real Emotion
Chapter Six: Headstrong
Heeeeeeeeeeeee. Yes, more chaptered goodness, from my insomniatic mind. Enjoy. Oh, for the record? To those who may be wondering why I'm calling Gippal short: His official height is 5'9 (at least, that's how it came out when I converted it), so he's really not very tall. Well, taller than Baralai (5'7), but still. XD And he does have a long nose. Don't believe me? Check out and see. Just look at the FMVs of him in profile. He's got a honker on him. But he's so cute. ;-; cough Anyway....
Nooooope. Still don't own it. ;-; However, it would make a nice Christmas present. XD
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The deck's hatch slid open behind her, and she tensed, still fuming. She turned, already preparing to tell Gippal to kindly take whatever it was he had to say and shove it up his ass, when she spotted Yuna, and her mouth closed with a snap. "Hi. Uh...Sorry about earlier." She managed a sheepish grin and shrugged, knowing she was about to receive a lecture.
"It's alright." Yuna came to stand beside her and sighed. "You know, Rikku was right about him getting on your nerves." At Ophelia's nod she giggled. "Of course, I think it works both ways." Her grin turned sly and she moved closer, her voice dropping conspiratorially though there was no one around to hear them. "So...Honestly. What do you think?"
"That he's a pompous, flirty jackass with an overinflated ego," Ophelia said flatly. "I get the impression he thinks every woman should fall at his feet. Whatever." She gave Yuna an exasperated look and shook her head. "I thought you were above all of this...This...Girly stuff."
Yuna giggled again, covering her mouth. "Not anymore. Besides, he's cute." She nudged Ophelia, still grinning. "C'mon, be honest. I think I see sparks."
"It's called unadulterated loathing," Ophelia retorted dryly. "I'd sooner rip his eye out than say he's in any way attractive, thanks. He's short, his nose is too long, he's skinny," she continued, ticking the flaws off on her fingers. "His eyebrows do that weird thing, his voice is incredibly annoying, and he has no concept of personal space. Stop me now, because I just met the guy and could go on forever."
"Oh, pooh." Yuna's grin widened, and she put her hands behind her back, swaying slightly from side to side. "If you've noticed all that, you must have been staring at him pretty hard." She laughed at Ophelia's muttered curse and held up a hand. "Alright, alright. You can't stand him. But, like it or not, he's stuck with us, at least until we leave Zanarkand. And you owe us all an explanation for what happened in Djose. I'm worried, with what you said about the things you know."
Ophelia sighed and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. But one smart remark from that...That..." She paused, trying to find a word loathsome enough to describe the Al Bhed. "That male bimbo, and I'm gonna throw him off the airship. From the deck. From this height. Into the engine."
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Ophelia tapped the nails of one hand against the rail of the platform while she waited for everyone to gather around it below. Even Barkeep had seen fit to come to the bridge, and it made her nervous. It brought back bad memories, of the day of Operation Mi'ihen, of her last great speech before more than three people, and she repressed a shudder, keeping her face blank. A toe of her boot dug against the floor, a nervous habit she'd picked up in the desert, and, once they'd all assembled, her mind blanked a moment, and she just stared back at them silently for a long moment, before taking a deep breath.
"Alright. We're all aware of the conflict between New Yevon and the Youth League. Even the fayth know of it." She paused and struggled for a coherent train of thought, biting her lip until it bled. "Diablo told me that there is malice, and that it's everywhere. It's caused a disruption in the Farplane, or, at least, that's what I got out of it. It's based on...Betrayal? I don't know. It's kind of confusing." She forced her hands away from the rail and shook her head. "It has to be stopped. He said that this malice made the past forgotten, and would destroy the future. And...That's it."
Silence rang on the bridge, only interrupted by the occasional beeping of the terminals and the hum of the engines. Ophelia shifted slightly, tapping the toe of her boot against the floor, wishing someone would speak up instead of stare at her. Finally, her discomfort getting the best of her, she stomped her foot, causing everyone below her to start. "Geez. Excuse me, but who replaced the Gullwings with zombies? C'mon, give me some feedback! Thoughts? Suggestions? Concerns? You guys are creeping me out."
