Categories > Games > Final Fantasy X > Red and Black
"Not /now/." The young mage's energy had already been strained cutting through the small fiends, a
slow but certain depletion. Lulu enjoyed the training, but had keen judgment on which battles to accept. "We should retreat." She looked over to Kimahri for confirmation.
She saw the Ronso lurch as the bird-like fiend stabbed and raked its talons into the blue fur. Reaction was quick and chaotic. Kimahri wheezed a frustrated and pained snarl, stumbling slightly from the force of the attack while the little yellow dog broke free from Yuna's grasp. Parri leapt skyward, his lip lifted to clutch the scaly bone of a Garuda claw in its jaws.
The fiend bucked higher before flinging the dog against a cliff-face, and came down hard into its new target three times.
A Ronso's rage bubbled hotter and more turbulent than a Gagazet geyser. Kimahri jumped strong, like a coiled spring, radiating rings of violence in the landing. Lulu followed quickly with a furied cycle of ice, and the Garuda split into countless loci of pyrefly energy. The bleeding gashes crisscrossing Kimahri's chest healed quickly as Yuna hurried after her companion with a cure spell. Yuna's magic was weak yet, but almost as good as a common potion and far cheaper.
Kimahri sniffed at Parri's torn and bloodied form. He clicked his teeth. The dog had died quickly, at least. Had he been alone, Kimahri may have howled.
Yuna winced at the macabre sight of the dog's already-mortal wounds. Closing her eyes tight, she began a frantic round of cure spells.
"Save your magic. There is nothing we can do now." Lulu didn't intend to scold the well-meaning girl, but their was a certain clip of irritation to her words. They would likely need Yuna's magics later and the girl had a predilection to let her heart lead, without proper guidance. Nonetheless, they should have brought a bit Phoenix Down. Lulu cursed her own hindsight, but there was no use in if-onlys.
Kimahri took the dog's head in his massive hands and pushed Parri's eyes closed.
It was sad, but dwelling is always a wasted venture. She left the Ronso to return to the path. "Come here, Yuna."
"I could have saved him if I knew how to cast life." The girl sat hard among the thorny weeds in the shallow ditch lining the path. She shrugged her shoulders inward and hugged her ribcage. "I should study harder."
Lulu tried not to look as the Ronso haphazardly hacked off the dog's forepaw with his spear. She didn't understand some Ronso rituals, but she respected them. Still, she knew when to look away.
She heard a hoarse scraping of Ronso feet against the wooden bridge and a small splash when the corpse hit the water. When Kimahri returned, he was already fingering a new claw-bone in the warrior's pendant that rested on the tuft of silver hair at his chest. "Parri was friend. Died with honor." The Ronso sounded almost apologetic.
"You don't need to explain, Kimahri." She lifted her head to fix her eyes to his and spoke softly. "I'm sorry."
Yuna leaned against her giant blue-furred guardian, hugging him as a grey squirrel might clutch an oak. Kimahri patted her head, each comforting the other in equal measure. It was a quiet scene.
Lulu inhaled, slowly, drawing the tropical air into every cluster of her lungs. Even now (and perhaps especially now), she was grateful she lived here, with the crisp-edged clouds of a sunny day and friends that could she respect and appreciate.
Thwack.
A spiked blitzball bounced, spitting up a cloud of the dry dirt path.
Ronso and mages alike tensed and positioned themselves at the sound, only easing at the sight of two copper-headed brothers galloping from the same direction as the blitzball.
"Hey yo!" Wakka called cheerily.
Kimahri straightened and crossed his arms defensively. Ever oblivious, Wakka circled the group in a slow jog, with a vacant, almost canine grin. "Me and Chappu was just saying we ought to get you people out here some morning. You never know when you might need to dodge a quick fiend, ya?" He emphasized the word quick with a swooping hand motion.
Kimahri replied with a growling pant, his fingers tracing the somber new regalia on his chest.
The slightly more perceptive Chappu approached Lulu. "You look tired, Lu. What happened?"
