(Wow, I am so glad you like the story and that it's easy to follow, RTS! I've always worried about how easy it was to read, but people have been saying it's good, so I'm happy. Yeah, the names are unique, ne? Hope you like this new chapter! I really like how the story moves on from this point. So much twists coming up!)
No Rest for the Wicked
Zephyr ran ahead to the Guado Glories locker room, and remembered with a chuckle the events of just a few days prior. Oh well.
The Glories were in the room, being moody over a loss in their previous game. The halfling smirked and snuck up behind a female Guado with uncontrollable cobalt blue hair. Maelstra, the goalie and stockiest of the Glories (not saying much; she was built similarly to Zephyr) squeaked amusingly when Zephyr's strong hands clamped down on her shoulders.
"Raphaela," she breathed when she turned around on the bench. "Don't scare me like that." The rest of the team were watching the pair warily, with distrustful looks towards Zephyr.
"What do you want?" Maelstra asked, a bit irritably, and lowered her voice. "I wish you wouldn't talk to me in front of the team like this, Raphie..."
The halfling blinked, a bit surprised, and shook her head with a humorless smile. "I was just going to ask for a wetsuit to wear when I go into the sphere," she said simply. "I'm traveling with a group that's looking for the High Summoner - but, oh! I'm sorry, Maelstra," Zephyr said, feigning realization and concern in her voice. "I must be cramping your style here. I won't tell you about my efforts to save the hero of Spira because it's just clearly not worth your time from halfling trash like myself."
"There's a suit in the locker by the door," Maelstra said through clenched teeth. "Take it and leave, Raphie - I'll talk to you later."
"Gods damn it all," Zephyr muttered as she opened the locker and snatched the wetsuit inside. "You people will never change. . ." And with that, she stormed out, with the Guado Glories watching her every movement. It was a halfling's fault that they had their current reputation. They weren't to be trusted.
Lhinx looked about the hallway of locker rooms. Most of them had team logos, some she recognized, others too incoherent to read. Her ear twitched in the direction of the Guado Glories locker room.
(Hope none of the Guado come out. Last thing I need is a confrontation.) Lhinx thought.
She raised her head up quickly when Zephyr walked quite angrily out of that the aforementioned locker room. "Zephyr, what happened?" Lhinx asked with concern.
When they got to the locker rooms, Silver sniffed the air for Serenity. She wasn't there. The strawberry perfume was getting weaker, proof that she had been there but was no more. He let all of the girls and looked around, sharpening his ear to hear the slightest sign trace of Serenity's sweet voice.
"She isn't in here... I think I'll go look for her," Silver said and stepped into their free locker, which on the door read 'Guest teams'. He let the bags and the freezer pack on the floor, and then went to search for Serenity.
Serenity had made her way to the opposite side of the stadium, her hand tracing along the railing as she went. Then she leaned against the railing once again, staring around. Serenity was so consumed in just staring that she jumped when someone had tapped her on the shoulders. Turning around, Serenity met face to face with the captain of the Luca Goers.
"Lady Yu—Serenity," the man said, dejected at first, but then another smile soon came across his face.
Serenity looked at him for a moment, before smiling uncertainly and nodding at him, turning back to stare at the sphere as they began refilling it with water. "…Hello," she said simply.
Running a hand through his hair, the man took a full-bodied glance at her before he leaned against the railing beside her. "I'm sorry; you must be called your mother a lot. I'm Nedus." Seeing no immediate reaction to his name, Nedus spoke again. "Bickson's son. The Bickson, the old star player of the Luca Goers. He played against your dad, you know."
Serenity shrugged lazily. She wondered where this conversation was going, and began wondering if the others had arrived yet. "I'm used to it. I find it an honor, and not a curse," Serenity looked back at him briefly, keeping in a laugh, before looking somewhere else, "…Nedus."
"I notice you're interested in blitzball as well," he went on. "Too bad we won't be having an opening season. I think everyone's getting tired of all these pointless games that hold no standing in the tournament."
Serenity leaned forward a bit, then turned her head at him. "Alright, I'll bite. Why won't we be having an opening season?"
Nedus turned so that his back was leaning against the railing, and he crossed his arms. "Lady Yuna's not around to begin it. And we all know blitzball isn't anything without the High Summoner's blessings." Serenity felt like he had a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and she shook her head, a bit angry. "No one wants it to be started by New Yevon, or the Youth League…If only someone," Nedus cocked his head towards her, "could take her place. Of course, we all know no one could actually take her place, but…you get the idea."