Yuna shook her head, as though clearing it, and frowned up at her. "This...Malice? It's what's causing the Farplane to become unstable?"
Ophelia shrugged, her rigid stance relaxing. "Dunno. It's my best guess. The Calm is crumbling, he said. There is malice in the Farplane. Everywhere." The nails of her right hand started to tap on the rail again, and she stared off a long moment in thought. "But, even knowing that, who's to say what's causing it? I mean...It's bigger than just the conflict between the leading factions. I know this. Though I don't know why I do."
"You mean," Rikku said, shifting from foot to foot, "you can't tap into it? You know, with that whole being a living aeon thing?"
Ophelia caught Gippal's confused look, their gazes holding a minute, before she turned away. No, she owed him nothing. "Even if I could, I wouldn't know how. I don't think I'm that strong."
"You defeated Yunalesca on your own. You are strong enough." Auron crossed his arms, giving a snort. "It's more a question of knowledge. Pity there wasn't time for you to ask Diablo about it." His narrowed gaze found Gippal a moment before returning to Ophelia. "I suppose now it's a matter of finding the source of this malice."
"Right, but..." She pushed herself from the rail and gave a helpless shrug. "It's not your fight. It's mine. My story, and I've got to...I don't know, write it alone." She gave a soft laugh and shook her head, grinning ruefully. "Well, I guess I found something that gives me an excuse to quit sphere hunting, huh? The pay sucks, there's no benefits, but the retirement's worth it."
Rikku and Yuna gave uneasy laughs, while the others frowned. It wasn't a laughing matter, not in the least. "Look," Ophelia said, giving another helpless shrug. "I'll figure it out. Sure, there wasn't time to get all the facts, but there's still the fayth in Kilika, and I'm sure I can get some more information there. Until then, there's nothing for us to do but find that sphere in Zanarkand and take him back to Djose," she finished, jerking a thumb at Gippal. "And, when the time comes, I'm hitting the road again. It sounds so wrong, but I do travel faster alone. And something tells me when this starts, I won't have time to dally."
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People. There were people here. As though this place were...On a sightseeing tour. Ophelia felt her teeth grind together, and she forced herself to stop and unclench her jaw. This had once been a special place, for herself, for Yuna, for Rikku, and especially for Auron. There were memories here that no person in Spira had a right to see. Yet there they were, everywhere.
There was a fire, in almost the exact spot their own had been two years ago, where they had gathered around in the growing dark, too nervous to really speak, or do much of anything. Yet now, people laughed around the fire the way they never would have been able to. She gave an angry sigh and started for the fire, cursing her doubly bad luck at being stuck here with Gippal. Yuna had decided to split them up into twos, and had decided it might be wise to not leave Gippal on the Celsius, considering the way Brother had been eyeing him. So, instead of taking him with her, she'd corralled Ophelia into partnering with him, seeing as how she was an experienced sphere hunter, while Gippal was obviously lacking in that department.
Luckily for her, Gippal was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Oh, she could feel his glare between her shoulder blades, but he had yet to say a word to her, and that was for the best. She crouched by the fire, adjusting the Masamune strapped across her back, and took another look around, barely concealing the bitterness she felt. Her gaze found the glimmering outline of Mount Gagazet's peak in the distance, and sighed, wondering what Kimahri would say if he saw this desecration of their past. She missed him, acutely. He'd been strong when they hadn't been able to be, and she needed that kind of guidance right now.
Gippal knelt beside her, and then looked to Mount Gagazet as well. "You see something up there or something?"
"Hmm? No." She pulled her gaze away and looked back across the dark ruins, frowning. "Would you look at this place? It's a...Tourist's attraction." She couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice, and shook her head. She didn't expect him to understand. Didn't want him to, really. "It just seems wrong."
He made a noise in the back of his throat, still looking to Mount Gagazet. Finally, he turned back to her, and she could feel his gaze, but refused to look at him. Instead, she pulled the mike out of her collar and clicked it on. "Yuna. We're here. Anytime you're ready."
There was static, and then Yuna's voice cut over it, sounding annoyed. "So are we. Can you believe this?" There was a sigh, and Ophelia could almost envision Yuna shaking her head. "We're ready. Go ahead and head out to the dome. We'll meet you in the room of fayth seals."
