final fantasy//endless abyss

[Captain Glomps]

Seph shrugged "Demons aren't as regulated as they would like to believe. And as the number of us increase from breeding in this world it gets harder to keep an eye on them all. But it's all about producing strong kids and all that crap. I got some pretty unwelcome comments for being half human in the demon world but didn't stop me making friends all the same and I am happy with you should we ever one day produce little quarter demon children" she smirked.

Hebal nodded playfully bowing back to Jeckhart "Sure you were a real big help there. Though maybe you should just keep being your nice self and then maybe one day the answer will come naturally to you or even you might overcome it without even realising it" she suggested before slipping out for the bathroom,

Mu rolled her eyes peering back over the railings "Well if your treasurer is that worried about you spending money on one, why not get yourself a pilots licence to show your really serious about it. Cant stop you buying one with one of those and get Alpha help you get the boring bits out the way" she suggested.

Amane paused pushing her hair out her face "I didn't know you needed a flying liscence to own an airship. Guess theres more to the Captain than I thought. But its our money and if its not getting spent on something you want then all your money is just going to be sitting unused in your house all day and not being used to enjoy stuff. If you're gonna be a good captain you need to not let your crew make all the decisions for ya after all"  

[lack-of-originality]

Felina nodded with a sigh "Im sorry, unfortunately that's the problem with being royalty. You have to make the occasional appearance and smile for the public so lets just get this out the way then sip away quietly after the wedding. We can slip away the moment we leave Yithra really. Being the capital its only natural we get the most attention here" she assured him stopping outside their room. "At least it will be more quiet than anything to do with my dad. He cant even so much as go outside without drawing a crowd"

Satoshi stiffened slightly at the thought "Oh yeah? Training is more of a necessary chore than relaxing. Getting all hot and sweaty and battered about. Maybe you just haven't found the right thing to inspire you into drawing something or someone. Training in this heat is a total killer so I wouldn't recommend it"  

[Pierre42]

Oassu sighed "I suppose you're right hell I bet some folks would have trouble recognising be if it wasn't for having you with me most of the time" he said making a note to test that theory "Besides I can just put on a disguise or something it'll be fine, perhaps I should teach your dad that trick if he's having so much trouble" he joked.

Gil grinned at Satoshi's reaction "Well if you are going to fight in these temperatures why not train in them? Besides when I train I hone my mind, I'm at ease and focused with a sword in my hand it's almost like meditation for me" he said happily

Itaka nodded "Least you were able to survive in the demon world I hear they've got environments there a dwarf couldn't even survive in" he said "Did you not have any trouble getting back into our world? I didn't realise the gatekeepers allowed people to just hop back and forth like that, nevermind the immigration and registration council." he said

Zadina paused "Well perhaps but I shouldn't spend all the money it's wise to save a little bit after all" he said "Though really the treasurer just hates spending any money at all" he said walking away from the edge "Still I didn't know you needed a licence either, perhaps I should ask the captain where he got his from" he pondered before shaking his head "Besides it doesn't matter anyway we aren't allowed to use an airship for your pilgrimage so it'll be a long time before I can fly one anyway" he said  

[Captain Glomps]

Seph paused debating where she would start "Getting to this world from the demon world post war was basically branded a suicide mission. For a basic history lesson there used to be 8 gate keepers, four on each side. Now when the demon king fell it was agreed on this side that demons who defected and sided against the demon king would be allowed to pass through to our world then the gates would be closed. Well the problem was, one of the gatekeepers on the otherside. A real nasty succubus named Niwa, one of the kings most loyal commanders was still a gatekeeper. Funnily enough she decided she wasn't going to let any traitors go unpunished and staged an uprising with the other ones planning to trap us all inside" she sighed pointing to her artificial wing. "Fortunately enough for us, completely shutting down gates can be time consuming when the gatekeepers on the other side are tying to keep it open and thus massive battles at each gates occurred with massive amounts of "rebels" trying to escape. Three of the demon gatekeepers were killed in the battle but not without most of the escapees getting slaughtered. Those demons were never replaced and nobody knows what happened to Niwa. Needless to say the cow left me with enough scars"

Mu scratched her head in thought "I think dad went and got the dwarves to get his liscence issued. Moogles and dwarves are the ones with the toughest tests so having one from them pretty much gives you permission to fly any kind of airship. Different countries have strict rules on who can buy what though don't know about elven policies. But hey, may as well get it done while you have spare time on hand for later"

Amane squealed suddenly excited "Oooh well go study hard and get the moogles to test you. And take me with you. They don't have any temples in their places so its the only excuse I am ever going to get to go see them. I see the odd mognet one from time to time though its not the same as a whole city full I'm sure"  

[lack-of-originality]

Felina snorted "I couldn't picture you putting on a mask and hood up to avoid the pubic, but you're right people wouldn't know who you were if they didn't see me with you since you have never been in public interest before. Dad is aright though. The advice he gave me was smile and wave then pretend they aren't there and that's all it takes to keep them in high spirits. Think you can show me a really good one of those smiles" she joked leading him back inside to the comfort of her room.

