Chapter 16
"Not fair!! How in the world did you get so good at this?!" Rikku had been fussing by the time the others were aboard. She, Brother, Buddy, and Shinra sat around a small table in the center of the airship's bridge as Auron had beaten Brother in his third round of Sphere Break.
"Your progress is too great for a first-timer," Shinra commented.
"You and I will have to challenge each other one day," Auron said, with his knees bent at an angle in a masculine position and examining a golden coin in his hand. "I think we're all ready to depart for the Moonflow now."
"I can't believe you're actually playing that!" Tidus burst.
"Yeah!" Rikku chimed in. "We just don't get it!"
Not surprised in the least, Auron smiled to himself and collected the Gil he made from his victories against Rikku, Buddy, and Brother all on his first day exposed to the new game.
"I'll just set it on auto-pilot," Buddy said before returning to the table. "I wanna see if he can beat Shinra."
"If you beat me, then your last challenge is Lady Yuna," Shinra told him, kneeling before Auron at the table. "Shall we, then?"
The four guys plus Nooj and Baralai gathered around the small table while Yuna led Rikku, Paine, and Leblanc to the cabin on another girl-talk session.
"I can't help noticing your strong will back there in the restaurant, love," Leblanc told Rikku over a dry sherry at the bar, fanning herself from running up the Celsius ramp in high heels. "Once you hook a man that looks that good, never let him slip from your grip again."
Paine snorted. "Just be careful not to say the wrong thing at the right time, is all I can tell you."
"It was rude," added Yuna, "but I'm very proud of what you did to Gippal back there."
"What am I being praised for? Ugh... it felt... disasteriffic," Rikku said, accepting an Al Bhed alcoholic drink from Barkeep. "I mean, sometimes I dunno why I even tried with Gippal. I really lost faith in him a long, long time ago."
"True love is by far one of the most complicated part of life. Remember that well, love, and don't ever let a man ruin you," Leblanc said determinedly. "But seriously though..." she rested a fingertip on her cheek thoughtfully, "I think he's really good for you."
"...Really?"
"Let's hope she means Auron," Paine said. "You two are an odd pair, but a considerable one."
"What you have, Rikku," Yuna spoke, "is the kind of romance that only few can really understand. It just takes a lot of heart, a lot of determination, to bring it up to the surface. I've got an idea. I'm going to sing a song just for you tonight, okay? It'll be my last one before I let Donga, Bayra, and Pukutak play so I can get to dance with Tidus. And when I sing, you and Auron had better dance together."
"What about me and Nooj??" Leblanc whined. "Do I get a dedication too?"
Paine rolled her eyes. "Rikku, I wanna talk to you in private." She seized the Al Bhed by the wrist and led her up the spiraling staircase while Leblanc made her futile persuasions to Yuna. The tall female warrior rested her arms against the overlook and gazed out of the skylight-windows in the ceiling. As the sky began to turn a peach-orange, she blinked and sighed.
"What is it?" Rikku asked in all seriousness, looking up and letting the early sunset light shimmer all over her silk dress.
"I want you to know... I talked to Auron back there, in Bevelle. I couldn't let you two fall apart. I told him that you would come back around to him if he just watched and waited. You did, and I'm glad you didn't let me down. I'm proud of you.... And I guess that's it." Paine grinned sheepishly. "You've matured. It's not too obvious on first sight, but you've definitely matured."
"You did that for me? Oh, thank you, Paine!!" Rikku dove at her friend and threw her arms around her slim waist. Paine chuckled and rubbed her head.
"Hey, who says we don't bond, huh?"
"I just wonder what made you say that all of a sudden."
"Well... I've never had moments like that. Sometimes I wonder if I'm that strong inside."
"You're the strongest person I know."
"That isn't the point."
"...It's because of Baralai, isn't it? Are you afraid?"
Color began to rise in Paine's cheeks. "That's pushing it a bit, don't you think?"
"Okay, well, during the next sunny day in the Thunder Plains, that'll be our next discussion."
"Sounds fair. You know, I think you just gained yourself about ten respect points right there. Keep it up." Paine rubbed Rikku's head again and made her way down the spiraling staircase.
"...I think," Rikku said to herself as she watched the three women walked to the bridge, Paine trying to make Leblanc shut up and Yuna looking pressured, "that this is the beginning of some wonderful change around here."
Auron had left his katana leaning against that barstool downstairs, and a moment later Rikku found herself cradling it across her hands, leaving her gloves up on the counter. There was a surging in her palms that took over her, and it seemed to be moving in her veins. Something about it suggested an ancient wisdom and power, the mysterious force that motivated Auron to do what he did. This power, in some way or another, was hers now, and tonight she, too, would be a tough warrior and fight her battle to the death, until she was sure she conquered all barriers that set her apart from this new crush.
"I'm ready for you now, Auron," she said softly. "Please be all I've dreamed about...."