She cut the mike off and stood, giving Gippal the barest of nods. "Let's get moving." She turned and started down the broken paths toward the large building, resting in the middle of the ruined city, hearing him take up the pace behind her. There were even children here, running amongst the drifting pyreflies as though this place still didn't harbor unholy horrors. After all, the dead still had yet to be sent. She felt a shiver work its way down her spine, and prayed no ghostly images of the past appeared. If she saw herself here it would be too much. She didn't want their story to repeat for all time.
Once they were nearing the dome, Ophelia slowed her pace, feeling reluctance creep up on her. This place had been creepy the first time, realizing there was no life to be found, but for some reason, seeing the living moving among the dead city made that feeling worse. She shook it off and stepped through the doors, holding her breath. No shadows of the past appeared, and she released it, feeling incredibly relieved. She caught Gippal's questioning glance, and shook her head. There was no way to explain the anxiety she felt, because it was rooted in the past.
Their footsteps echoed through the large, rubble-littered room, nearly masking the sounds of fiends prowling about. Ophelia slid the sword from her back and slung it onto her shoulder, her grip tightening on the hilt. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gippal pull his gun from a holster she hadn't noticed, and hoped he knew how to use it. After all, being Al Bhed didn't mean you were automatically good with all kinds of machina. She was living proof of that. She had learned a good deal while staying with her uncle, but there was a hundred times again to what she didn't know.
They moved along, and kept a watchful eye out around them, what little good it did. On the path ahead, a protochimera stepped from the rubble, its many noses twitching. It had scented them. Gippal took her arm and pulled her behind a particularly large chunk of stone, and peered around it, cocking his gun before looking back to her, as if to ask 'Ready?'. She nodded once, and he leaned around the corner, firing off a round. The loud, multi-voiced roar let her know his aim had been true, and she followed him from behind the stone, readying her blade, but thought better of it and slipped it back on her back, pulling up the energy for a strong flare spell. When in doubt, use non elemental magic. She let it go at the protochimera, and it was engulfed in a roar of flame.
She ignored Gippal's appraising glance and grabbed him, pulling him out of the way as a thundaga spell cracked the stone where he'd been standing, before drawing her sword once more and rushing in. She had learned a few tricks since the last time she'd rushed a fiend, and dodged one clawed paw and bringing the heavy blade up at an angle, feeling it bite into the fiend's flesh. It roared again, both in anger and in pain, and she ripped the pronged end of the sword out before dancing away from the other swinging paw, Gippal's shot missing her by inches before it tore into the protochimera's upper chest. Later she'd look back on that, and grow a bit weak-kneed. After all, the guy was working with no depth perception, with one eye, and he'd managed to aim true enough to miss her in motion.
The protochimera went to all fours, its snake-headed tail appearing again, this time leveling on Ophelia, and it cast another lightning spell, which came close enough to singe the leather of one sleeve. She let out an uncharacteristic growl, with one shoulder having already been ruined by a giant crab, and ran in again, swinging the blade in a wide arch upward before the fiend had time to react. The sharp steel passed easily though the flesh of one neck, only tugging slightly as it met spinal cord, before ripping out the other side, the stump gushing blood like a fountain. It made her slightly woozy, but she was able to collect herself enough to step away before its claws bit into flesh, catching the midsection of her body suit. She cursed, wiping the fiend's blood from her eyes, and cast another flare spell before she could even think. The protochimera veritably exploded into pyreflies, and she lowered the sword tip to the ground, leaning on it, gasping.
Gippal lowered his gun and stepped over to her, pulling her away from the sword to check her over. "Any of that yours?" he asked, indicating the blood. She shook her head and he released her, taking a step back. "You're good."
"Thanks." She reached up and wiped more of the fiend's blood from her face. "You're a good shot. Didn't expect that." Without waiting for a reply, mainly for the fact that she'd just complimented the guy she had pegged as a non-friend, she swung the bloodied sword to her back and started back down the path.
