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(( rofl Oh boy. I think Aer is a major reason this roleplay's so fun xd ))

Eddora jumped and nearly fell over when Aer came racing toward her, shouting bloody murder.

Rogan, on the other hand, rested his chin in his hand and smiled pleasantly up at the outraged mage. "Relax, kid. I'm not the one who stares at her when he thinks she's not looking." He decided not to add that he was old enough to be her father - and then some. Aer would surely take it the wrong way, someone would ask how old he really was, and...well, he had to keep at least a little dignity.

Pushing himself calmly to his feet as if Aer wasn't yelling at the top of his lungs, Rogan said with a chuckle, "If you were hoping for a romantic chat, you might want to lower your voice." He pointed at Ed, then left to consult his sea charts.

Ed, oblivious to anything but the pounding pain, cradled her head in her hands and moaned, "Oh, just shut up already...." She hadn't caught a word either of the men had said, and frankly she couldn't care less. Didn't they know she had a hangover from hell?

((Well, I'm back, and really busy to boot. So, you're going to be leaving soon, and then you won't be back till December? THAT'S A REALLY LONG TIME!!!!!! crying What's going to happen with the Splinter rp? I mean, you're the most important person in each of the storylines - including the Seannans and Kylissi, because you're the one with the idea of who the attackers are. How will we ever survive without you? cry ))

Ed groaned and miserably slurped the water. She grimaced, then put a hand on his hip and pushed him a foot or two to the side, where he blocked off a very annoying glare on the water. Letting out a sigh of relief, she finished off the water and stared into the bottom of the cup, as if it had held sake rather than plain old water. "You probably think I'm an idiot, don't you?" she mumbled almost incoherently. "A summoner shouldn't go off and get drunk...."

((I guess this is as good a place to stop as any. I hope you'll still want to continue this when you come back! sweatdrop ))

Ed squinted up at him for a while, letting his words sink into her foggy brain. "I give you permission to call me an idiot when I need it," she finally said with a little smile. "It's your duty as my guardian to stop me from doing something stupid. From now on...well, I need to keep my focus, and we'll leave it at that."

She grabbed his arm and used it to haul herself to her feet. "I think I'm gonna take your other advice and try to sleep this off. See you later." And with a brief wave over her shoulder, she disappeared into the cabin again.

((And as soon as I actually MAKE a post they send me a PM telling me I need to be more active in the Guild. Go figure. Bumping for post count. >_> ))

(( eek As Rhino the hamster would say, "You are FULLY AWESOME!!!" Wow, what a post! What a way to jump right back into the story! Gah, what a doozy! @_@ You know, to be completely honest, when I read this the first time I was all, "Noes! You can't get rid of Yevon-" And then I realized...that's what they do in the game. Oh yeah ._. I guess Pheos is one of those good-guy-bad-guy peeps, huh?

Oh, and I'll have you know: YOU TOTALLY RUINED MY PLANS! AND IT'S AWESOME! 8D See, I couldn't remember whether we'd decided completely about who the High Summoner was going to be, so I'd worked out this plan for how one of my characters could have been a second guardian to the last High Summoner. Obviously, that's not going to work now. But I figured it out! Reading back through our old posts has reminded me of my summoner-guardian duo that I've kinda neglected (you remember that young, gullible summoner and his gruff, grizzled guardian?), and I've actually figured out a way to bring them back and get in character interaction amongst my characters that needs to happen when they leave Guadosalam! And it's actually cooler, I think, that you've taken up the High Summoner spot. Makes my characters' stories better. Thanks so much! *shakes your hand vigorously*