Serenity stood up straight, crossing her arms as well. "No, I really don't," she said, a bit edgy, and wished he would just leave her alone to admire the stadium as she was before his arrival.
Zephyr turned to face Lhinx, imposing Ronso that she was, and couldn't help but laugh. "It's nothing," she said, smiling broadly at her comrade. She waved the stretchy, Zephyr-shaped suit in her hand. "I've got my wetsuit emblazoned with the Guado emblem, although the Glories probably hate me more than the Fangs do." Not that she could blame them, which was the worst part. She was everything they thought she was: strong, fast, intelligent, power-hungry and insane. Just like he had been. "I hope the rest of the group won't mind me playing with another team's colors," she muttered. "I just find the irony too wonderful to pass up."
Somehow or other, she was welcome here, with this stocky Ronso girl and the rest of her unusual companions. The only ones who would get up and do something about the missing High Summoner were the ones that had little comfort to distract them, no real home to tie them down.
As they walked into the locker rooms, Silver let go of her arm and wandered off mumbling something about finding Serenity. Tallulah was standing near her, having been let go also. Lucine felt a bit awkward standing in the hall with her, so started rocking back and forth on her feet. Then she took a quick glance at Tallulah. "Um...I think I'm going to look for wet suit..." She said, walking down the hall.
Lucine made her way to the end of the hall, peeking inside all of the locker rooms. Most of them were empty, although she saw that the Luca Goers were in theirs. Other than that...well...since the High Summoner Yuna wasn't here to start the games...not very many teams had come. And the ones that were here were just practicing. So she stepped quietly into one of the rooms, checking the lockers for any spare wetsuits. All of them were excessively big. "Oh, phooey.." She said, holding up the enormous suit. "This is disasterific!"
"Serenity!" Silver finally caught up with her, talking to a guy wearing the Goers colours. He made a grumpy face until he saw Serenity wasn't really talking to him but just wishing he would go... or so he could tell by the look on her face. Silver smiled and walked calmly towards them both, then faced the Goer.
"You are here for practice too, Nedus?" Silver asked, recognizing the old teammate. He had been in almost every blitz team on Spira at least once, so he really knew most of the pro players as well. He put an arm around Serenity's waist, keeping his lips from curving into a smile as he kind of glared at Nedus and the way he looked at Serenity.
"Wet suit..." Lhinx's voice noted with a bit of confusion. (We always just wore our clothes to swim in...After I stopped practicing for blitzball, I began wearing these clothes...) Lhinx thought.
"Not big problem wearing other team color, other team might give ball to Zephyr." Lhinx joked as she looked around for the others.
"Very disasterific!" Lucine said, still holding the impossibly large wetsuit. "Fine! Then I'll go search another locker room!" She stomped out of the room, accidentally bumping into something furry. Lucine looked up, and saw that she had bumped into Lhinx. "Oh, sorry about that Lhinxie..." She said, giving a small smile. Then she noticed Zephyr was with her, holding a wet suit. "Oh, so you guys found one! This is the only one I found." She held up the gigantic wetsuit. "It almost looks like it'd fit you, Lhinx!"
(Me...wear a wetsuit?) Lhinx imagined what would happen if the Ronso Fangs saw her. (I'd never live that down...) "Lhinx not wear wet suit. Ronso thing." Lhinx said. "But thank you."
"Oh, no. That's alright." Lucine said, folding up the wetsuit. "I've never seen a Ronso in one of these. But wouldn't it be funny?" She giggled at the thought. "So...that still leaves me wetsuit-less. But I guess if it comes down to it, I can just wear my regular bathing suit."
"Long as pervert not on other team." Lhinx said. "But who wear such big wet suit? Not many humans my size."
"Pervert?" Tallulah asked, walking towards them. She was no longer wearing her sarong and wrap, but a skimpy purple bikini that accentuated her figure. It consisted in a tight, revealing top and a thong, both tied well enough for it to be real hard to fall while playing blitzball... even when it left little to imagination. "You talking about Silver? He's not that pervert, in fact I almost had to hypnotize him on our first night because he was too shy. Though I don't know how many new girls he have slept with since then."
"Serenity!"
Serenity looked past Nedus and smiled brightly as Silver came up to them. She was relieved that he finally came over, and tried not to laugh at the look on Nedus's face as Silver put an arm around her waist.
Nedus looked from one to the other with the look of complete impossibility written all over his face. Clearing his throat, Nedus brushed another hand through his hair. "Well, well, if it isn't Silver Fang himself," Nedus said. "Yeah, the rest of the Goers and me are here for practice," he said rather tediously. "As I was explaining to the pretty lady." Nedus smiled at her, and Serenity resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead turned her head away.