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They'd met up inside the room of fayth seals, and Yuna had almost had a fit, seeing Ophelia's bloodied face and ripped clothing. Ophelia had only pushed her off, and nodded to their uncle, who was standing a good distance away, talking to another Al Bhed. Yuna's eyes had narrowed, and Ophelia felt a tiny twinge of fear. After all, it was never a good sign when Yuna was angry.
"Well, if it isn't little Yuna!" Cid said, as they approached. He chuckled and rested his fists on his hips, for all practical purposes appearing as though he was in an unusually good mood. "Come to buy a clue from Uncle Cid, have ya?"
"Pops, what are you thinking?" Rikku shook her head in disappointment. "A tourist's attraction? Here?"
"Huh? You got a bone to pick with me?" That good mood was disappearing, and fast, if Ophelia was judging the descent of his brows right. She gave a sigh and fingered the shredded leather over her stomach, keeping her gaze on the floor.
Yuna angled her head to look up at Cid, mismatched eyes narrowed. "Uncle Cid, this place was special. It doesn't feel right, with these people here." When he said nothing, she sighed and shook her head.
"It's like turning the ruins of Home into a themepark," Rikku said, giving an exasperated sigh. "You should know better!"
"Rikku." Ophelia shook her head. "Paddan mayja res pa." She eyed Cid a moment, frowning. "If it hadn't been him, it would have been someone else. At least this is...For a good cause."
"Good cause?" Auron snorted and started into the next room. Paine looked between them all and followed Auron, shaking her head.
"Huh. I see your point," Cid said, frowning. He noticed Gippal for the first time and raised an eyebrow. "Fryd yna oui tuehk rana?"
"Muhk cduno," Gippal muttered, nodding toward Ophelia. "Ed'c ran vyimd." At Ophelia's snort he raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms defiantly. "It is. If you'd just given me a reason back in Djose, we'd both be going about our business right now."
"I am going about my business, jackass," Ophelia retorted. "In case you haven't noticed, I am a sphere hunter, and therefore, I hunt spheres. Just because you have a fuse the size of a two year old's is no reason to blame me for your situation. If you remember, I was all for dropping your ass off back at Djose. So, if you want to blame someone, blame everybody who didn't vote." She glared at him, crossing her own arms. Her uncle gave another chuckle, and she turned her glare to him. "Fryd'c cu vihho?"
"Nothing, nothing," Cid said, waving her off. "'Sides, I thought you were gonna give up the sphere hunting gig. Gonna get a real job."
Ophelia fumed a moment, resisting the urge to stomp her foot. "It is a real job. Just because I'm tired of it is no reason to let go of a semi-reliable source of income." She sniffed haughtily, looking down her nose at her uncle. "Besides, I'd say this is much better than digging in the sand. Or joining up for a war. With my skills, those are my only other options. And I don't take handouts," she said pointedly, referring to her uncle's meddling.
"E ghaf oui't pa cuna ypuid dryd," Cid said, shaking his head. "Ycg Gippal. E sahdeuht oui, yht ra'c dra uha dryd taletat du rena oui." At Ophelia's rolled eyes, he shook his head. "Fine, don't believe me." He turned and headed out of the room, and Ophelia did stomp her foot in annoyance then.
"Ooooh, he makes me so mad."
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Shinra looked from the broken sphere piece to Yuna, and back again, shaking his head. "Uh...You guys do realize I can't do anything with this."
"Of course, genius," Rikku said, rolling her eyes. "Just hang onto it until we get the other piece." Shinra took the sphere from Yuna, shooting Rikku a dirty look, and then sat it in a nitch in the panel before him. With an indignant sniff he turned back around in his chair and started fiddling with some program, indicating he was done with them.
"So, what now?" Auron looked up from where he sat cleaning his sword, peering at Yuna over the rim of his glasses. "I suppose it's back to Djose?"
Oh, please please please, Ophelia inwardly chanted. Alright, so maybe Gippal wasn't really that bad, but she wanted him out of the way. Not only had he pretty much been taken into the fold by Yuna, but he just gave her a headache. He was bad for her blood pressure, and that was reason enough to throw him gleefully from the deck.
