When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone,
when you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on.
Don't let yourself go, everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes.
Sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along.
When your day is night alone, (hold on, hold on)
if you feel like letting go, (hold on)
when you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on.
Everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends.
Everybody hurts. Don't throw your hand. Oh, no. Don't throw your hand.
If you feel like you're alone, no, no, no, you are not alone
If you're on your own in this life, the days and nights are long,
when you think you've had too much of this life to hang on.
Well, everybody hurts sometimes,
everybody cries. And everybody hurts sometimes.
And everybody hurts sometimes. So, hold on, hold on.
--- Everybody Hurts, REM
Otherworld Year Five: Chapter 1
"This sucks. Youth League tryouts are less than two months away, and I don't think I'm good enough to make the team." Tidus moaned, cradling his head in his hands.
"What seems to be the problem?" Auron asked, as he leaned back against the deck railing, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Well, I get tired too quick I guess, and then I can't keep up with the other players... most of them are bigger than me." Tidus explained miserably, hanging his head dramatically.
"You need endurance training." Auron thought aloud, as he turned his head and scratched his chin through his collar.
"Oh yeah? How do I get that?"
"Meet me at the docks tomorrow morning at six, and I'll show you."
"Six?! Gimme a break... I never get up that early."
"Suit yourself."
"Okay, okay... I'll be there."
************
"Auron... I'm getting tired..." Tidus panted, his head coming out of the water for a moment, as he gasped for air.
"Pity, as you'll most likely drown then." Auron replied unsympathetically... peering over his glasses from the aft of the boat above him.
A smirk touched Auron's lips then, noting the look of stubborn outrage on Tidus' face, as he lowered his head and continued to stroke through the chop behind the boat. Pushing the boy's buttons, was as effortless as pushing his father's had been.
Auron turned his head to look ahead of the dingy for a moment, checking for water traffic, then throttled back slightly on the outboard, and turned in a slow loop to head back toward the dock.
It took Tidus a moment to become aware of the course change, as his head bobbed out of the water, treading in place as he looked around him, then he smiled with relief, as he turned to chase after his taskmaster.
They were a little more than halfway back to the docks, when Auron realized Tidus had reached his limit. The boy had begun to flail in the water... not so much moving forward, as thrashing in place.
Cutting the engine, and turning the small craft to come alongside him, Auron reached over the side and grabbed Tidus by the collar with one arm... hauling him up and into the boat like a prize fish.
Tidus lay in the bottom of the dingy, his breath coming in quick, hard gasps, as he moaned with exhaustion, his arms flung out from his sides.
Auron let the boat drift, as he silently watched Tidus recover enough to sit up. Then Tidus suddenly shook his upper body like a wet dog, the spray radiating out in a fan, coating Auron in a shower of sea water.
"Must you always rid yourself of moisture like a canine?" Auron said in exasperation, as he took his glasses off and wiped them across the front of his robe, then returned them to his nose with a rough sigh.
Tidus burst into laughter, then shook his head at the man scowling down at him... "You'd make a lousy blitzer Auron."
"True, as I have a tendency to sink like a stone." Auron replied with a chuckle, as he started up the outboard again and headed for the dock.
************
"How often do I need to do this?" Tidus asked warily, afraid of the answer he would get.
"I should think three mornings a week will be sufficient." Auron replied, raking his fingers back through the dark strands of hair that had fallen across his brow.
Tidus groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead, then remarked... "This had better work, I need to be good in a hurry."
"It will, trust me. And remember, you don't need to be good all the time... just when it counts." Auron stated, as he turned to leave, the tails of his robe billowing out behind him, as he quickly covered ground.
Tidus watched him go, bringing his hands up behind his head, as he snorted in derision. The guy was so... wierd. He didn't know where he went or what he did when he left, coming and going like a ghost. He wasn't much fun to be around either, he was always telling him what to do, and it pissed him off the way Auron was always... right about things.
But he did trust him, he guessed. Auron had never been mean to him, the way his old man had. And he knew that if he really needed him, he'd be there. Whenever he had been in trouble, or sick, Auron had always shown up.