Yuna couldn't take it anymore, then. She'd tried to contain herself, really super hard. She tried to be brave, but now the tears burst forth like a ruptured dam. "I...I tried to save Parri. But we...but he...I don't even know how to cast life and..." Yuna attempted to explain between gasping, spirit-rinsing sobs. Kimahri placed a finger on his charge's shoulder and drew her close.
"The dog?" Chappu had a face that carried concern well. Lulu nodded. "Oh man. Kimahri, I am so sorry to hear that."
Kimahri stood solid, but his eyes were thankful.
"Ah, there's dozens of dogs all over this island, ya? Got to be one that looks just like the mutt 'round here." Lulu tightened her jaw. Wakka's stupid optimism could show itself at the most inappropriate times.
"That's not the same, Wakka." Lulu narrowed her eyes and sharpened her voice.
Wakka may not have recognized his error, but he certainly recognized the sting of Lulu's voice. Wakka hung his head at the nape of his neck and began to trudge homeward glumly, blitzball wedged between his arm and waist. "Sorry, Kimahri. I'm a jerk. I'll see you all later."
"Wait." All turned to Kimahri. The steadfast Ronso rarely initiated dialogue. "Friends go together." With a raised spear, Kimahri followed after Wakka, with the sniffling girl-mage trailing after him like an untied bootlace.
Chappu and Lulu exchanged glances. "We'd best do as Kimahri says." Lulu whispered. Chappu offered his hand, and she took it. She spasmed slightly at the tingling bite of static when her hand met his. There was more life in his hand than in a bucket of ocean-water.
"Lu." Chappu reached around to the back of her neck and drew her in, pressing his lips too hard against hers, so that their teeth scraped together. She smirked. She didn't mind so much the inelegant stolen kiss or his cocky triumphant grin afterwards. She didn't mind so much her pink dress. She didn't even so much mind the death that orbited Spira as reliable as the moon. Nothing so much to mind, after all, when two very living hands met in such a manner.
"Let's not keep our friends waiting, Chappu."
And they walked.
slow but certain depletion. Lulu enjoyed the training, but had keen judgment on which battles to accept. "We should retreat." She looked over to Kimahri for confirmation.
She saw the Ronso lurch as the bird-like fiend stabbed and raked its talons into the blue fur. Reaction was quick and chaotic. Kimahri wheezed a frustrated and pained snarl, stumbling slightly from the force of the attack while the little yellow dog broke free from Yuna's grasp. Parri leapt skyward, his lip lifted to clutch the scaly bone of a Garuda claw in its jaws.
The fiend bucked higher before flinging the dog against a cliff-face, and came down hard into its new target three times.
A Ronso's rage bubbled hotter and more turbulent than a Gagazet geyser. Kimahri jumped strong, like a coiled spring, radiating rings of violence in the landing. Lulu followed quickly with a furied cycle of ice, and the Garuda split into countless loci of pyrefly energy. The bleeding gashes crisscrossing Kimahri's chest healed quickly as Yuna hurried after her companion with a cure spell. Yuna's magic was weak yet, but almost as good as a common potion and far cheaper.
Kimahri sniffed at Parri's torn and bloodied form. He clicked his teeth. The dog had died quickly, at least. Had he been alone, Kimahri may have howled.
Yuna winced at the macabre sight of the dog's already-mortal wounds. Closing her eyes tight, she began a frantic round of cure spells.
"Save your magic. There is nothing we can do now." Lulu didn't intend to scold the well-meaning girl, but their was a certain clip of irritation to her words. They would likely need Yuna's magics later and the girl had a predilection to let her heart lead, without proper guidance. Nonetheless, they should have brought a bit Phoenix Down. Lulu cursed her own hindsight, but there was no use in if-onlys.
Kimahri took the dog's head in his massive hands and pushed Parri's eyes closed.
It was sad, but dwelling is always a wasted venture. She left the Ronso to return to the path. "Come here, Yuna."