However, Gippal wasn't on the bridge to speak for himself, and had wandered off to the engine room, no doubt, Ophelia thought, to orgasm over it. Pfff. Gearheads. Yuna shook her head and put her hands behind her back, giving Ophelia a knowing smile. "Rikku and I convinced him to stay a while. He said the Machine Faction is used to him taking off without notice, and knew what to do."
Ophelia swallowed her groan of agony. Damn you, Yuna. "And?"
"Well, he's going to be a Gullwing, at least for a little while." Rikku bounced on the balls of her feet. Then she stopped and smacked her forehead. "Oops. I forgot to tell him. Someone has to show him how to use dresspheres." She reached for Ophelia's hand and began tugging her to the elevator. "You can help me. It might be hard to convince him to use them. He's so hardheaded."
"WHAT?" Brother's head whipped around so fast that, for a moment, Ophelia worried he'd broken it. "No! No no no! Gippal is not a Gullwing. This is my ship, and I am the leader." Ophelia silently cheered him on. That's right, Brother, you tell these silly girls what it is.
"But, Brother," Rikku said, looking back with a sly grin. "You get to boss him around, being the leader and all, if you let him join up." Realization dawned on Brother's face, and Ophelia felt her hope plummet.
"You're right." Brother took a moment to work it over in his mind, and then nodded. "Alright, Gippal can be a Gullwing. Only because I get to boss him around."
Ophelia sighed and stopped resisting Rikku's pulling, allowing herself to be drug up the steps. Oh, how wonderful. Now she was going to be stuck with him for an undecided amount of time. Yippie. Forgive her for not jumping for joy. The elevator doors closed behind them, and Rikku pushed the button for the engine room, before turning back to Ophelia.
"Oh, don't look so glum."
"I'm not glum, I'm devastated." Ophelia gave a deep sigh, leaning against the wall. "All hope of his leaving has now been ripped from my grasping hands. Why? Why ask him to stay?"
"Actually, he asked us. But we agreed not to tell Brother that." At Ophelia's raised eyebrow, she grinned and struck a pose. "He didn't say why he wanted to be here, and we didn't ask. Besides, now we have an even number again."
"Oh, and of course that's the most important thing, that even number," Ophelia shot back sarcastically as the elevator stopped and the door slid open. "Who cares about my sanity, as long as there's an even number."
"He's not that bad," Rikku said, leading the way down the short hallway. When the engine room door slid open, Ophelia winced at the heat and then followed Rikku down the steps, grumbling to herself.
Not that bad, she says. We'll see how her tune changes when Gippal drives me nuts. She narrowed her eyes at Gippal's back, snorting inwardly. Who in hell wore suspenders, anyway? Well, there was Brother, and they could all see what a beacon of sane and healthy living he was.
"Gippal?" Gippal turned around and grinned at Rikku, and it grew wider when he saw Ophelia. Oh great, he'd already decided to start the torment. The Farplane could take her, she was ready.
"Well, Cid's girl. What brings you down here?"
"You, actually." Ophelia's words were clipped, as she was trying to get through the process as quickly as possible. She doubted her psyche could take much more abuse for the day. "We're here to show you the dresspheres. Get it? Good." She nodded to Rikku as though to say 'Get on with it,' and crossed her arms.
"We can't do it here," Rikku said, wrinkling her nose. "We'll go to the cabin, where there's more room. Besides, Brother'll yell if we change them down here. Something about messing with the drives." She rolled her eyes dramatically and took Gippal's arm, dragging him much as she'd done Ophelia minutes before. "C'mon. I have a feeling this may take a while."
Ophelia sighed and trailed behind, and, when she reached the elevator, had to squeeze in between Gippal and Rikku. No matter which way she turned, she was either breathing in Rikku's hair or feeling Gippal's breath against her ear. It was a lose-lose situation. The sad thing was, she was having a hard time determining which was the lesser of two evils. After choking on a strand of Rikku's hair, she managed to shift back toward Gippal, and glared up at him, daring him to say anything. He only grinned, and Ophelia reached back, finding the button for the cabin on the panel and pressing it.
The elevator ride seemed to take forever, though it was only one level, and she nearly knocked them both over in her quick escape as the door opened, breathing fresh, non-Gippal-tainted air again. When the door to the cabin opened, she plopped down at the bar, giving Barkeep a mournful look.