Also, I thought I should say some things about how the Final Summoning works in the game. You probably already know all this and have it all figured out and it all works with your plan, but I just want to make sure we're on the same page and you're not forgetting something.
Okay, so everybody knows that the summoner dies at the end of the pilgrimage, right? Well, it seems apparent from what they say in the game that it's the act of the Final Summoning that kills the summoner. And obviously, the summoner is summoning the Final Aeon, who is the guardian of their choice. Then, after the Final Aeon is summoned and the summoner is dead, the Final Aeon battles Sin and defeats it, thus bringing the Calm. But then Yu Yevon (yeah, the squishy guy) possesses the Final Aeon and, over the years that the Calm lasts, it builds up the armor that is Sin. Then Sin goes around terrorizing and all that. So Sin is always the latest Final Aeon. (Which, in this case, means that Pheos needs to be Sin.) Another minor thing is that High Summoners also make it to the Farplane. Remember in the game, when they visit the Farplane? Yuna sees both her parents there - and Braska was the previous High Summoner. But Tidus couldn't see Jecht, because Jecht was the Final Aeon/Sin, so technically he wasn't dead yet. Just thought I'd lay this all out. There's definitely ways to make the things in your post work (little finnicky details), but I just want to make sure you're aware of it all.

Now, without further ado, my actual post! My next post should be longish and more interesting, but I didn't want to put it in the same post as the one where they first arrive, so....))

The past couple of days had been the longest Eddora could remember. They made a good pace, but all there was to do all day long was sit around and watch the waves and brood. At first Ed was grateful for the chance to rest and attempt to replenish the stores of energy that seemed to have been completely exhausted by the harrowing events in Djose. But as the hours dragged on and she felt less and less sleepy, Ed's thoughts repeatedly returned to Calaman.

Ed felt distinctly faithless for leaving Djose without finding Calaman. What if he was stuck somewhere in that temple, trying to get out? What if he managed to get out, and found that they'd already gone? What if...she never saw him again? Whenever that thought occurred to her, Ed felt as though she couldn't stand another moment of just sitting around. At least if they'd taken the land route, she could feel like she was accomplishing something by walking.

Ed could never escape the feeling that there was a gaping hole in their party, without Calaman. Venez followed Aer around the boat, batting her eyelashes stupidly and admiring Aer's magical prowess. Jalisat got underfoot and acted like the kid he was. Rogan adjusted sails, whistled the Hymn of the Fayth in the middle of the night when he charted their position by the stars, and went around looking infernally cheerful.

But there was no one to swat Aer in the back of the head when he got annoying. There was no one to prostrate himself at the merest hint that he'd failed his duty. There was no one to speak as though he was so much wiser than his fourteen years. There was no one who would look her straight in the eye, say what he thought with a respectful tone, and remind her in so many ways of herself. Ed hadn't realized how much she'd grown to like him over the course of the few days they'd known each other. How could their acquaintance have been so short? It felt as though she'd known him all her life, and she would trust him with her life without a second thought. He was a true guardian.

And what are you, Ed, huh? she asked herself bitterly as they sailed up through the Moonflow, drawing strange looks from the people waiting on the shore for the next shoopuf ride. You just up and abandoned him, didn't you? You didn't even bother looking for him. You let him slip away from you. It's all your fault.

Ed slowly walked to the railing as they pulled into the Guadosalam harbor. She'd been subdued throughout the trip here, hardly speaking to the others, and they'd generally left her alone, sensing she needed time to process everything that had happened in Djose. But now she had to be strong again. She was a summoner. She was going to be the High Summoner. If for nothing else, she had to do it because of all the people she'd lost. They all would have wanted her to succeed. Her family...and Calaman, too. They were about halfway. They would make it to Zanarkand, or her name wasn't Eddora Khaul!

Ed looked over when Aer spoke to her, feeling ripples of gratitude that, at the very least, she still had him. He'd been around basically from the beginning too. As they stepped out onto the dock together, Ed replied in the same mild tone, "Well, the Farplane's here, of course. We might as well visit it."

Venez clambered out behind them and hovered at Aer's other side, as if hoping that he would gallantly extend his arm for her to clutch. Rogan finished tying the Fayth up, grabbed a small dirty sack that he slung over his shoulder, and leapt lithely onto the dock as well. "Where'd that kid go running off to...?" he muttered to himself, frowning in the direction of Guadosalam.

