real Emotion
Chapter Five: Hi Ho Gippal!
Nope, don't own it.
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Ophelia opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. Less than ten feet away, Botta lay on the next bed over, his mouth hanging open, a puddle of drool collecting on his pillow beneath his head. Sick. She pushed herself into a sitting position and dug around for her boots, finding them and dragging them over before pulling them on. With a yawn she stood and stretched, her thoughts returning to the night before.
It had been a bloody massacre. Of course, when was a fight with Auron not, really? But this time, it had been different. In the heat of it, she'd told him, flatly and bluntly, that it was finished, done, over. Strangely enough, she still meant it. For once she wouldn't have any ties holding her back. Even stranger was how relieved they'd both seemed. He'd told her, once things had cooled off enough that they weren't going for one another's throats, that no matter what, he'd still be her guardian, not only because of the promise he'd made her father, but because he still felt she needed one. A sweet thought, that, but she was doing alright on her own. In fact, when she actually looked at it, she had enjoyed being on her own, with forcing herself to learn to defend herself. Learning to be a self-sufficient entity, which was something she'd never been before. Even now, it was family ties that had brought her to the Gullwings, rather than a need to belong to a group.
She stepped out of the converted Crusaders' lodge and looked around the village, wondering how anyone could live here. Sure, it was bustling enough for a tiny backwater island, but she'd gotten used to the conveniences starting to be found everywhere else in Spira, like showers. Not to mention hovers and the like. And to be honest, after spending the last two months in the company of her uncle Cid and a few other Al Bhed, she missed their outlook on life. Being on the Celsius had helped a little, but she'd actually started to enjoy the dry desert air.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the others headed her way, and sighed. They were here to look for a sphere, but to be bluntly honest, she just didn't feel the need to do so anymore. Sphere hunting had gotten old, with everyone and their brother doing it, and she had seriously started contemplating finding another way to make ends meet. She'd heard good things about the Machine Faction from Cid, and understood the leader was still looking for someone to act as a second in Djose. At least there she'd be close enough to Luca to enjoy a bit of fun every now and then.
"You look gloomy." Yuna's voice cut through her thoughts, and Ophelia shook her head, clearing it. She returned Yuna's smile and shrugged, giving another soft yawn.
"Not gloomy. Thoughtful." She put on her best game face, trying to look excited at the prospect of hunting a sphere. "So...Are we going to find that sphere or what?"
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Another boring sphere hunt, another boring fiend battle, another dud of a sphere. Things never changed in this business. She'd learned that her first week. It amazed her that people were still doing it after two years. Ophelia leaned back against the steps in the bridge of the Celsius, forcing a smile at Rikku's antics. Two days. Two days and she already had the itch to move on. Cid had laughed at her, when she'd been living in the camps, saying it was the Al Bhed blood. In truth she blamed it on him and the other people in camp, where they could always find something to do.
Finally, she was fed up with the sitting around and stood, starting to pace the floor. Yuna noticed and raised an eyebrow. "You're antsy."
"Yeah." She shrugged, halting mid-step. "I told you earlier I was tired of the sphere gig. I'm serious. It's about time I started hunting for alternative ways to feed myself, you know? As a matter of fact, Uncle Cid was telling me about the Machine Faction..."
"Bah." Brother didn't even bother from turning in his seat. "Dra Machine Faction. Ed'c hudrehk pid y fycda uv desa."
"Naymmo? Uncle Cid ryt y mud uv kuut drehkc du cyo ypuid dras." Ophelia ignored the questioning looks everyone sent her, and continued. "E fyc drehgehk uv ybbmoehk vun dra bucedeuh yd Djose."
Brother snorted and shook his head, and Buddy gave a sigh, glance back at her. "Brother thinks the Machine Faction's leader is his rival or something. I've heard a lot of good stuff about 'em, too. Might be worth looking into. We could get on a digging team, make a little extra cash until the sphere business picks up."
"Hey! Yeah!" Rikku bounced on the balls of her feet a moment, a fist in the air. "I hear they've found some pretty neat stuff out in the desert." She looked to Yuna, waiting for approval, and Yuna laughed a moment before nodding.
"Alright, then. The Machine Faction it is. Buddy? Set a course for Djose." Brother huffed again at Yuna giving orders, but said nothing, sliding lower in his seat. Ophelia shook her head and crossed her legs at the ankles.
"Lyms tufh, Brother. Fung ec fung, oui ghuf. Ymm dryd naymmo syddanc ec dryd fa ayd."