"Mish Ophelia, what can I doo for yoo?"
"If you've got something like a sledgehammer or something back there, that would be great." Barkeep only gave a soft laugh and went back to wiping glasses, and she sighed, resting her chin in her palm as Rikku and Gippal caught up to her. "Alright, let's get this over with. I'd like to go toss myself off the deck later."
"Chill." Gippal grinned, and then turned to Rikku. "Alright, what's a dressphere?"
Ophelia tuned them out as Rikku started to explain, and leaned over the bar, digging out the bag of marshmallows she'd found the first day on board. It wasn't really a comfort food, but sugar made everything better. She chewed on one, turning back to Rikku and Gippal, inwardly giggling at Rikku's explanation. She was going into a dramatic re-enactment of a sphere change, flailing her arms around wildly, and Gippal actually looked a little worried. Ophelia supposed that, when it was explained like that, it did look rather painful.
"Okay!" Rikku dropped her arms and turned to Ophelia. "Let's show him how it's done!"
"Hmm?" Ophelia stopped in mid chew, her gaze darting between them. "Show him? Why can't you?"
"Because you're the only one with all of the spheres." She took the bag of marshmallows from Ophelia and pointed to the center of the room, and Ophelia sighed, sliding off of the stool.
"Fine, fine. You owe me." She stopped and turned to face them, reaching for the miniature version of the grid, the controls, she now wore tied around her wrist. "Which sphere?"
"Um..." Rikku stroked her chin a moment and then smiled. "The one I know he'll like. Gunner."
Ophelia pressed the sphere, deciding to go for the whole shebang, and let it change, before she landed, the empty air shattering like glass and then disappearing as she fired a shot. She posed and grinned, blowing at the smoking barrel. No reason she couldn't have fun doing this. "Ta da!" Her outfit had changed since the first time, and replacing the too short shorts were a pair of long patchwork pants, though still close-fitting, and a short light green half skirt. And, heavens forbid, her shirt had a collar. And no plunging neckline.
"Whoa. Now that is seriously cool. Girly, with all the ribbons and lights and all, but cool." Gippal started to move forward, possibly to inspect the outfit, but Ophelia leveled her gun at him, raising a brow.
"Don't come any closer. I'm as good of a shot as you with this sphere, and I'll aim for something a little more personal than the heart." She ruined it by failing to fight a grin, and dropped her hands, letting the gun rest at her side.
Rikku clapped her hands and then decided to move them right along. "Alright, so that's gunner. That'll be your default. You and Yunie should feel special." She looked to Ophelia and pointed. "Now, try out songstress."
Ophelia rolled her eyes and reached for the sphere. "I'm not a show chocobo you can put through its paces, you know." She pressed the songstress sphere and her clothes changed again, this time leaving her in lace and frills. At least it was a nice forest green. She didn't bother posing this time, and shot Rikku a look. "Can I do the Sleepy Shuffle?"
"Sleepy Shuffle?" Gippal reached up and scratched the back of his head. "Uh...Mine won't be a dress...Right?"
"No guarantees, bucko," Rikku said, grinning at Gippal. She looked back to Ophelia and laughed. "No, don't. We'll just have to finish later."
"Right." Ophelia snickered at the thought of Gippal in a dress, and looked back to the grid. "Well, as you can see, Rikku is modeling our lovely thief ensemble, so there's no reason for me to try out that one..."
"Yes you do!" Rikku bounced a moment, before throwing up her hands. "After all, the point of this was to show him how everybody's is different."
Ophelia gave a loud groan, before deciding to plea. "C'mon, Rikku. You know I hate that thing." At Rikku's scowl she sighed and found the sphere. "One word out of you, and I'm slicing you to bits," she spat at Gippal, and pressed the sphere, wishing she could hide behind the bright light forever. It faded, however, and left her standing there, feeling exposed. Her outfit had taken more after Rikku's than Yuna's or Paine's, though the skirt was a bit longer, and the colors were shades of green and light pink. Pink, for God's sake. She gave a nervous laugh and waved a dagger. "Well, there ya go!" she said hurriedly, reaching for the grid.
"Hey...It's not that bad," Rikku said, crossing her arms. "It's almost just like mine."