"You actually found a team to stay on, Fang? Or are you still flinging from team to team, trying to start off the Zanarkand Abes again?" He laughed as if it was a joke. It looked like he was still upset that Silver probably never asked him to join, since he's so great and all. "And aren't you the womanizer, Fang. Wrapping your arm around Lady Serenity. Aren't you with that hot singer…what's her name again? Talia…Tally…Tanya…" Nedus scrunched up his face as if thinking really hard. "Well, whatever her name is."
Silver glared down at him, since he was taller than the Goer and turning his free hand into a fist. A loud crack of his knuckles could be heard around. "Point number one, Mr. Son-of-almighty-jerk her name is Tallulah Moonlight... point number two we are no longer together." Silver looked angry, but not enough to waste his time on getting that guy for his words... not unless he dared to insult Serenity or Lady Yuna.
"And point number three, yes, I am still trying to start off the Zanarkand Abes. You should know very well, Nedus. Or should I remind you thanks to whom you remained on the bench the entire tournament a few years ago? I still can see that look on your eyes and being a crybaby, holding on your daddy's leg and begging him to tell the coach to get me out of the sphere?" Silver was quite please to see the look of rage on Nedus face. That guy was really a jerk, just like his father had been... not to mention he tried to touch Tallulah once and had gotten a broken nose for that.
"Better choose better who you piss off next time, Nedus. Call me when you can make a descent pass using a blitzball like mine and not breaking your pretty manicure" Silver mocked and swirled his blitzball on his index finger just to tease Nedus, walking back to the locker room holding on to Serenity's waist softly and lovingly.
That was good payback, Tiger...
That goes for all he put me through while I was with the Goers. And for touching all of Tallulah's private areas...
He has to consider himself lucky you just broke his nose, you could just have teared him to pieces...
A shame I didn't, isn't it?
Serenity covered her mouth to hide her giggling as they started walking back to the locker rooms. "Silver…" Serenity exclaimed, "That was…amazing." She was impressed. Silver managed to reduce a man to red face and tears without having to hit him. Just what a man like Nedus needed…a hit to his ego. Serenity smiled and kissed Silver on the cheek. "My hero," she said warmly as they climbed down the steps from the stadium and turned the corner to go down the steps into the locker room. "Are the others here, too? We're not playing soon, are we? I don't know what to wear…" Serenity said.
(Well isn't this awkward?) Lhinx thought. (And here I was worried about wearing only my clothe wrapping and pants. They're gonna think Silver and Kai are some kind of pimps with all of these young girls. I guess that makes me the bouncer.)
Lhinx almost laughed at the last thought, then remembered Tallulah's chosen water gear.
(I guess Tallulah's not exactly the shyest woman on Spira. I hope they don't disqualify her for indecent exposure.)
Tallulah turned around for Lhinx to check out her outfit. "Does it looks ok, Lhinx? Don't tell me I look fat please... I've been trying to tune up a lot just to wear this one" she said, giggling softly. "It's perfect for blitz, it is well tied and won't get on my way during the game."
Silver smiled and blushed a little, then kissed Serenity's cheek. "Yup, well all save for your brother. I bet he found a cute blonde girl or something, but he shall be alright. After all, he is your brother." As they got closer to the he sniffed the air and paralyzed. Tallulah's lotion... that one she only wore when she was wearing the...
Oh, on Spira's name!
She's wearing the bikini, isn't she?
My nose says so...
Well, better not look that interested, Serenity might get mad...
Ok, you help me control my hormones and I help you not to get slap by her...
"There must be something you can wear, we can find a wetsuit for you, or a swimsuit or whatever." Silver's free hand began shaking a little. Last time he saw Tallulah wearing that bikini... one thing led to another... and well he didn't want to think about it. If he didn't control himself who would?
"I'll go search for my cousin when everything's all settled. Oh how I wish we could either play against the Fangs... those guys sure are powerful... or against the Goers and kick Nedus ass just to keep on with the tradition."
That's it, just relax, Tiger...
"Not fat, underwear less revealing then that." Lhinx said plainly. "Good for distracting other team during game."
(I see Silver's familiar with it.) Lhinx thought.
Serenity laughed and shook her head. "What am I going to do with him. That Kai…" Serenity smiled, knowing he would be all right, but hoped he wasn't off with some girl, ditching all of them just for some cute girl. "Maybe I'll ask the other girls if they found anything to wear. Perhaps I can get one from wherever they managed to get one." Serenity reached to hold onto Silver's free hand, and felt it was shaking.