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Ophelia had darted off the minute they'd entered the temple yard. She had spotted a few Al Bhed she knew, and wanted to catch up on the latest gossip. Through Blappa and Lakkam (Players for the Psyches, oddly enough. She did wonder to herself what they were doing here so close to blitz season.), she'd found out that the boss wasn't in yet, and he hadn't filled the position for a second here at the temple. They'd laughed at her when she'd grumbled about being sick of the sphere hunting thing, and told her just to ask about it. Apparently, this guy was pretty laid back, and had earned a ton of respect from these two. That in itself was enough for Ophelia decide that she'd get along fine with him. After all, Blappa and Lakkam wouldn't steer her wrong. She hoped.
When she'd rejoined Yuna and the others, Rikku nudged her with an elbow, giving her a grin. "Oh, talking to Blappa, I see."
"Stuff a cork in it, Rikku. Blappa's a friend. So's Lakkam, before you start on me about him." She ignored Rikku's mumbled 'mm hmm' and crossed her arms, stubbornly avoiding Rikku's gaze. It was like her, really, to make something out of nothing. "For your information, I've been in camp with them. Cid gave me a place to crash between sphere gigs."
"Oh! So that's how you learned Al Bhed." Yuna stroked her chin and smiled. "I was wondering, because you didn't speak a word of it on the pilgrimage."
"Yeah, had to learn fast, out in the desert. That's all anybody ever spoke, and it got to be a real pain to find someone to translate." Ophelia shrugged, digging the toe of a boot into the dirt. "Besides, it's useful these days. Since no one will tar and feather you for speaking it. And it's helped me tons, pretending I didn't speak Spirian."
"Pops never said a word about you!" Rikku looked a little put out, and stomped her foot. "Figures."
"When's the last time you even talked to him?" Ophelia raised an eyebrow, smirking when Rikku actually took the time to think about it. "Uh huh, just like I thought. I bet it's been longer than two months."
Rikku started to protest, but was distracted by a figure coming up the path, and pointed him out. "Looks like the boss finally decided to stroll into work." Her tone was sarcastic, and she rolled her eyes. "I really wonder about him sometimes, you know?"
"Hmm?" Ophelia looked over in the direction Rikku had pointed, her gaze finding and locking on to what was quite possibly the most gorgeous guy she'd ever seen. Including his wearing an eyepatch. "Well." She gave a small cough and leaned down to Rikku conspiratorially. "Who's he?"
Before Rikku could respond, he'd drawn level with them and spotted Rikku, reaching over to ruffle her hair. Catching Ophelia's raised eyebrow he grinned, in a very flirtatious way. Rikku batted at him as he walked past, pouting, muttering under her breath in Al Bhed.
"That's Gippal," she finally said clearly, giving his back the evil eye. "He can be kind of annoying, but he's alright."
"He seems to know you," Yuna commented, her eyes also rigidly fixed on the guy. Like every other female in the yard, to be exact. Ophelia rolled her eyes. Sure, he was nice to look at, but what about underneath the pretty face? Besides, she was here for a job, not to drool after some guy.
"We...We know each other pretty well," Rikku squeaked, before clearing her throat. "We grew up together," she said, her voice more level.
"And?" Paine prompted, her mouth twitching in amusement.
"And nothing. We just know each other." Rikku crossed her arms, saved from saying more as Gippal climbed the steps and turned back to the crowd.
"Alright, let's do some interviews. Bring it!" He gave them all a careless wave and disappeared into the temple, and Ophelia found herself being pulled in the direction of the line that was forming before the converted inn.
After standing there for close to fifteen minutes, Rikku finally turned to her and grinned. "You still gonna apply for the job here in Djose?"
"I might." Ophelia shrugged, keeping her face straight. "It depends on his attitude when we talk to him. If he's a jerk, I might not even apply for digging."
Rikku giggled and gave her a wink. "Then you might as well go wait on the Celsius. I know you, and I know him. He's going to crawl under your skin and do the two-step on your nerves in the first five seconds, guaranteed." Ophelia only shook her head and gave Rikku a light push toward the door, as their group was next. Once inside, they were given the rundown of the interview procedure, and then were told to go to the temple.