"I know," Ophelia shot back, rolling her eyes. She caught Gippal's snicker and glared at him, her grip tightening on the daggers. "One word. I mean it. Take a good look, because I'm never going to use this thing. It's horrible." She searched out the white mage sphere, the one they'd found in Besaid, and pressed it, pleased to find herself head to toe in a white robe, complete with hood and gloves. Her staff was the one she'd carried on her pilgrimage, and she gave it a twirl with a pang of nostalgia. "White mage," she said, pulling down the hood. "And, that is it. No doubt Shinra will make more, or we'll find more, but as for now, that's all we got." She reverted to her default, returning to her shredded black leather. "I'm really going to have to try to manipulate this."
"Alright, as long as I don't look girly, sign me up," Gippal said, giving Ophelia a grin. She snorted and returned to her stool, grabbing the bag of marshmallows from Rikku and stuffing one in her mouth to keep from retorting. Rikku handed over the garment grid she'd put together for him, and pointed out each sphere, and explaining that she hadn't thought he'd make a very good white mage, so she'd left a node empty.
"And that's it?" At Rikku's nod, Gippal hesitantly picked a sphere, having already forgotten what each one was, and Ophelia giggled when he made a noise of surprise as he disappeared behind the light. No doubt he just realized his clothes were being shredded. When the light faded and winked out, she felt her jaw go slack, and promptly stuffed another marshmallow in her mouth to hide her surprise.
Rikku gave a low whistle and grinned, taking the time to walk around him. "Black is so your color." She came around to face him, her grin widening. And no wonder. Ophelia amended, silently of course, that he was more...Lean than skinny.
"Hm. You look odd with a sword." She eyed him a moment, stroking her chin. Black leather and cocky Al Bhed went well together. And, though the sword did look odd, the armored shirt with its high collar accentuated his naturally fair complexion. Too bad it made her look washed out, as she wore it every day. Her gaze went to his sword, which, though she was sure if he were holding one normally it would be awkward for him, he held it like a pro. Without giving it much thought, she slid from the stool once more and walked over, taking it from him. "This thing is familiar. I've seen it...Or rather, the real it, somewhere."
Rikku came over to examine it and nodded. "Yup. It's one of you-know-who's."
Gippal gave them a confused look, scratching the back of his head. "You-know-who?"
"But I thought the dressphere pulled on things we knew. How would dingbat here know this sword?" Ophelia hefted it, finding its bulk much lighter than the Masemune.
"Maybe when Home was attacked? You were there, weren't you?" Rikku looked up at Gippal, stroking her chin.
"Uh...Yeah?"
"Then he could have seen him there! He was carrying this sword then." Rikku shrugged, and put her hands behind her head. "Besides, the one sphere we had of him was the basis of the dressphere. That's why Yunie has the Brotherhood."
"Hm." Ophelia flipped the sword and handed it back to Gippal, hilt first. "Either way. You think it'll bother Yuna?"
"No, she'll be fine." Rikku gave a wide smile and twirled once. "She's used to it now. And besides, it was her idea to use that sphere for the warrior dressphere. Anyway, be glad, we're done. You can go throw yourself off of the deck."
Ophelia gave an exasperated sigh. "You have no idea how good of an idea that is. But, unfortunately, Yuna would just drag me back from the Farplane and beat me senseless. And then Paine would bring the hurt."
Gippal snickered, and she shot him a dirty look. A brow shot to his hairline, and his grin spread as he rested the sword tip against the floor and leaned on its hilt. "C'mon. We started off on the wrong foot. Truce?"
Ophelia eyed him suspiciously a moment before nodding. "Truce. But only because we're going to be trapped on this airship together. And you saved my ass from that fiend."
Rikku cheered and pawed at Ophelia. "See? I told you." At Ophelia's sidelong look, she gave a pout. "Fine. But either way, it's nice to know you two will stop fighting." She gave a sly grin and darted out of the cabin, and Ophelia raised a brow before returning to the bar and grabbing the bag of marshmallows and starting for the stairs to the second level. Once at the top she looked down as Gippal eyed the grid a moment, as though trying to figure out which sphere turned it off.