"Silver, are you okay? You're still not mad about that Nedus guy, are you? We'll ask the others who they wish to play…the Fangs or the Goers. Either way I think it'll help you let off whatever steam you still have pent up, right?"
As they turned to corner to the hallway the others were standing in, Serenity smiled as she caught sight of Lucine. "Hey guys! Sorry we're la—" Serenity stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes went over Zephyr, Lhinx and then—
"Tallulah!" Serenity exclaimed sharply, turning red from embarrassment for the both of them, for Tallulah didn't seem to have a problem with what she was wearing at all. Serenity quickly covered her mouth before she said anything else that she might regret, and closed her eyes tightly, hoping that Tallulah wasn't wearing what she just saw her wearing.
Lhinx gritted her teeth and her ears bent backwards. (That was loud.)
"Lhinx go to change." Lhinx said as she went into a vacant locker room. (This is gonna get messy.)
"Wow, I know I'm hot but I didn't know I was so much to get even a woman speechless," Tallulah said, almost laughing at Serenity. She noticed Silver was speechless as well, and even when he was holding Serenity, she felt good. "I know a good place to get more of this, I bet Silver wouldn't mind you wearing one like mine, Serenity."
Tallulah enjoyed to tease them. She wanted Silver, well Tallulah would make sure to give her hell for that. Serenity was just so innocent, she was sure she would never be able to please Silver as much as she did when they both were together. Not if she still had a white mind.
"Or would you, Silver? You never complained when I put this on."
"Ta-Tallulah!" Silver blushed to the extreme, getting really nervous. "That... no! You can't wear that inside the Sphere... what if..."
Do not think of her naked, do not think of her naked, do not think of her naked!
"Tallulah, my cousin can get you all wetsuits... no need to wear that... thing... this is not Gagazet hot springs!" the last part sounded like if he tried to joke and relax everyone, though he was shaking, not letting go of Serenity.
Serenity shook her head, still covering her mouth and eyes still closed. It felt like Tallulah was teasing them…and she didn't like it. She hung her head down and slowly opened her eyes, removing her hand from her mouth. "…N-no, thank you," Serenity said to Tallulah's comment about her wearing something like that. Serenity then raised her head and pulled away from Silver, turning to look at him to search for his impression on Tallulah's clothing—or lack thereof, as he spoke.
"She shouldn't even wear that in the Gagazet hot springs!" Serenity cried, not finding the comment funny. "No offence," She added to Tallulah, though not turning around to face her. Mt. Gagazet was sacred ground, after all, even the hot springs.
"I... I... go find my cousin and get you some proper blitzball clothing," he felt as Serenity pulled away from him and blinked, confused but still blushing. "I... I'll be right back..." Silver took off running the opposite direction, trying to get himself back to reality. That was until a steel pipe appeared on his way, just over the corned. His face slam against it, and he fell back.
"Poor Fang can't even duck a pipe?" a mocking voice said and Nedus just after it, the pipe on his hand "You paying big time for making fun of me!" The Goer tried to hit him with the pipe but Silver caught it, squeezing tight. He pulled it along with Nedus and kicked his stomach, sending him flying meters away.
"You crazy! I'm double your size and many times your strength!" Silver yelled, jumping on his feet but still a little dizzy. "You bastard, surprising people that way?" He smiled as he saw Nedus's fear expression and showed him his fangs, and for first time in years, he roared just like a real tiger. Nedus crawled up and ran away. "Loser..."
Serenity watched as Silver left and she shook her head when she lost sight of him. Rubbing her temples, Serenity slowly turned around, and stopped when she caught sight of Tallulah there, temporarily forgetting she was there and the cause of what just happened. Serenity rubbed her temples harder and walked past her into the locker room where all the bags were put into.
Lucine stepped back a bit, not wanting to get in the middle of this catfight. Tallulah might be a bitch, but she's good at it. Lucine had to give her credit for that. And that bikini! It was even more revealing than hers, and Tallulah was much more endowed than she was! But now that Serenity was gone, she had a chance to speak with Tallulah.
"You know, that wasn't very nice..." She trailed off, afraid to tell her what she really felt. She was a valuable member of the team and they needed all the help they could get. "But, let's forget about it for now and have some fun playing blitzball, okay?"
Tallulah shivered as she heard something in the distance. A sound the last time she heard was an extremely frightening experience. It was Silver, she new it, only he could roar like that, not even a tiger was so frightening. "Silver's in trouble!" she shouted, starting to run towards where the sound came, silently praying he didn't went crazy like last time. She completely forgotten that Lucine had spoke to her.