It seemed kind of pointless, really, to go through that before even getting an interview. But she supposed it added some sort of order to the whole thing. She trailed after Rikku toward the temple, letting the others pass her before stepping inside. The place was covered in machina parts, and the smell of fuel and oil was nearly enough to knock her back a few steps. Her nose twitched a moment, adjusting, and she came to stand next to Yuna, folding her arms and looking around. Hmm. Looked like they'd cleared out every bit of religious imagery, including the statue of her father. She wondered a moment what they'd done with it. She had no faith in Yevon, but seeing her father's statue in any temple was somewhat comforting.
Her gaze wandered to the entrance of the Cloister of Trials, and for a moment she considered seeing if they'd let her back to the chambers. She pushed the thought away as Gippal approached, giving their rag tag group a curious look, before stopping in front of Yuna, a hand resting on his hip. "Uh...You here for the interview?"
"Yup." Yuna put her hands behind her back and smiled shyly, her cheeks slightly pink. Ophelia repressed a snort and looked to Gippal, pointing out flaws. He was kind of short, really. She doubted he was even five feet ten inches. He was kind of on the scrawny side, too. And his nose was too long. There...He wasn't as perfect as he'd been at first glance, and she felt herself relax.
"The High Summoner wants an interview?" One brow shot to his hairline, his head tilting in obvious amusement.
"Former summoner." Yuna's hands went to her hips, and her head tilted at a cocky angle. That's right, you tell him. Not that it even looked like the rebuttal had phased him one bit.
Gippal shrugged and pushed open one of the temple's doors. "Okay, follow me." He stepped outside, and Ophelia found herself frowning to herself. Now that was odd. She couldn't remember him doing that with any of the other applicants. It figured, you couldn't take Yuna anywhere without causing a fuss.
They all followed him out of the temple's yard and to the bridges, and once they'd stopped, he leaned close to Yuna, obviously flirting. Ophelia did snort then, and shook her head, turning her back on the spectacle.
"Never been this close to a celebrity before."
"That's nice," Yuna said weakly, and Ophelia looked over her shoulder, smirking at Yuna's discomfiture. She had leaned farther back, her eyes wide, and it was apparent she was struggling with the impulse to push him away.
"I could get used to this." He smirked, not backing off an inch, apparently getting some source of amusement from making Yuna squirm. Jerk.
"Let's not." Yuna's voice had become firm, and she backed a step away, crossing her arms. Gippal only shrugged and turned to Rikku, reaching out to ruffle her hair again.
"Well, if it isn't Cid's girl. How ya been?"
"I have a name," Rikku whined, punching at him. His grin grew wider, and he shifted his weight to one foot, reaching up to scratch the back of his head.
"How's your brother?" Ophelia snorted again, remembering what Buddy had said about Brother and this guy, and she and Yuna exchanged exasperated and amused looks.
"The same as ever. Buddy's around, too," Rikku said, her bubbly attitude returning.
This time Gippal snorted, and shook his head. "Same as ever is right." He looked over at Paine, and his eye grew wide, before he took a few steps toward her. "Y-you!"
A tense expression crossed Paine's face for a split second, but she covered it quickly with a mask of indifference, crossing her arms. "The name's Paine."
"Right." Gippal stared at her another long moment before moving to Auron. "You I know. Auron, right?" At Auron's curt nod he raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. Well, aren't we a lively bunch?" He shook his head, finally coming to Ophelia, and she got every good retort she could ready. "You I don't know."
"Ophelia." It was clipped, and she leaned casually against the railing of the bridge, her arms folding.
"Huh...I know I've heard that name..." He eyed her another long moment, frowning in thought, and then nodded. "I remember. Cid said something about you possibly coming this way."
"Now why would Uncle Cid do that?" Ophelia wondered aloud, frowning to herself. Her eyes met Rikku's, and they shared a grin. "Right. He's a meddler. I tend to forget that sometimes." She looked back to Gippal, her expression neutral. "And...what did he say exactly?"
"That I was finally going to have a second for the faction." He switched gears and turned on the charm, and Ophelia had to force herself not to roll her eyes. "So...You think you can handle a job like this? You do realize it's more than just here at Djose. There's stuff on Bikinel that needs doing, too. I can't be in two places at once."
"Sorry to disappoint you," she said cooly, letting her arms drop to her sides. "But I'm afraid Uncle Cid's just doing what he does best. Being pushy. I'm a sphere hunter, not a leader." She saw Yuna gape at her over Gippal's shoulder and shrugged. Yes, it seemed pretty stupid that she was turning down the job she'd come for, but knowing Cid had pretty much had it set aside for her ruffled her feathers. Then there was the small fact of the fayth waiting for her. Something was brewing, and tying herself down to something like the Machine Faction in a big way might not be the smartest idea . "Besides," she said, her gaze meeting Yuna's. "There are things I need to take care of. I'm here because of them. Not on my own."