"Tidus, breakfast is ready." Breese called to him from the front door, waving her hand to get his attention.
"Yes!" Tidus exclaimed... pumping his fist in the air, and hurrying inside.
************
Auron had decided to go by the kura on his way back. He still had hours yet before the shop opened, and he needed to get his jug refilled.
The kura was discreetly tucked away on a side street near the arts district, and this was a good time of day to come here... as this section of the city was always teaming with people during working hours, and at night.
Stepping through the sliding glass doors of the brewery, Auron was pleased to see only one other customer being waited on at the front counter, ensuring he would be quickly on his way.
The familiar smell of fermenting rice wine assailed Auron's nose, as he walked to the counter and placed his jug on top, then leaned sideways against it, waiting quietly for the owner to finish serving the man ahead of him.
He liked this place. It was spotlessly clean, its proprietor polite and efficient. The small, quick man behind the counter always considerate enough, to spare him the annoyance of trying to engage him in idle chit-chat.
"Your usual?" The man asked, smiling slightly as he walked down the counter, to stand in front of Auron.
"Yes, thank you." Auron replied, pushing his jug toward the man's outstretched hand.
The man bowed slightly as he took the jug, then hurried to the back room to have it filled.
He returned in a few minutes, and Auron handed the spry little man his gil, then reached down to attach the sake jug to his belt.
"Good day to you." The man said, bowing low.
"And to you." Auron replied, nodding his head, as he exited back outside.
Adjusting the now heavy jug against his hip, Auron started back down the side street toward the main road, glancing up at what little sky was visible past the tops of the towers above him. The day was dawning clear and crisp, a type of weather he particularly enjoyed, and he actually found himself in a good mood... a rare thing for a man of his ilk, he thought wryly.
He made his way down the main road, moving at a more leisurely pace than his usual purposeful stride... observing the growing activity in the storefronts around him, the shop owners bustling to and fro, preparing for the day's business.
Up ahead on his left, he saw an elderly couple setting up an outdoor art exhibit, obviously intending to sell their wares to passers by. Auron gave the array of canvases and prints a compulsory glance as he passed, then suddenly stopped... as his eye was arrested by a canvas near the end of the display.
Up until now, all of the artworks he had seen in this city, were harsh abstractions, reflecting the environment of their creators. This piece however, had been done in a subdued, dream-like way. But more than that, it was the subject matter that had compelled him to stop and inspect it. The scene painted on the canvas was a landscape... a vast meadow of varying greens, with trees in the distance, and a pale blue sky full of billowy clouds, the whole canvas alive somehow with a soft glow.
Auron found himself mesmerized by it, imagining for a moment that he could step into the painting, and experience the sensations of the peaceful scene.
"Quite lovely, isn't it?" The elderly woman said, as she walked to stand beside him, joining in his appreciation of the work.
Blinking his eye rapidly for a moment, to snap himself out of the trance-like state the painting had put him in, Auron merely nodded in agreement, as he self-consciously pushed his glasses up with his thumb.
"How much?" Auron surprised himself by asking, not turning to look at the woman.
She was standing on his blind side, and Auron was unable to see her nose wrinkle for a moment in snobbish distaste, at the bluntness of his question. The man was obviously not a patron.
"It is priced at five-hundred gil, substantially below its true value. The artist is a new-comer, and quite unaware of the extent of her talent." The woman explained, trying not to stare at the nasty scar that ran down the man's face, concentrating instead on the jug hanging at his side... wondering what interest this rough looking man could possibly have in art.
Auron felt completely foolish for even considering purchasing this painting. He had never in his life indulged himself in something as frivolous as a strictly decorative item. But then, this was no longer his life was it? It was his after-life to be more accurate, and all the more reason why buying the painting would be inappropriate.
Propriety be hanged, he suddenly thought to himself. Looking at the painting made him feel good, that's all. Where was the harm in it?
"I'll take it." Auron said, reaching into his robe and pulling out a large wad of wrinkled gil. Gabe insisted on paying him more than he needed, and he sometimes found himself with an excess of funds. Conveniently, this was one of those times.
when you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on.
