrible ice breaker, sure, but it's not that bad as a 'getting-to-know-you' starting point, it seems. Especially when the ice is already broken in the first place, and when the person telling you about it is an Al Bhed summoner on her merry way to kill herself for a world that hates her and everyone who is like her for absolutely no reason.

Zelos hums. Okay, he's curious now. Curious, and with a nasty four year old memory still fresh in mind, one that latches onto the somber quiet resting between summoner and guardian. "Luca, for me," he shoots back before he can even think about it, voice just as quiet as he uselessly pokes at his food. "I wasn't in the epicenter, but. Y'know." He clears his throat. "My sister was."

There's something to be said for bonding over shared trauma, even if that trauma is shared across the inhabitants of a whole world.

"I'm sorry," she says, and sounds it. "That was the first attack after the Calm, right?" The attack that had levelled her town had been the last big one, before the Calm. That's just what things are like in Spira, Sheena guesses. She hesitates, not wanting to push too far when they're already on such rocky territory, but. "Can I ask what she was like?"

Yeah, how fucking lucky, huh? The first attack after High Summoner Yuan's Calm, and it takes place in Luca of all places. Fuck Sin. Fuck everything about this world ever.

Sheena asks about his sister, and Zelos just kind of melts into his seat at that, sighing. He's lost his appetite, so he makes no more effort to even poke at his food, staring up into the sky and watching the clouds instead. Honestly, he doesn't really want to share Seles' memory with just about anyone, and he feels a little like a hypocrite telling Sheena about her instead of someone who'd actually met her, like Anna. But...

He crosses his arms. "Younger sister. We lived in Luca most of the time, when my mother wasn't moving her between Guadosalam and Luca Temple. And even if she wasn't gonna be the summoner, she still liked Aeons and guardians." He pauses. Taps a few, spread-out notes of an old song against his forearm. "Her name was Seles. She would've liked Corrine, I think." And that's about all that he's willing to say now, apparently, before he clams up about the subject completely.

Even from the little bit he says, it's clear to Sheena that he was close to his sister. That's so much worse than losing a family you were almost too young to remember. She wonders to herself if that had anything to do with his eagerness to join her pilgrimage. She certainly hadn't been able to face Djose, without her grandfather. (Will she be able to step foot in it without the knowledge that he should be at her side eating her whole?)

"I think Corrine would have liked her, too," she offers him, quiet. She can feel soft agreement from the strange new corner of her brain that is her connection to the Aeon.

"When we defeat Sin," she says. "Maybe..." Maybe it'll stick this time, she wants to say. But that's too optimistic, for a conversation like this, even if deep in her heart she thinks that her pilgrimage will be different, that she'll succeed where the other High Summoners somehow stumbled. She changes tack. "Even if it's only for a few more years... at least it'll be that much longer before anyone in Spira has to lose anybody like that."

Wow, Sheena. Way to be inspiring.

She falls silent, too, after that, eventually picking at her food even though it's grown cold. She should at least take the container and plates back down to the kitchens, she thinks, some time later, and stands to do that, but--

Was that something teal falling from the ship?

Look. Look. Anna is well aware that getting so wasted she doesn't have to think about Sin is first of all a horrible idea and second of all really inefficient, because it never actually works, but. She does it anyway. She's still thinking about Sin, but at least it's kind of numb, and. Look. It's fine. It'll be fine. No one gives a damn about her reputation, anyway. Which is why somewhere in there she decide it's perfectly fine to come out of her dark corner and make a round of the ship's deck.

"You're going to fall~" Mithos sing-songs, as he follows her. Why he's decided to do that, Anna has no clue, and frankly she wants him to fuck off, but.

"I am not," she insists. Does she stagger and have to catch herself on the ship's railing? Absolutely not. (Yes she does.)

"Yes you are, Anna, come on," Mithos continues. She flips him off, and Mithos groans. Is Anna sober enough to remember she's the only one who can see him? Nope! She barely remembers that when she isn't completely shitfaced.

Mithos sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. Being a fayth means he's incorporeal-- at least while he's projecting himself like this-- but he's feeling the edges of a headache, anyway. Why is she the only person on this entire planet who has a chance at helping him? Why couldn't he have gotten Kratos, instead of her? Kratos at least seemed reasonable.

There's a splash. Mithos looks up. And then he leans over to look into the water.

"I told you," he says, deadpan.

Loss is something that every denizen of Spira has known their whole lives, especially now that Calms seem be shorter and shorter, threatening every day with being the last. Wanting to prevent or stop it is nothing new. What Sheena says is a sentiment shared by every summoner-to-be, Zelos thinks, but-- again, Sheena is a special case. Anything coming from her is at least five times even more poignant, considering who she is.