Yuna's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh!" She grinned a little sheepishly, having obviously forgotten what had happened in Besaid. "I'm sorry, we need to focus on that, don't we?"
"Huh?" Gippal shot Yuna a look over his shoulder, his confusion evident. "Someone mind filling me in?"
"I'll worry about that. It's my problem not yours." Ophelia bit her lip, still looking to Yuna. "Besides, you're here for a job. I, on the other hand," she continued, returning her gaze to Gippal, "am here for a favor."
"A favor," he echoed, his eye narrowing slightly. Ophelia hadn't realized how close he was until now, and she was forced to look up at him. He might not have been tall as guys go, but she was short for a girl. "What kind of a favor?"
Being backed against the rail offered her no way to take a step back, and this guy was completely invading her personal space. "A simple one, really. And, just think...A sphere hunter like me will owe you one. I pay my debts." His eyebrow quirked, and she pushed on, not wanting to know what he was thinking. "I need to see the chambers. You know, where the fayth are...were," she amended, not thinking it was his business that hers were still around. "Just for a few minutes." She side stepped around him, finally able to breathe with him out of her bubble of comfort.
"Yeah, but you still haven't said why. I mean, what's the point of going to look at an empty room?" He turned to face her, and she could see refusal written all over him.
"Never mind, just forget it." She waved a hand dismissively and started back toward the temple, catching Rikku's gaze. "You were right. I shouldn't have." She shrugged and said, over her shoulder, "I'll be waiting at the temple. Come find me when you're done."
"I'll come with you." There was the scrape of steel on stone, and Auron fell into step next to her, shouldering his sword. He glanced back over his shoulder, his eye narrowing at Gippal. "The interview?"
"...Right. The interview." Gippal frowned at them a long moment, and Ophelia didn't doubt he was going over the little amount of information he'd gleaned, no doubt trying to fit it together. With a shrug he turned to the other three, and Ophelia turned back to Auron, frowning.
"What a jackass."
Auron made a noise in the back of his throat, reaching up to slide his glasses further up his nose. "If you need to speak to the fayth, we should just go ahead and go down. The Machine Faction may be headquartered here, but you have a right to your fayth."
Ophelia nodded. "Exactly. Which is what I was going to do." They were nearing the temple now, and she caught Blappa's grin. "What...You think I'm your boss now, meddma puo?"
His grin widened, and he shrugged. "Dunno, you tell me."
"Nope. Turned him down." She smirked at his surprised look, and offered a casual shrug. "Something came up, ymnekrd? Besides, it reeks of Uncle Cid's meddling. The last thing I want is to get a job based on my uncle, not my skills." She started up the steps and patted him on the shoulder, giving him a grin. "How about you worry about pounding the Goers in the tournament?"
"Right. Hey...Where are you going?"
"Just in the temple for a few. For old times' sake." He nodded at that, thinking she was just going to take a look around the main room, and turned back to his post, shifting his weight to one foot. Auron held the door for her and she stepped inside, heading for the stairway in the large room's middle, only to be stopped by the guard.
"Sorry, researchers only beyond this point."
"Hey, no sweat." Ophelia gave him an easy grin, crossing her arms. "E's dra haf pucc. Kuddy dyga y muug ynuiht." He nodded, and, though he seemed a bit reluctant, stepped to the side, letting her pass. She looked over her shoulder at Auron and grinned, and he followed her through the doorway and into the cloister. She tried to look as though she belonged there, until they reached the lift and stepped on, and she gave a sigh, shaking her head.
"We are gonna be in so much trouble when Gippal gets back."
"You'll be in the chamber. And, if need be, we will fight our way out." His expression didn't change, and the lift started to lower, taking them to the next level. Once it stopped, he stepped off and headed for the stairway leading to the alcove of the chambers, and she nodded at the lone Al Bhed tinkering with something in the back before following, still trying to look official. Once they were in the alcove, however, she hesitated, looking up at the closed door.
"Alright. I'll do this as in and out as I can, so maybe we can escape discovery. Just...Don't let anyone through." She started up the stairs and glanced back at the stairway, frowning. "Especially Gippal. I don't think this is any of his business."
"Agreed." Auron lowered the tip of his sword to the floor and nodded. "Make it fast."