((Well, that turned out longer than planned. Anyway, I need to do a scene before they go to the Farplane, so don't make them go up there too fast, 'kay? biggrin ))

((Well, then, I'm glad I mentioned it. I can never be sure with you, you know ninja

Oh, you should feel proud, because now I can do cool stuffs biggrin

*approves of changes* The canon Nazi is appeased!

Oh, but that reminds me: At some undisclosed point in the future, can I take control of Sin for a scene of random destruction (like Kilika and now Bikanel)? I felt I should ask, since now Sin is technically your character. It's for cool drama purposes, don't worry!

And since it was Seymour's father (I'm blanking on his name gonk ) who converted the Guado to follow Yevon, I'm saying in our times they don't.))

Venez fairly swooned at Aer's smile; Ed gave her a brief disgusted look, then returned her attention to the road. She had to admit that her thoughts were mostly preoccupied with Calaman. Would they see him in the Farplane? Her stomach squirmed at the thought, and she hastily banished the thought from her mind. Whatever they saw in the Farplane, they would see it soon enough.

They all wended their way along the road from the harbor to the underground town of Guadosalam, following the small crowd of people, mostly Guado, though there were a few human merchants or businessmen. This was the only town where they had not been overwhelmed by well-wishers bowing the prayer at them, for the Guado did not believe in Yevon. Eddora found it ironic that the Farplane was located in a town full of heathens. Still, the Guado seemed to have respect for the people who were trying to rid the world of Sin, and if she caught a Guado's eye, they would incline their head respectfully.

Ed had been to Guadosalam before, on her way to Bevelle for the very first time, and she saw as they entered the town that nothing much had changed. Many footsteps and voices bounced off the rock walls as the townsfolk went about their business. As before, she was surprised that it didn't feel claustrophobic somehow.

Ed was walking between Aer and Rogan when suddenly a voice broke free of the babble. "You!" it cried angrily. Ed turned in surprise to see a man standing there, staring at them with shock and horror. After a moment, she thought she remembered his grizzled face - Kenan, guardian to that weakling summoner Yalan.

At first Ed thought Kenan was looking at her, but then she realized that Rogan had stiffened at her side, watching Kenan warily.

Kenan stalked forward, hand on the hilt of his sword. "How dare you," he snarled, his dark eyes burning. Behind him, his summoner was attempting to hold him back, but Kenan didn't even seem aware of Yalan's hands on his arm. "How dare you show your face to me!" Kenan roared, and suddenly he charged forward, tearing Yalan's grip away. He whipped out his sword and slashed angrily at Rogan, his eyes wild and almost bestial.

Rogan moved faster than Ed could follow, whipping out two daggers that he used to catch Kenan's blade, holding them in front of his face in an X shape. He pushed Kenan's sword away, then danced to the side as the warrior continued his attack. Ed felt, as she quickly melted backwards with the rest of the crowd, that Rogan had dodged aside to bring the attack farther away from herself. She watched numbly as the two men darted around each other, trading blows so quickly their arms seemed to be blurred.

At first glance, the odds might have seemed tipped in Kenan's favor, but as the battle continued Ed realized that Rogan was easily holding his own, even though the only weapons he had were two measly daggers against a long sword in the hands of a deadly warrior. Yalan hovered around the edge of the circle of onlookers, wringing his hands and attempting to call his guardian back, but the clashing metal was too fast and ferocious for anyone to hear him very well.

Kenan's face was still twisted with rage as he fought, but as they circled around each other, Ed caught sight of Rogan's face and saw that it was focused, but utterly calm. As if he had every reason to believe that he would walk away from this unscathed. Then somehow Rogan slipped underneath Kenan's sword and came to a halt with one dagger pressing against Kenan's throat and the other pointing towards his temple.

They stood there, panting and staring into each other's face, for several moments before Yalan rushed heedlessly forward, crying, "C'mon guys, let's stop this, okay? Can't we discuss this like reasonable men?"