And there it is again, that small voice that admires her for her selfless sacrifice, for putting the lives of thousands over her own just for a shot at preventing any more death and mourning like Zelos has experienced, like she has experienced. Fighting for a chance at worldwide happiness is certainly a lot more honourable than faking joining a pilgrimage only to end up jumping ship later. And that's... well, now he feels like an asshole. Is he really going to abandon someone like Sheena, a vulnerable Al Bhed, to figure this out on her own like that? Really? Is Zelos seriously that heartless?

He can still change his mind, a voice at the back of his conscious says, one that sounds young and mischievous and so much like his sister. Besaid is just around the corner. All he has to do is make his choice.

He's halfway through that when a flash of teal catches his attention instead, followed by a splash of water.

One, two, three, blink. It all snaps into place like that, and oh, oh Martel.

Holy fucking shit.

"Woah woah woah, guardian overboard!" Zelos shouts, abruptly getting up from his seat and rushing over to where he saw Anna fall off the deck, waving an arm around to catch the crew's attention. Anna can hold her breath, and Besaid is just in the distance so at least the waters won't be as deep and dangerous as they would be otherwise, but something about the way she fell is giving Zelos nervous shivers. "Stop the boat, we got a woman overboard! Anna fell off the boat!"

Edited 2019-10-21 16:08 (UTC)

Day four of his apparent new life in Besaid sees Lloyd form some sort of routine. Colette meets him in the morning at the temple and grabs breakfast with him, sharing stories and explaining things about Spira Lloyd would have had no idea about otherwise. In return, he tells her stuff about home, about Zanarkand, and she listens carefully. Colette's company helps soothe the sharp ache in Lloyd's heart as he talks, not erasing it, but making it easier to cope. He sticks to the lighter things, general stuff, and she doesn't mention it when he gets choked up at any mention of his mother or Dirk or his friends.

Honestly, he's not even sure if she believes him at this point or if she just believes he's so far gone in his trauma he's making everything up, but the listening still helps.

After breakfast and chitchat, they make their way down to the beach to meet up with the Aurochs for practice. If she can, Colette will stick around and talk, but usually, she has to make her way back to the town center to help around the village. Lloyd's not surprised she's kept busy - a white mage is always appreciated anywhere, and Colette has such a big heart she probably volunteers for every chore she can. Something about filling in the gaps that Sin creates, Lloyd supposes. She's here for today, at least, and he enjoys her company as she watches the group play, chiming in with commentary and encouragement from time to time.

The Aurochs are a lively bunch, too. Lloyd has spent the majority of the last few days with them, practicing hard and learning to play with a new team. It's hard, honestly - sometimes he'll look around and expect to see Roisia pulling Yonit into a headlock for a missed pass, or Laru, smirking as he talks shit about the next opposing team. Lloyd had known his team for over a decade, had grown up with them as an extended family, and playing with strangers is new, intimidating. He tries his best, though, refusing to let the grief cloud his ability to play. He promised Alicia he'd help them make the championship, and he's not going back on his word now.

Lloyd stands on the beach, placing a blitzball on the ground and aiming to take a shot at the makeshift goal the Aurochs use for practice, Tyvre acting as the goalie, ready to block the shot. While Lloyd's always been a better offensive player than a defensive one, it never hurts to check the accuracy of his shots, both on land and in the water. Alicia's basically chained them all to land, anyways, their previous conversation having unleashed some sort of demon training regimen that - while effective - takes away the fun of the water until she's impressed with their skill on land. She almost reminds him of Dirk, honestly, the way her eyes gain a sort of manic sparkle in them as she explains how she's gonna exhaust them at the start of practice.

"'ey!" Shouts out Victor - (Lloyd has to take a second to remember his name) - an arm shielding his eyes from the worst of the sunlight as he looks out to the horizon. "Check it out, there's a ferry coming on by!"

Lloyd turns to look out at the ocean as someone else laughs. "Wonda what poor sucka got stuck here this time. No offense, Lloyd."

"None taken," Lloyd says, a grin taking over his face, "although, I would say the sucker would be whoever was stuck with you -"

He cuts himself off as someone falls off the boat, a familiar flash of teal and purple catching his attention before anything else, causing his eyes to widen. No fucking way. Heart skipping several beats at once, mouth dropping open, it feels like several eternities within a second as Lloyd bumrushes the dock, hardly listening to the surprised cries of Colette and the team, wasting no time in unbuckling his vest and tossing it behind him before diving into the water with practiced ease, using his momentum to propel himself over to the ferry. He catches Anna before she sinks too deep, down to the waters that the fiends Colette's warned him about lay, and, holding onto her waist with one arm, brings them both back to the surface.

Lloyd gasps as they breach the surface, out of shock rather than out of a need to breathe. Though he wants to talk to her now, and even though she is awake and breathing, Lloyd focuses on taking them back to the shore, shifting his grip on her so he can swim back, still in shock. Anna's alive. His mom is alive! Sure she fell off the boat, and sure she kinda smells like alcohol, but a drunk Anna is vastly preferred to a dead one. He just. Well, he needs to find out why she got drunk, and that's a concern, because, well, she's always been drunk to cope with things she hated to talk about, but. She's alive. That's what matters.