She nodded and climbed the remaining stairs, disappearing through the doorway as the door slid upward. It disconcerted her that the door didn't slide shut behind her, but she pushed the thought out of her head and moved forward, coming to kneel before Diablo's seal. He materialized, and gave her a nod. "Hi." Her voice was soft, and she smiled. "I need some answers, and quickly. I'm risking a lot to see you."
"Ah, yes. The Al Bhed. I will tell you what I can, then. What is it you need to know?"
"What's happening in Spira? I was told, by the fayth in Besaid, that I still have a job to do. How? The Calm is here, Sin is defeated." She frowned and looked at the floor a moment, before shaking her head. "Is there something more?"
"I can't be completely sure. There is malice, and it is present everywhere. Including the Farplane. We are on the cusp of something. The Calm is crumbling." Diablo fell silent a moment, as though listening to something, and sighed. "There is war brewing in Spira, built on a foundation of betrayal between its two instigators. They lie about the past, which in turn bears on the present and will destroy the future, if they are not stopped."
"I...I'm not sure I understand. Are you talking about the Youth League and New Yevon? Betrayal? It's not making any sense."
"Yes. There is more to the story, yet I'm unclear of its meaning. The malice, however, is ever present."
"I see." Ophelia frowned and stroked her chin a moment. "I guess I'll just have to figure it out as I go, huh? Alright, awesome. Just peachy." She rubbed the bridge of her nose, giving an annoyed sigh. "Thank you. I'll try to talk to you again soon, alright? Until then-"
"What the hell are you doing?" The voice from the doorway made her start, and she turned, not recognizing the outline as it came toward her. "Man, you are really a piece of work, lying your way back here..." Gippal trailed off, seeing the fayth above the seal. "What in hell?"
"Later, Diablo. I've been caught." Ophelia jumped to her feet and darted out of the room and through the door, nearly tripping on the steps before catching herself and running down them. "Move it, Auron. I told you not to let him in."
"And I attempted to stop him," Auron said angrily, moving to follow. "However, he barged through and was in the chamber before I could catch him."
"Wonderful."She stepped on the lift, urging it with a stomped foot to hurry. "I told you we'd be in deep if we got caught. Oh, this was a bad idea." The lift started rising, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "I hope everyone waited on us."
"Indeed." The lift clanged to a stop, and Ophelia was off at a sprint, tearing through the cloister and out of the door, nearly knocking down the guard as she jumped from the stairs to the floor, before starting off again, the temple doors flying open as she pushed them. Homefree, she thought, grinning to herself. Yuna and the others were standing there, waiting on her, and she ran past them. "Get moving! I've went and stuck my foot in it."
They watched her a moment, and then Auron as he barreled past, before shrugging and took off after them, hearing shouts from the temple. That didn't sound good at all. Ophelia stopped at the first bridge, waiting to regroup, and looked back, seeing Gippal, still white-faced, tearing after the Gullwings, and gave a sigh. Oh, hell.
"Move your asses, dammit!" She started off again, headed for the Celsius, just off shore, feeling the sand pull at her feet. She floundered a moment, and tripped on a rock, before Auron grabbed her by the back of her shirt, lifting her back to her feet. With a grateful nod, she felt for the mike tucked into her collar and pulled it out. "Brother! Buddy! Open the hatch, we're in a hurry." She clicked it off before they could respond and turned back when she heard Rikku squeal. Gippal had nearly caught up to them. Cred. She put on more speed, ignoring the stitch in her side, and scrambled for the hatch, now resting against the sand. Her boots clanged loudly on the way up the stairs, and she literally dove for the elevator, pressing the button for the bridge at least five times before the door closed and it started to rise.
She gave Auron a grin, panting, and he scowled in return. Oh, c'mon. This had been his idea, after all. "Hey, at least you and I made it, right?"
"Don't count your chocobos," he muttered, stepping out of the elevator when the door slid open. She gave an annoyed sigh and followed, flopping into Buddy's abandoned chair. "Alright, as soon as that elevator starts moving again, get us in the air, alright, Brother?" He opened his mouth to protest, and then, seeing her serious expression, nodded. He started on the controls as soon as the elevator started to hum, and soon they were above Djose and fast leaving it behind.
"What did you do?" Shinra peeped over his chair, for once not wearing his body suit and mask. He grinned, seeing her scowl, and shook his head.
"Pissed off the leader of the Machine Faction, that's what." She gave a groan and sank lower in the chair. "He's such an ass, though. I should have listened to Brother and steered clear of that place." Brother snorted as he put the ship on autopilot, and she scowled at him. "Don't let it go to your head, jackass."