"The blue one," she offered, making her way to the sofa. There was a flash of light on the walls and the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and she looked up at him as she flopped down, raising an eyebrow. "Girls only up here, pal."
"That's not what Yuna told me."
"Yuna's too nice for her own good," Ophelia replied, digging through the pile of Al Bhed romance novels belonging to Rikku on the small table in front of her, muttering at their ridiculous titles, and pulling out a small leather bound notebook. She ignored his curious glance as she scribbled down the sphere findings, and closed it, tossing it back amongst the literary clutter.
Gippal sat in the chair catty corner from the couch, taking the time to look around. "I admit, Brother's done a good job with this place."
"Don't let him hear you say that," Ophelia said, pulling out a marshmallow, and, in a show of goodwill, offered it to him. He took it, raising an eyebrow, and she went back to digging in the bag, finding a green one. After all, a marshmallow just wasn't a marshmallow unless it was colored and flavored. "He's got it in his head that you're his rival or something."
Gippal snorted, stuffing the marshmallow in his mouth. "Yeah, he would," he said, after swallowing. "Been that way since we were kids."
"Hm." The door slid open, and Ophelia peeked over the rail, seeing Rikku return with Yuna in tow. "Honestly. Why am I not surprised?" Gippal shot her a look and peered down as well, an eyebrow arching. Yuna and Rikku made their way over to the stairs, and Ophelia rolled her eyes. "I know what they're up to. I really do."
"Mind filling me in?"
"Nope." Ophelia pulled out a yellow marshmallow as Yuna made her way over and tossed it at her, hitting her right between the eyes. It stuck, and Yuna blinked before pulling it off and making a face, sitting next to Ophelia.
"Very funny, haha," Yuna said, placing the marshmallow on the table. "Wasting the yellow ones, I see." She dug in the bag for a pink one, and looked up as Rikku sat next to her. "You were right."
"Told you." Rikku gave her a conspiratorial grin and kicked her feet onto the table. "And I'm always right."
"Not always," Ophelia muttered. She sighed, all hope of quiet time quickly being smothered. "I know what you two are up to, and you should be ashamed of yourselves."
"And just what are we up to?" Yuna gave her a smirk, and looked to Gippal. "Do you think we're up to something?"
Gippal opened his mouth to say something, and shut it again quickly, not wanting to stick his foot in that hornets' nest. Instead, he motioned to Ophelia, and grinned. "Pass the marshmallows?"
Ophelia passed the bag over, keeping her gaze on Yuna and Rikku. "You are up to something. What's even worse, I know exactly what you're up to, and I command you to stop. Don't need it, don't want it." Yuna only grinned wider, and she and Rikku exchanged a look, nodding to each other.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Rikku said airily, putting her hands behind her head. To Ophelia, it was very apparent that Rikku knew exactly what she was talking about. And she actually felt a little sorry for Gippal, because he honestly didn't have a clue at the power those two could have. They'd warp his poor little brain and Ophelia would end up being the bad guy.
She shot a look at Gippal, and, thank heavens, he seemed to have caught on. And, if she didn't know any better, she'd say he was formulating a counter plan to Rikku and Yuna's. Interesting. Perhaps they'd end up friends after all. "Well, I should be getting back to the bridge." She stood and stretched. "Besides, if you two are plotting against me, I need to go and formulate counter measures." She moved to the opening in the rail along the edge of the floor and jumped down, her boots hitting the floor with a loud thud. With a quick wave, she disappeared through the doorway, headed for the elevator.
(-----------------------)
A/N: Hmm...Just what are they planning? Evil plot bunnies, that's what. I love evil plot bunnies. I'm starting a breeder thingy for them. XD Once in action, they replicate like crazy.
Okay, seriously. I don't know why Gippal wants to hang around, but he won't be there for a very long time. Has to go do that important stuff he does in the game, you know? But, that leaves quite a bit of time for him to hang around. Mmm. Dunno.
Next Chapter: Luca! With a side trip to Kilika.
Al Bhed Translations:
Better let him be.
What are you doing here?
Long story. It's her fault.
What's so funny?
I knew you'd be sore about that. Ask Gippal. I mentioned you, and he's the one who decided to hire you.