Watching the events as they transgressed, Zephyr wondered, bleakly, if it was better to be accepted or rejected by this particular group. It wasn't the group, really, so much as. . . Tallulah and Silver. Causing rifts, causing trouble. And exposing unnecessary amounts of flesh. However attractive Tallulah was, she simply couldn't believe that anyone could stand to wear a thong. Ever. Eeeyuck.
Zephyr proceeded to step into the corner, behind the row of lockers, and opened one locker door so as to make a kind of changing room. "No peeking," she said, loudly. Rustles and 'ziiiip' noises emitted from the half-Guado's corner as she changed into the wetsuit.
Lhinx, now in the locker room, had chosen to take off her vest and shirt, leaving only the clothe wrapping around her bust and her pants. She had resolved to keep her shin guards, but the gauntlet and armlet would have to go. As she took each off, the gauntlet dropped from her hand, making a noticeably loud thud sound against the concrete floor.
(Oops...) Lhinx thought, picking up the gauntlet and placing it within the locker atop her shirt along with her armlet.
The Ronso took her shoulder guard in her hand and looked at it thoughtfully.
(It might be more of a hindrance rather then defense under water. If I'm gonna be the goalie, I have to be able to move my arms around as much as I can. This thing'll weigh a ton in the Sphere anyway.)
She placed the shoulder guard on the rest of the armor. Upon recollection of the encounter in the hallway, the Ronso youth took back her vest and put it back on.
Serenity had sat down on the very edge of a bench, rocking forwards and back slightly as she clasped her hands together in front of her. Did she take things too hard? Why was Tallulah dressed like that? To get Silver back? Did it work? She broke up with him. Why would she try and get him back? Serenity shook her head then held onto it with her hands.
"Silver's in trouble!" Tallulah shouted, and Serenity bolted up. "Trouble?" Serenity repeated, then ran out of the locker room and after Tallulah. She may have felt hurt that Silver openly gazed at Tallulah while she was right there in front of him, but she loved him, and that's all that mattered. They could always talk about it later, anyway.
The Ronso youth's ear twitched toward the door as she heard the tiger demon's roar. (Ooh, Silver must be real mad.) Lhinx thought, feeling an almost primal impressed feeling. Her ear followed Serenity out the door and folded back to its original position as the human's steps faded. The Ronso youth yawned, her animal teeth showing briefly, stretching her arms wide and cracking her neck once. Her tail swished around out of eagerness for the approaching game.
(I guess playing the Fangs wouldn't be too bad of an ordeal. Any team would do though I suppose.)
Silver heard Tallulah calling his name on the distance and turned around, walking calmly towards where the women waited. After scaring Nedus to death, he felt a lot better, and knew he would have no problem in seeing Tallulah in that small bikini again. Although... he still blushed a little, and hope with all his strength, that Serenity wouldn't be mad at him for that.
Serenity slowed to a stop as Silver made his way back over to them, and rather calmly as well. Ignoring the voice at the back of her head that said he was just happy to see Tallulah in her skimpy bikini rather then her herself, Serenity looked at Silver worriedly. "Are you okay? Tallulah said that you were in trouble or something."
"Hey, what's gotten into you two? Of course I'm ok." At the same time he said this, a thin line of blood rolled down his forehead. "Well... I had a round with Nedus, he tried to hit me with a steel pipe and I scared the shit out of him with my fangs and a well placed roar." Silver laughed and then repeated the roar for the girls, but not so filled with rage as the one he made for poor Nedus.
The Ronso was through with changing and resigned herself to peak her head out the door and look around. Upon looking to the locker rooms exit her eye caught sight of a few very familiar looking men. (Weren't they on the Zanarkand ferry with me? I better not let them see me.) The Ronso drew her head back in and walked toward the bench Serenity had been on. She sat down carefully, leaned back against the wall, crossed her arms and closed her eyes in a relaxed manner.
Zephyr rolled her eyes as the second roar echoed through the locker rooms. Silver causing trouble, as always.
She stepped out of her corner, geared up in an iron gray and olive green wetsuit emblazoned with the logo of the Guado Glories. Her clothing lay in a disorganized heap behind the lockers, with her belt, gun and glasses atop the pile. Cobalt-tinted goggles - presumably something she herself had dreamed up - were perched on her forehead, and her hair was down. She knew it would get in her way in the sphere if it remained that way, so she tapped Lhinx on the shoulder.