The elevator stopped and the doors slid open, and Ophelia sat straighter, grinning. Her grin faded when not three, but four figures emerged, and she sank low again, drawing her legs in. "I think I'll watch the scanner a while," she squeaked, her heart pounding. Brother turned as well, scowling at the newcomer.
"Fryd yna oui tuehk rana?"
"Kaddehk cusa yhcfanc," Gippal replied, his voice laced with annoyance. "Tuh'd ghuf fryd'c cu esbundyhd du syga cusauha mea mega dryd, pid E's tysh famm kuehk du veht uid." Ophelia's eyes were level with the bottom of the scanner now, and for a moment she contemplated throwing herself off the deck. But then she scowled to herself and pulled herself out of the seat, trying for a confidently casual pose.
"Ah, you want answers." She managed a smirk and crossed her arms. "Brother? Set a course back for Djose. I thought we didn't pick up hitchhikers." She looked back at Gippal, who was positively fuming. "E ufa oui hudrehk. Oui ryja hu nekrd du gaab sa vnus dra fayth. So nekrd yc y summoner dnisbc ouin bucedeuh yc dra maytan uv dra Machine Faction. And don't even bother trying to contest that. I know things that would make you want to cry in a dark corner."
Silence fell on the bridge, those who spoke Al Bhed secretly sniggering at seeing Gippal cut off at the knees, and those who didn't pondering what she meant about the things she knew. Ophelia and Gippal were engaged in a stare off, and it was apparent the Al Bhed would spit nails if he could. After a few minutes, Brother cleared his throat and glanced back at Ophelia, his brows pulled in a scowl.
"You do not give the orders around here. I am the leader, me." He was puffing up for another rant, and Buddy cut him off, leaning over Ophelia to answer the beeping of the scanner.
"Uh, guys? Can we hold off on the showdown? We're getting a call from Zanarkand. Something about a sphere." Ophelia perked, tearing her gaze from Gippal's, and leaned over the scanner as well, frowning.
"Can't we drop off the jackass first?" she whispered, sending Buddy a look.
"As much as I'd love to, look." He pointing out a line of the message, and Ophelia read it, giving a loud sigh. "It's a sphere hunting contest. We don't have time to turn back to Djose before we head to Zanarkand. So, either he comes with us, or we miss out on the sphere."
"Vilg." Ophelia straightened, and walked by Gippal, purposely ignoring him. "Alright. You heard the man. Are we going after it or are we dropping off our..." She paused, rolling her eyes. "Esteemed visitor."
"I'm not going anywhere until you explain yourself." Gippal crossed his arms, stretching to his full height. "I want to know what that thing was in the chamber."
Ophelia acted as though she didn't hear him. "All if favor of dropping off the Machine Faction's leader? I'm sure he's missed," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She put up a hand, along with Brother and Auron. "Thanks. Really. Alright, looks like we're going after that sphere. You need me, I'll be on the deck." She turned on her heel and jogged up the stairs, before turning back. "And Gippal?" He scowled up at her, and she gave him a sweet smile. "Vilg uvv. What was in that chamber is my concern. A gearhead like you wouldn't understand." With another smile at the color that spread from his neck, she stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the deck, the doors closing behind her.
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A/N: Dammit, he was not supposed to get on that airship. Oh well. They're stuck with him for now. . So...I guess we'll see how that goes. I'm likely to make the ENTIRE TIMELINE different. I blame it on the AU rpgs I'm in, where I'm playing Gippal. . Oh, and do not yell at me for splitting up Opie and Auron. I have my reasons. sly grin
Next Chapter: Those crazy kids. Will they ever be civil to one another? Knowing me, at some point. But as for now, it's fun to watch Ophelia sharpen her claws to gouge out the remaining eye of a certain Machine Faction leader.
Al Bhed Translations:
Bah. The Machine Faction. It's nothing but a waste of time.
Really? Uncle Cid had a lot of good things to say about them. I was thinking of applying for that position at Djose.
Calm down, Brother. Work is work, you know. All that really matters is that we eat.
I'm the new boss. Gotta take a look around.
What are you doing here?
Getting some answers. Don't know what's so important to make someone lie like that, but I'm damn well going to find out.
I owe you nothing. You have no right to keep me from the fayth. My right as a summoner trumps your position as the leader of the Machine Faction.
Fuck.
Fuck off.