Satoshi groaned "I can train in this heat but if someone like yourself isn't born used to these temperatures then it can be really trying if you don't try building things up in stages to adjust to it. Doesn't make it ever pleasant though. Me and the rest of my team used to train all the time when it was hotter though it didn't relax. We all went to bathe together afterwards which was good. I guess you with a sword must be like me with a paintbrush from the sounds of it. So how about you do your training and I'll paint you doing it" she cheerfully suggested.  

[Pierre42]

Oassu forced a big silly grin as a joke as they stepped back into Felina's room "Well if you are smiling and waving you are hardly pretending they aren't there but sure I'll dress down in my old clothes and go into the city at some point if you are going to go and get wrapped up in wedding stuff." he explained pulling off his heavy cloak and collapsing on the bed.

Gil chuckled "Sure that could work though it sounds a little silly I'd be moving about all the time though hot temperatures like this are good for losing weight, you just sweat it all out in a training session, so long as you have water it's very healthy" he said frowning as he looked around "Though I certainly wouldn't mind a nice bath with you after to unwind" he said realising he had forgotten the way.

Itaka let out a low whistle "Sounds like some hard times, bet you regretted visiting the demon world because of the cost of getting out, losing a wing would make it seem like such a bad trip to me" he muttered falling silent as a waiter arrived with their desserts "Still think we've got some measures in place on this side, powerful mages of all races I think but don't know the specifics to keep the gates shut" he said grinning at the sight of his food.

Zadina giggled "Sure though really we shouldn't be going to Goug if we don't need to on your pilgrimage but I'm sure it'd be lovely to see such a wondrous city, still if Kunec has a temple you can see lots of moogles there, they have a whole little district to themselves there." he said.  

[Captain Glomps]

Seph shook her head "No regrets on going there. As corny as this sounds I came out of it with a small family thanks to a grumpy looking fire demon. Not to mention, a demon may have taken my wing off but another demon saved me, carried me back into this world then went on to amputate my wing and saved my life." she smiled sampling her desert with a small spoonful before proceeding to a significantly larger one. "The four gate keepers now, I don't know most of them but I know theres an elf, a demon, a viera and a human currently with the title. Before the viera was a nu mou so yeah you could say its a multiracial job"

Mu snickered "Hey even if you don't need to go there, even summoners can take the odd detour I am sure. Even if you just take a few days out its generally good for boosting morale. This is coming from someone who travels around to specific places working and training every day"

Amane paused "Well Kunec doesn't have a temple but... they have a lot of history and information and culture about the great dragon Bahamut. So even If it has no temple it may be a good idea to maybe study there. The only gria area I know to have a temple is based in mountains and not a sky city" she informed Zadina.  

[lack-of-originality]

Felina gigged hanging her cloak up behind the door "I take it our hike though the woods tired you out. Though that was a pretty good smile even if you will probably scare many a child with that look. You could come if you wanted you know. But... a lot of you humans I hear think its bad luck for the groom to see things before the ceremony. Wouldn't want you getting lonely then" she smiled sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Satoshi shrugged pointing Gil to the left "Not really, a good artist doesn't need something to stand still to paint. That only risks getting a static looking figure which isn't all that good. But don't let me bore you with art talk... if you care to look to your right you can see a ninja training battle" she changed the subject pointing out two teenage ninjas in their front yard waving their kunai around. "That's just typical close range training. Jutsu and throwing training can only be done outside designated areas or you get put in a cell at least a day for obvious reasons"  

[Pierre42]

Oassu nodded idly reaching over to stroke Felina's back "Yeah sorta tradition I'm not meant to see you in dress before the wedding, though to be honest I'd probably find it really boring as well, not really spent much time in tailors in case ya couldn't tell" he said placing Cid down on the bed to explore.

Gil smiled "Well if you're sure you can, sure you could find more entertaining things to paint" he said glancing at the little fight "Surprised to see children doing that, would think today of all days they'd want to play with new toys and things instead of fighting" he said.

Itaka nodded "Certainly led an adventurous life, hope you don't find all this simple stuff really boring" he said tucking into his food "Enough reminiscing though, pretty sad stuff in the past there" he added feeling the conversation had gotten too heavy.