Don't let yourself go, everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes.
Sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along.
When your day is night alone, (hold on, hold on)
if you feel like letting go, (hold on)
when you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on.
Everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends.
Everybody hurts. Don't throw your hand. Oh, no. Don't throw your hand.
If you feel like you're alone, no, no, no, you are not alone
If you're on your own in this life, the days and nights are long,
when you think you've had too much of this life to hang on.
Well, everybody hurts sometimes,
everybody cries. And everybody hurts sometimes.
And everybody hurts sometimes. So, hold on, hold on.
--- Everybody Hurts, REM
Otherworld Year Five: Chapter 1
"This sucks. Youth League tryouts are less than two months away, and I don't think I'm good enough to make the team." Tidus moaned, cradling his head in his hands.
"What seems to be the problem?" Auron asked, as he leaned back against the deck railing, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Well, I get tired too quick I guess, and then I can't keep up with the other players... most of them are bigger than me." Tidus explained miserably, hanging his head dramatically.
"You need endurance training." Auron thought aloud, as he turned his head and scratched his chin through his collar.
"Oh yeah? How do I get that?"
"Meet me at the docks tomorrow morning at six, and I'll show you."
"Six?! Gimme a break... I never get up that early."
"Suit yourself."
"Okay, okay... I'll be there."
************
"Auron... I'm getting tired..." Tidus panted, his head coming out of the water for a moment, as he gasped for air.
"Pity, as you'll most likely drown then." Auron replied unsympathetically... peering over his glasses from the aft of the boat above him.
A smirk touched Auron's lips then, noting the look of stubborn outrage on Tidus' face, as he lowered his head and continued to stroke through the chop behind the boat. Pushing the boy's buttons, was as effortless as pushing his father's had been.
Auron turned his head to look ahead of the dingy for a moment, checking for water traffic, then throttled back slightly on the outboard, and turned in a slow loop to head back toward the dock.
It took Tidus a moment to become aware of the course change, as his head bobbed out of the water, treading in place as he looked around him, then he smiled with relief, as he turned to chase after his taskmaster.
They were a little more than halfway back to the docks, when Auron realized Tidus had reached his limit. The boy had begun to flail in the water... not so much moving forward, as thrashing in place.
Cutting the engine, and turning the small craft to come alongside him, Auron reached over the side and grabbed Tidus by the collar with one arm... hauling him up and into the boat like a prize fish.
Tidus lay in the bottom of the dingy, his breath coming in quick, hard gasps, as he moaned with exhaustion, his arms flung out from his sides.
Auron let the boat drift, as he silently watched Tidus recover enough to sit up. Then Tidus suddenly shook his upper body like a wet dog, the spray radiating out in a fan, coating Auron in a shower of sea water.
"Must you always rid yourself of moisture like a canine?" Auron said in exasperation, as he took his glasses off and wiped them across the front of his robe, then returned them to his nose with a rough sigh.
Tidus burst into laughter, then shook his head at the man scowling down at him... "You'd make a lousy blitzer Auron."
"True, as I have a tendency to sink like a stone." Auron replied with a chuckle, as he started up the outboard again and headed for the dock.
************
"How often do I need to do this?" Tidus asked warily, afraid of the answer he would get.
"I should think three mornings a week will be sufficient." Auron replied, raking his fingers back through the dark strands of hair that had fallen across his brow.
Tidus groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead, then remarked... "This had better work, I need to be good in a hurry."
"It will, trust me. And remember, you don't need to be good all the time... just when it counts." Auron stated, as he turned to leave, the tails of his robe billowing out behind him, as he quickly covered ground.
Tidus watched him go, bringing his hands up behind his head, as he snorted in derision. The guy was so... wierd. He didn't know where he went or what he did when he left, coming and going like a ghost. He wasn't much fun to be around either, he was always telling him what to do, and it pissed him off the way Auron was always... right about things.
But he did trust him, he guessed. Auron had never been mean to him, the way his old man had. And he knew that if he really needed him, he'd be there. Whenever he had been in trouble, or sick, Auron had always shown up.