Once back to the surface, he plops himself down on the shoreline, a few feet away from where the waves crash against the sand, sitting Anna down so that her head rests, elevated, on his lap. Colette walks up to him, confusion plain on her face, and he mouths "give me a second" to her, lightly flicking at his mother's forehead. "Hey, mom, the secret word is Blitzball. My name is Lloyd, the sky is blue, and you love chocolate. What's the secret word?"

Edited 2019-10-21 22:22 (UTC)

Anna groans, batting Lloyd off of her. She squints up at him. Fuck, why is the sun so bright? Who allowed that? Was that also Martel's dumb fucking idea? Fuck. Lloyd is saying words.

"Blue," she answers. "No, wait." That's way wrong. Fuck, shit, he just said it. She scowls, wishing her brain would work a little faster, even though-- This was exactly the state of brainspace she wished to achieve by getting shitfaced, wasn't it? Embarrassing that Lloyd had to see her like this, though. Normally she's better about that.

But. The first few nights in Spira again are always the worst. Like super the worst. And she had to arrive just as Sin was--

"Ughhhhhh," she groans. She doesn't want to think about it. She doesn't want to fucking think about it. "I'm-- literally going to-- fucking. Murder. Martel."

Lloyd can’t help himself from giving Anna a pitying look as she completely fucks up the test, about to open his mouth and ask his mother just how much she’s drank in the past hour or so when she groans and interrupts his thought. Colette stares down at him with wide eyes and Lloyd glances up to meet her gaze with an equally panicked look. Apologizing silently, he claps his hand over Anna’s mouth and hoists her back up. Anna, you are valid, but blaspheming in front of twenty or so incredibly religious people is not the way to go when their hospitality is kinda needed in this situation.

“Colette, can you prepare a bed in the infirmary?” Lloyd asks, holding Anna to his side and keeping his hand over her mouth, awkwardly chuckling as his team stares. “Um, sorry. This is my mom, her name is -“

“We know who Anna Irving is, Lloyd,” Alicia says, looking equal parts intimidated and awed. “The legendary guardian of high summoner Yuan Ka’Fei. We just didn’t realize she had a kid -“

Lloyd blinks. “Yuan Coffee? Who’s that?”

The team gasps, and Colette takes that moment to run to the shoreline and pick up Lloyd’s vest before running back and grabbing Lloyd by the chain hanging out of his pocket, pulling him forward on the beach. “Let’s go, Lloyd,” she says, a little hastily. “Your mom may need medical attention.”

“Uh, yeah,” Lloyd nods, somewhat dragging Anna along with him, mind spinning. Who is Yuan? What the hell is a guardian, and why is Anna a legendary one? “I’ll, uh, see you guys at dinner!”

He follows Colette’s lead, removing his hand from over Anna’s mouth as soon as they make a bit of distance from the team. “Sorry, mom,” he apologizes. “We need their help, and if you go nuts on the blaspheming here they’ll get pissed. Colette’s cool, though.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Anna,” Colette says as she walks ahead of the two, glancing back over her shoulder to offer a smile. “I’ll be able to cure the worst of your drunkenness as soon as we get to the infirmary. But, uh, please do take it easy around the rest of the islanders.”

You know what's really fucking annoying? How long it takes for the ferry to dock, and then how long it takes for the crew to give everyone a green light to disembark. Honestly, Zelos can understand why the captain would stick to protocol after that random fucko dove in and dragged Anna all the way back to shore, deeming her relatively safe, but can't they hurry it up anyway, holy shit, that's their very drunk guardian they're watching get kidnapped by a total stranger! How do you just trust someone you don't know like that!

So, when they hit the shore and get to looking for her, Zelos is completely unsurprised when Anna is nowhere to be found.

"Damn it," he grumbles. He kicks a handful of sand on the beach, sets his hands on his hips, growls. This is so frustrating! Why couldn't she have just, not fallen off the fucking boat! "Well, there goes Anna. Taken by the islanders to goddess knows where." He turns to Sheena and sighs. "I suggest we go looking for her before someone sacrifices her to some underground cult or something stupid like that."

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

420 blaze it

GREAT GOING YOU SET EVERYTHING ON FIRE

ANNA HASTILY STUMBLING OFF A BURNING BOAT

NO SHE'LL STUMBLE OFF IT /LATER/

GIVE HER TIME TO GET WASTED FIRST

Zelos wishes HE was wasted

Unfortunately Sheena did not bring any alcohol

[Zelos voice] [Leaves the party early]

DON'T ABANDON YOUR SUMMONER???

BUT THAT'S EXACTLY THE PLAN!!!

AND JUST LET HER DIE?

LISTEN

I AM LISTENING

LISTEN HARDER

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART BEFORE SOMEONE VORES IT

hey has anyone tried the chicken salad

yeha it tastse like ass

Maybe i should add some updog

I personally prefer upsexy