"Not fair!! How in the world did you get so good at this?!" Rikku had been fussing by the time the others were aboard. She, Brother, Buddy, and Shinra sat around a small table in the center of the airship's bridge as Auron had beaten Brother in his third round of Sphere Break.
"Your progress is too great for a first-timer," Shinra commented.
"You and I will have to challenge each other one day," Auron said, with his knees bent at an angle in a masculine position and examining a golden coin in his hand. "I think we're all ready to depart for the Moonflow now."
"I can't believe you're actually playing that!" Tidus burst.
"Yeah!" Rikku chimed in. "We just don't get it!"
Not surprised in the least, Auron smiled to himself and collected the Gil he made from his victories against Rikku, Buddy, and Brother all on his first day exposed to the new game.
"I'll just set it on auto-pilot," Buddy said before returning to the table. "I wanna see if he can beat Shinra."
"If you beat me, then your last challenge is Lady Yuna," Shinra told him, kneeling before Auron at the table. "Shall we, then?"
The four guys plus Nooj and Baralai gathered around the small table while Yuna led Rikku, Paine, and Leblanc to the cabin on another girl-talk session.
"I can't help noticing your strong will back there in the restaurant, love," Leblanc told Rikku over a dry sherry at the bar, fanning herself from running up the Celsius ramp in high heels. "Once you hook a man that looks that good, never let him slip from your grip again."
Paine snorted. "Just be careful not to say the wrong thing at the right time, is all I can tell you."
"It was rude," added Yuna, "but I'm very proud of what you did to Gippal back there."
"What am I being praised for? Ugh... it felt... disasteriffic," Rikku said, accepting an Al Bhed alcoholic drink from Barkeep. "I mean, sometimes I dunno why I even tried with Gippal. I really lost faith in him a long, long time ago."
"True love is by far one of the most complicated part of life. Remember that well, love, and don't ever let a man ruin you," Leblanc said determinedly. "But seriously though..." she rested a fingertip on her cheek thoughtfully, "I think he's really good for you."
"...Really?"
"Let's hope she means Auron," Paine said. "You two are an odd pair, but a considerable one."
"What you have, Rikku," Yuna spoke, "is the kind of romance that only few can really understand. It just takes a lot of heart, a lot of determination, to bring it up to the surface. I've got an idea. I'm going to sing a song just for you tonight, okay? It'll be my last one before I let Donga, Bayra, and Pukutak play so I can get to dance with Tidus. And when I sing, you and Auron had better dance together."
"What about me and Nooj??" Leblanc whined. "Do I get a dedication too?"
Paine rolled her eyes. "Rikku, I wanna talk to you in private." She seized the Al Bhed by the wrist and led her up the spiraling staircase while Leblanc made her futile persuasions to Yuna. The tall female warrior rested her arms against the overlook and gazed out of the skylight-windows in the ceiling. As the sky began to turn a peach-orange, she blinked and sighed.
"What is it?" Rikku asked in all seriousness, looking up and letting the early sunset light shimmer all over her silk dress.
"I want you to know... I talked to Auron back there, in Bevelle. I couldn't let you two fall apart. I told him that you would come back around to him if he just watched and waited. You did, and I'm glad you didn't let me down. I'm proud of you.... And I guess that's it." Paine grinned sheepishly. "You've matured. It's not too obvious on first sight, but you've definitely matured."
"You did that for me? Oh, thank you, Paine!!" Rikku dove at her friend and threw her arms around her slim waist. Paine chuckled and rubbed her head.
"Hey, who says we don't bond, huh?"
"I just wonder what made you say that all of a sudden."
"Well... I've never had moments like that. Sometimes I wonder if I'm that strong inside."
"You're the strongest person I know."
"That isn't the point."
"...It's because of Baralai, isn't it? Are you afraid?"
Color began to rise in Paine's cheeks. "That's pushing it a bit, don't you think?"
"Okay, well, during the next sunny day in the Thunder Plains, that'll be our next discussion."
"Sounds fair. You know, I think you just gained yourself about ten respect points right there. Keep it up." Paine rubbed Rikku's head again and made her way down the spiraling staircase.
"...I think," Rikku said to herself as she watched the three women walked to the bridge, Paine trying to make Leblanc shut up and Yuna looking pressured, "that this is the beginning of some wonderful change around here."
Auron had left his katana leaning against that barstool downstairs, and a moment later Rikku found herself cradling it across her hands, leaving her gloves up on the counter. There was a surging in her palms that took over her, and it seemed to be moving in her veins. Something about it suggested an ancient wisdom and power, the mysterious force that motivated Auron to do what he did. This power, in some way or another, was hers now, and tonight she, too, would be a tough warrior and fight her battle to the death, until she was sure she conquered all barriers that set her apart from this new crush.
"I'm ready for you now, Auron," she said softly. "Please be all I've dreamed about...."