"I could have saved him if I knew how to cast life." The girl sat hard among the thorny weeds in the shallow ditch lining the path. She shrugged her shoulders inward and hugged her ribcage. "I should study harder."
Lulu tried not to look as the Ronso haphazardly hacked off the dog's forepaw with his spear. She didn't understand some Ronso rituals, but she respected them. Still, she knew when to look away.
She heard a hoarse scraping of Ronso feet against the wooden bridge and a small splash when the corpse hit the water. When Kimahri returned, he was already fingering a new claw-bone in the warrior's pendant that rested on the tuft of silver hair at his chest. "Parri was friend. Died with honor." The Ronso sounded almost apologetic.
"You don't need to explain, Kimahri." She lifted her head to fix her eyes to his and spoke softly. "I'm sorry."
Yuna leaned against her giant blue-furred guardian, hugging him as a grey squirrel might clutch an oak. Kimahri patted her head, each comforting the other in equal measure. It was a quiet scene.
Lulu inhaled, slowly, drawing the tropical air into every cluster of her lungs. Even now (and perhaps especially now), she was grateful she lived here, with the crisp-edged clouds of a sunny day and friends that could she respect and appreciate.
Thwack.
A spiked blitzball bounced, spitting up a cloud of the dry dirt path.
Ronso and mages alike tensed and positioned themselves at the sound, only easing at the sight of two copper-headed brothers galloping from the same direction as the blitzball.
"Hey yo!" Wakka called cheerily.
Kimahri straightened and crossed his arms defensively. Ever oblivious, Wakka circled the group in a slow jog, with a vacant, almost canine grin. "Me and Chappu was just saying we ought to get you people out here some morning. You never know when you might need to dodge a quick fiend, ya?" He emphasized the word quick with a swooping hand motion.
Kimahri replied with a growling pant, his fingers tracing the somber new regalia on his chest.
The slightly more perceptive Chappu approached Lulu. "You look tired, Lu. What happened?"
Yuna couldn't take it anymore, then. She'd tried to contain herself, really super hard. She tried to be brave, but now the tears burst forth like a ruptured dam. "I...I tried to save Parri. But we...but he...I don't even know how to cast life and..." Yuna attempted to explain between gasping, spirit-rinsing sobs. Kimahri placed a finger on his charge's shoulder and drew her close.
"The dog?" Chappu had a face that carried concern well. Lulu nodded. "Oh man. Kimahri, I am so sorry to hear that."
Kimahri stood solid, but his eyes were thankful.
"Ah, there's dozens of dogs all over this island, ya? Got to be one that looks just like the mutt 'round here." Lulu tightened her jaw. Wakka's stupid optimism could show itself at the most inappropriate times.
"That's not the same, Wakka." Lulu narrowed her eyes and sharpened her voice.
Wakka may not have recognized his error, but he certainly recognized the sting of Lulu's voice. Wakka hung his head at the nape of his neck and began to trudge homeward glumly, blitzball wedged between his arm and waist. "Sorry, Kimahri. I'm a jerk. I'll see you all later."
"Wait." All turned to Kimahri. The steadfast Ronso rarely initiated dialogue. "Friends go together." With a raised spear, Kimahri followed after Wakka, with the sniffling girl-mage trailing after him like an untied bootlace.
Chappu and Lulu exchanged glances. "We'd best do as Kimahri says." Lulu whispered. Chappu offered his hand, and she took it. She spasmed slightly at the tingling bite of static when her hand met his. There was more life in his hand than in a bucket of ocean-water.
"Lu." Chappu reached around to the back of her neck and drew her in, pressing his lips too hard against hers, so that their teeth scraped together. She smirked. She didn't mind so much the inelegant stolen kiss or his cocky triumphant grin afterwards. She didn't mind so much her pink dress. She didn't even so much mind the death that orbited Spira as reliable as the moon. Nothing so much to mind, after all, when two very living hands met in such a manner.
"Let's not keep our friends waiting, Chappu."
And they walked.
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