Ed took a step forward in alarm, ready to call out a warning to that idiot summoner, but both men blinked and backed away from each other. Kenan slowly sheathed his sword, and the daggers disappeared once more to wherever it was Rogan stored them.

"Yes, that's it," Yalan said, relieved, as the two men continued to stare at each other. "Now, there's a nice bar just around the corner; let's just sit down and-"

"Yes," Kenan said, his lip curling. "We need to have a long talk."

Ed crossed over to them as the crowd slowly began to disperse. Rogan looked up at her, and for once there was no trace of levity in his sea-green eyes. "Catch ya later, Milady," he said heavily.

She didn't know why she said it, but Ed found herself blurting out, "We're headed up to the Farplane. Sure you don't want us to wait for you?"

"Nah." Rogan shrugged with an attempt at his usual cheery smile. "I've seen the Farplane more times than I care to. There's nothing new for me there. I'll see you around." He nodded briefly to Aer and Venez, then turned and reluctantly followed Kenan and Yalan.

Ed raised her eyebrows and muttered to herself, "Now what was that all about?"

((I'm going to continue the stuff between Rogan and Kenan in installments in my posts, so we can just do whatever we want with the others in the meantime. Jalisat's drama, the Farplane, whatever.))

((Yeah, I suppose Sin's an NPC, but I don't want it to clash with Pheos...like if Pheos was talking to somebody or something, I'm not sure it would work if Sin is attacking somewhere....

YES! I managed to surprise you! ^_^ What were you expecting from him, then? Anything in particular?))

Eddora turned away from the three men trooping off to the bar, and she was about to say, "No, he was a summoner," when she also spotted Jalisat standing and staring up at a strange man.

Frowning, Ed started forward. "So that's where the kid got to," she muttered. "Hey kid!" she called to him, not caring what she was interrupting. "Don't just run off like that! You've still got an appointment with a ship back to Kilika!"

~

Rogan slouched after the warrior and his summoner, stuffing his fists into his pockets. Great. How did this happen? He should've been more alert, should've melted back into the crowd, made himself scarce for a bit.... This had never happened before, mostly because he'd usually been successful in his choice. The one time he had been confronted after the fact, it had been in the depths of the Macalania Woods, where there were no watchful eyes. This time, he'd even had to blow his cover in front of everybody.

He remembered the Elm Tree Tavern; he could remember back to when it had been called by another name, though he doubted many would remember that an Al Bhed had run it. Guadosalam was just about the only place in Spira where Al Bhed weren't shunned by the townspeople, since the Guado weren't Yevonites either.

At the door, the guardian put a hand on his summoner's shoulder and halted him in his tracks. "You stay out here," he ordered.

A certain summoner Rogan knew of would never have let her guardians tell her what to do, but this one frowned and parked himself on the ground right outside the door. "Okay," he pouted. "But I wanna hear everything later, Kenan! You can't keep secrets from me forever!"

"Kenan?" Rogan asked softly, quirking an eyebrow as he entered the bar. "What kind of a code name is that?"

'Kenan' gritted his teeth in irritation. "It happens to be my real name," he growled, then snapped their orders at the spindly Guado bartender.

Rogan followed Kenan to a somewhat secluded table in the corner and sat down. He noticed that they both sat with their chairs turned so they could see the whole of the room, and a faint smile returned to his face. It was just like old times. He remembered going out of his way to sit in the chair Kenan had been heading for, just to watch the man grit his teeth and bite his tongue and sit down in a quasi-dignified silence.

They remained silent until a Guado barmaid with stiff blue hair brought them their drinks - sake for Kenan and a nice tall glass of beer for Rogan. He sipped his drink appreciatively as he watched the barmaid walk out of earshot; he'd always liked Guado beer. It had an odd, spicy taste to it that he'd never been able to figure out.

"So, Morridan," Kenan said with forced calm, resting his elbows on either side of his untouched sake. "Care to tell me what the hell you're doing on a pilgrimage?"

((Dun dun DUUUUUN!!! twisted Now I get to do cliff-hanger side-story posts!))