"Hey, Lhinx - would you mind braiding my hair?" she asked, with an oddly warm smile. Teammates - that was something the halfling hadn't had in years.
Zephyr looked up at her reflection in a floor-to-ceiling glass window, not intended as a mirror but serving as one nonetheless, and grinned broadly. Staying in shape was definitely worth it, just for the massive nosebleeds that men around her got when she wore something like this.
And for the explosions, and the blood, and. . . well. That was all besides the point. Right now, she was playing blitzball, not a game of life-or-death. In her eyes, this was a shame, because she always got such an adrenaline rush when she narrowly avoided death. Unfortunately, the population of modern-day Spira wasn't much into blood sports.
Serenity covered her ears as Silver repeated the roar. It was quite fearful, and probably not even as bad as the one he had done to Nedus, and understood how scared Nedus was. She smiled slightly as she lowered her hands, and found it hard to believe he was okay when some blood rolled down his face. "Well…I'm glad you're okay," Serenity said, nodded, then clasped her hands nervously. She didn't feel right standing there with beside Tallulah and Silver, and looking back at Lucine, the others off to change, Serenity felt embarrassed for the way she acted earlier.
Looking around for some excuse to leave, Serenity noticed Silver had returned without any extra wetsuits, probably sidetracked from Nedus. She didn't really feel like playing, especially now after what happened, but… "Um, I think I'm going to head over to the locker rooms on the other side of the stadium…you know, I may have luck finding some…wetsuits there…" Serenity rubbed her forehead. I can use the fresh air, too… Without waiting for any response, Serenity made her way down the hallway and up the stairs to the outside.
Lhinx nodded to Zephyr. "Sorry if pull hair too hard." Lhinx warned her considerably smaller friend. The Ronso youth tried to be as delicate as she could while braiding Zephyr's hair, noting to herself that a little pain probably wouldn't bother her too much.
The sight would be rather odd to any passerby that knew the history of the two races, Guado and Ronso. Lhinx thought back to her conversation with the Ronso Fangs as she finished braiding Zephyr's hair.
("Better hope Biran not find out." What do I care what Biran thinks? I can be friends with who I want and go where I want.) Lhinx thought with a little anger. (It's like they don't even trust my judgment. I may be Garik's daughter, but it doesn't mean I'm gonna hate the Guado as Papa does.)
"I can take it," the halfling said regarding her hair as she sat down next to the Ronso. "Just make sure it won't come loose in the sphere." Lhinx was being remarkably gentle; a pleasant surprise to Zephyr, who had foreseen quite a lot of pain involved with the braiding of her hair. Her mother had always attempted to braid her hair in the traditional Guado way, which in addition to being completely without style was incredibly painful. Zephyr's hair lacked the coarseness of ordinary Guado hair, though, and just slipped out of braids unless they were tied tightly. She'd always had a footnote on the edge of her vision of her human father: has greasy but well-behaved hair. It was the only explanation.
Near the docks
"You're sure it's the same Ronso?" A bald man with a healing black eye asked a slim fishermen looking man who favored his right leg over his left.
"Yeah. Same clothes and everything." The fishermen replied with a bit of resentment. "She went with a few others towards the locker rooms. I think she plans on playing blitzball."
"Brilliant. She'll be exhausted after the game. That's when we get her. I owe her for this." The bald man pointed to his black eye.
"Not before I break both her legs. I might as well give her some interest for sprainin' m'ankle." the fishermen replied.
A man wearing clothing bearing the symbol of New Yevon watched the two from a respectful distance.
Lucine was debating whether or not she should go help Silver too, but decided that Serenity and Tallulah could handle it. So she wandered around the hall until she saw Lhinx sitting on one of the locker room benches. "Hey Lhinx, hey Zephyr." She said, without her usual enthusiasm. The whole Serenity, Silver, Tallulah triangle was wearing her out. She walked to the bench and sat down. Since she still didn't have a wet suit, there was nothing for her to do but wait.
Zephyr raised an eyebrow at Lucine as she walked past, but then realized that she was being plagued by the same thing that was plaguing them all. "The lovebirds getting you down?" she asked with a smirk.
Lucine looked over at Zephyr who was having her hair braided by Lhinx. It was a bit surprising, but it looked like they were both enjoying it. "Yeah. It's the whole Serenity, Silver, Tallulah thing..."She said with a small sigh. "I mean, Tallulah left Silver in the first place, so why is she coming back now? Can't she just find another guy and move on?" It was all very complicated to Lucine, who had never been in this sort of situation. In love, yes, but not like this.