"Tidus, breakfast is ready." Breese called to him from the front door, waving her hand to get his attention.
"Yes!" Tidus exclaimed... pumping his fist in the air, and hurrying inside.
************
Auron had decided to go by the kura on his way back. He still had hours yet before the shop opened, and he needed to get his jug refilled.
The kura was discreetly tucked away on a side street near the arts district, and this was a good time of day to come here... as this section of the city was always teaming with people during working hours, and at night.
Stepping through the sliding glass doors of the brewery, Auron was pleased to see only one other customer being waited on at the front counter, ensuring he would be quickly on his way.
The familiar smell of fermenting rice wine assailed Auron's nose, as he walked to the counter and placed his jug on top, then leaned sideways against it, waiting quietly for the owner to finish serving the man ahead of him.
He liked this place. It was spotlessly clean, its proprietor polite and efficient. The small, quick man behind the counter always considerate enough, to spare him the annoyance of trying to engage him in idle chit-chat.
"Your usual?" The man asked, smiling slightly as he walked down the counter, to stand in front of Auron.
"Yes, thank you." Auron replied, pushing his jug toward the man's outstretched hand.
The man bowed slightly as he took the jug, then hurried to the back room to have it filled.
He returned in a few minutes, and Auron handed the spry little man his gil, then reached down to attach the sake jug to his belt.
"Good day to you." The man said, bowing low.
"And to you." Auron replied, nodding his head, as he exited back outside.
Adjusting the now heavy jug against his hip, Auron started back down the side street toward the main road, glancing up at what little sky was visible past the tops of the towers above him. The day was dawning clear and crisp, a type of weather he particularly enjoyed, and he actually found himself in a good mood... a rare thing for a man of his ilk, he thought wryly.
He made his way down the main road, moving at a more leisurely pace than his usual purposeful stride... observing the growing activity in the storefronts around him, the shop owners bustling to and fro, preparing for the day's business.
Up ahead on his left, he saw an elderly couple setting up an outdoor art exhibit, obviously intending to sell their wares to passers by. Auron gave the array of canvases and prints a compulsory glance as he passed, then suddenly stopped... as his eye was arrested by a canvas near the end of the display.
Up until now, all of the artworks he had seen in this city, were harsh abstractions, reflecting the environment of their creators. This piece however, had been done in a subdued, dream-like way. But more than that, it was the subject matter that had compelled him to stop and inspect it. The scene painted on the canvas was a landscape... a vast meadow of varying greens, with trees in the distance, and a pale blue sky full of billowy clouds, the whole canvas alive somehow with a soft glow.
Auron found himself mesmerized by it, imagining for a moment that he could step into the painting, and experience the sensations of the peaceful scene.
"Quite lovely, isn't it?" The elderly woman said, as she walked to stand beside him, joining in his appreciation of the work.
Blinking his eye rapidly for a moment, to snap himself out of the trance-like state the painting had put him in, Auron merely nodded in agreement, as he self-consciously pushed his glasses up with his thumb.
"How much?" Auron surprised himself by asking, not turning to look at the woman.
She was standing on his blind side, and Auron was unable to see her nose wrinkle for a moment in snobbish distaste, at the bluntness of his question. The man was obviously not a patron.
"It is priced at five-hundred gil, substantially below its true value. The artist is a new-comer, and quite unaware of the extent of her talent." The woman explained, trying not to stare at the nasty scar that ran down the man's face, concentrating instead on the jug hanging at his side... wondering what interest this rough looking man could possibly have in art.
Auron felt completely foolish for even considering purchasing this painting. He had never in his life indulged himself in something as frivolous as a strictly decorative item. But then, this was no longer his life was it? It was his after-life to be more accurate, and all the more reason why buying the painting would be inappropriate.
Propriety be hanged, he suddenly thought to himself. Looking at the painting made him feel good, that's all. Where was the harm in it?
"I'll take it." Auron said, reaching into his robe and pulling out a large wad of wrinkled gil. Gabe insisted on paying him more than he needed, and he sometimes found himself with an excess of funds. Conveniently, this was one of those times.