Lhinx tied a bit of string around the end of the braid to keep it secure and allowed it to fall back against Zephyr. "Love triangle better not get in way of mission. Three do not need distraction, otherwise get careless and in more danger." Lhinx said with a serious tone. "Warrior not fight at best when in love. Too blind by own heart to use brain."
"Hmm...I guess you're right..." Lucine said, leaning back against the lockers, thinking. If you were in love with someone, you'd do things for them that you wouldn't usually do for anybody else. "But, isn't it like that with friends?" Lucine said, arguing the point. "If you love you're friends, then you'll do anything for them?" She was sure this was right, at least to her. She loved everybody in the group, even though they had only been together a short while. Even if they bugged her sometimes, like Tallulah and her love triangle, she loved them all.
"Lucine have good point." Lhinx said, her composure showing she had been taken aback. "Lhinx not think about love of friends. That make warrior stronger in fight." (As long as their head is on straight anyways. Speaking of which...)
"Why it taking Silver, Serenity and Tallulah so long?" Lhinx wondered.
"I think, while love of any kind makes a warrior fight harder, it also makes them lose sight of self-preservation," Zephyr said carefully. "Suddenly, the welfare of another is factored into a situation. It's a complicated addition, and a distracting one." She smiled and lowered her blue-tinted goggles over her stormy ocean-gray eyes, looking very much like a blitz player all of a sudden.
"I've been a solo player all of my life, and the few times when I've had to protect someone else. . . it's been pretty hard to change my mindset. At the same time, though," she added solemnly, standing up and smoothing back her bangs with a gloved hand (fingers cut out to allow for the silvery claws in residence on her hands in the place of ordinary fingernails), "I'm glad to have someone to protect."
Lucine sat back and watched as Zephyr got up. And what she said was true. "So I guess...love and friendship can be both a curse and a blessing." She said, smiling. "But I think in most cases, its more of a blessing." She nodding slightly. Then she got up and walked over to Zephyr, putting an arm around her shoulders, having to stand on her tippy-toes. "I'm glad that we all became friends...even with all of out differences, we seem to fit pretty well together, don't we?"
"Hey now," she said, shrinking a bit so Lucine could reach her more easily. "We're a really weird group, but we work well together. . . more or less." The halfling grinned and scooped the lightweight Lucine into her arms.
Kai awoke on the boat and gets dressed. "Hum…" He walked out of his room and up to the deck seeing that all of them had already gone to shore. "How long did I sleep? Well, we are in Luca now…so off to my favorite place on Luca!" With that, Kai heads toward the Blitzball stadium.
Serenity sat plopped down in the other corridor beside the stadium, looking through the lockers for extra wetsuits. She had a big pile beside her of ones that weren't going to work for they were for males, and was beginning to give up when she took a look at the last one at the bottom. It was red and black, and upon checking it, she couldn't find any team logo on it. Must've belonged to one of those free agents… She stood up slowly and held it out in front of her to look at it more closely. Deeming it suitable, Serenity bent down to retrieve its metallic red goggles and made her way back to the other side.
Passing by Silver and Tallulah, Serenity entered the room Zephyr, Lhinx and Lucine were in and dropped down on the bench where Lucine had been, handing the wetsuit over to her. Serenity gave a curious glance at the three, wondering what she missed, but shook her head. "Here, Lucine, I found a wetsuit for you. I think I'm really going to sit this game out. Kai will be here any moment, so you'll still have the required six players. I'm just…not up to it right now."
Zephyr smirked, and turned to Serenity. "And don't worry. . . I'm sure a certain thong-wearing blitzer will be exhausted by the second half. However trim and fit that girl is, she just isn't built for blitzball, if you know what I mean." The halfling wasn't entirely certain how Tallulah could even stand up straight, with all of that weight making her top-heavy. It must have been murder on her spine.
Silver's ears twitched as he heard Zephyr's joke about Tallulah, even when he was still outside of the room. He looked at Tallulah then, and had to suppress a laugh as he found out what she was talking about.
Yeah, it's like you didn't know?
Well... she was younger then...
For first time you got it right...
"Come on, Tallu, let's go inside," he said, still blushing a little but wanting to relax a little. Silver knocked the door before going inside, as in a warning for any girl that could be naked inside the lockers.
His head took a look inside of the room and he relaxed, walking inside. "I'll find my cousin. And I need you to come with me." Silver looked at Serenity and smiled. "I'm not letting you sit this one out, you're playing even if I have to warm the bench. My cousin will get a good wetsuit for you..." he then turned at Tallulah "... And you are coming along, for you are not wearing... that inside the Sphere, specially if our rivals are the Luca Goers. I really don't feel like biting Nedus's hands off, he stinks and his flesh won't be any better than a fiend's."
Zephyr lay down on an empty bench, one leg hanging off of the metal plank and the other bent at the knee. "Hurry up," she commanded with a grin, swinging her free foot lazily. "I think we're all getting kind of tired of waiting, o ye who has connections."
Lucine giggled under Zephyr's arms. What she said about Tallulah was true, and she couldn't imagine having all that extra...weight on her chest. Sure, it might get her more guys, but she was happy the way she was. It made her faster and more agile, which came in handy during sports, and even when fighting. Then she turned toward Serenity and smiled. "Oh! Thank you so much Serenity!" She ran over and took the wetsuit. "This looks like it'd fit me perfectly! Ooo...and it's black and red. Very spiffy!" She gave Serenity a small hug, then tried on the goggles. "So, how do I look?"
"Me? Hey wait, I want to wear this one. I can move a lot better with this than with any wetsuit you give me, because with my bikini I have most of my body free to move." Tallulah was serious about it. She wasn't going to change clothing only because her companions were all crazy about how revealing it was. "And do not worry about Nedus, if he tries that ever again I'll slap him so hard he will fly out of the Sphere."
"I consider myself both young and pretty, so if I have nothing to hide why not show what I've got? I really worked hard to have this body, and you know it because I was a little fat when we first met, Silver."
Lucine stopped laughing and looked over at Tallulah. She carefully pulled her goggles up so they rested on her head. She could understand part of what Tallulah had to say. It's good that she's proud of her body, but still...the bathing suit didn't have to be that revealing. But she wasn't going to say anything at the risk of being snapped at.
"Err... Tallulah, we were but kids back then, no one of that age cares about their looks. And I know you've worked hard... I still got the scars of your exercises... and three times the muscles I used to have because I had to follow you around. But still the Sphere has a special meaning, and it really isn't a place to wear a... thong." Silver couldn't find the exact words, and he tried to be careful of what he said for he had both Serenity and Tallulah next to him..., which was terrifying.
As Kai reached the Blitzball stadium, he asked a near by person if they had seen his sister. He was told that Serenity and the others went into one of the locker rooms. "Hum, I guess Silver talked them into a game of blitzball." With that, Kai headed to the locker rooms and luckily finding the right one. He knocked to see if it is ok to go in just on case one of the girls was in the middle of changing. "Hey there, guys. It's Kai. Is it ok to come in?"
Silver was relieved as Kai entered the room, for having Tallulah in such a skimpy thing had already made his heart pound like crazy. He smiled and sniffed the air around Kai like playing a joke. "No scent to any women besides our lovely ladies here, so then I think I was wrong after all. You weren't with any blonde hottie... were you?"
Kai looked to Silver. "Well, I haven't been, unless one crawled into my bed while I slept and left before I awoke." Kai said laughing while rubbing his head trying to wake up. "Well I see you talked this group into playing a game of Blitzball." He then sees what Tallulah was wearing. I hope she isn't planning on wearing that during the game or the spectators will watch her over the game. "So who are we playing against, Silver, do you know?"
Lucine gave small sigh, also relieved that Kai had come in. She could feel the tension in the air, but hopefully everything that had just happened would be pushed aside for now. "A blonde hottie, eh?" She said, giving a wide smile. "So that's why you were so late..." she said, playfully elbowing him in the side.
"We were on the way to meet my cousin, he will get us a good team to play against. I'd like it to be either the Ronso Fangs or the Luca Goers... personal reasons for both. But any does just fine because we are going to win, aren't we?" Silver laughed and smiled at Kai "You wearing that for the match or want to come along with your sister, Tallulah and me. I'm getting this girls proper clothing for the Sphere." The remark on the word 'proper' was specially for certain semi-naked blitz player.
The Ronso resigned herself to listening to the conversation of the others. Tallulah was being rather difficult in Lhinx's opinion, but then again the Ronso tribe depended on being able to move around easily, what with their style of armor and all.
Lhinx noted a change in the air content that entered the locker room vents.
(Chlorine. A team who just played must be near here, taking a shower to wash the chlorine out I bet.) Lhinx thought. (That reminds me. I better remember to rinse my hair out after the game. Last thing I need is my mane to turn green.)
The Ronso imagined how it would look for her hair to be a light tint of green along with her bluish gray fur, gaining a dismayed look on her face as she looked at her ivory white hair.