Zadina nodded "Well its up to you in the end Amane you get to choose where we go on your pilgrimage so we can go see the moogles if you like" he conceded shivering slightly "I wonder where your friends want to go on the trip too" he pondered.  

[Captain Glomps]

Seph paused watching Itaka for a moment "Well ok, maybe next time we can discuss something about the past that isn't such a sob story. But to be honest, I don't mind in small doses a few simple things but long term I think I would struggle settling into a quieter more monotonous life. You know me, I get restless easy enough" she admitted.

Mu frowned noticing Zadina shiver "Starting to get cold? Maybe you should get a jacket. I would offer you a fireball but those are meant to be dangerous on some airships so best now" she told him before spinning round while she transformed into her natural demon form.

Amane rubbed her ear in thought "I never knew that it was dangerous but I guess it makes sense even if sensible with magic...." she trailed off for a moment watching what Mu was doing. "I think Melanae would like to see the elves but Ardie I think is just happy to go anywhere. Has always had a real thirst for adventure and has been itching to leave the forest for years"  

[lack-of-originality]

Felina twisted round keeping a close eye on Cid's movements "Its not my idea of fun either being poked and prodded with tape measures and fabrics but if I do this myself it means I am not at the mercy of my mothers old fashioned tastes for the wedding. Bet you wont find picking the wedding cake a boring activity since they let you try all the flavours first"

Satoshi laughed shaking her head "those probably are their new toys knowing the stereotypical ninja families. They look shiny and unscratched enough and they've probably had a good couple of years training with them already. Hopefully our culture isn't too shocking for you" she added watching a moment longer before moving on "Throwing weapons and jutsu were more my thing over close range combat"  

[Pierre42]

Oassu smiled pulling Felina down to lie on the bed with him "Well I'm sure that will be fun, didn't even realise they came in multiple flavours, you know I've never actually attended a proper wedding before? We only had a few weddings in the guild when I was young and they were hardly a big occasion normally Jenna's dad would dig deep and we'd get some good wine in or something but no cakes or bands really" he said.

Gil raised an eyebrow "Well if you say so though I can't really imagine wanting anything like it at that age" he shrugged "Your culture isn't really that shocking, mercenary bands seem much more aggressive than this and without the nice community feeling" he said

Itaka smiled "Well I'm sure we'll have plenty adventures until you finally tire out and just want to settle down" he laughed "You wouldn't be the first to get so tired of regular life, it's why a lot of folks turn to mercenary life I suppose. Hard to get out for adventures unless you have a group of people watching your back" he said.

Zadina nodded edging slightly away from Mu as she transformed "Well they are both in luck then, Elves maintain a variety of temples around the world we even have one in Yithra I'm sure" he said remembering "You'll need to pass real soon or else Ardie will be bugging you forever" he teased.  

[Captain Glomps]

Seph paused licking her spoon "I never had a problem travelling on adventures without a group. Between the demon wars and joining the group I have spend about 90% of the time simply being the line wolf style of traveller. Initially I wanted to be a treasure hunter more than a mercenary but that that field of work is more dried up than ever unless you basically walk into an undiscovered cave or fall into a pit that turns into some rich guys burial chambers. Not worth it. How about you? Ever fancied trying something different to mercenary work that also involves travel?" she asked.

Amane laughed "Oh she's already bugging me into passing my trials for years already. There's no way for he to escape that and the village is way too small for Ardie. She's probably looked through at least half the forest without permission by herself. But who woudnt want to see elven culture, apparently its really really pretty"

Mu nodded stretching out in her larger form "Well yeah, I don't think theres any person who hasn't heard the stories and based on my experience with the exception of the deserts its worth visiting. Sounds a bit like me when I was younger though , I always wanted to travel but dad was always all no, you need a decent career so eventually I just combined the two"  

[lack-of-originality]

Felina gasped surprised by Oassu's actions "Why yes of course cake comes in many flavours and with enough money they will make you any cake you want with any flavour. We can always say no to having a band and other things if you don't want. But at the end of the day royal weddings are always big occasions so we should at least take some control over it. You would love the cake tasting sessions then of course we could pretty much go anywhere in the world for a honeymoon"

Satoshi paused "A lot of mercenary groups see themselves as a small family so in a way the same sort of spirit is still there just on a smaller scale than in this village. Ninja kids don't have much time to play anyway so pretty much anything they can fiddle with will keep them happy. Hide and seek is probably the most popular game along with volleyball for some reason though almost everyone cheats at that to the point I think using jutsu is now written as allowed in the rule book" she laughed  

[Pierre42]

Oassu nodded pulling Felina closer for a cuddle "I'm not going to knock a band and all the perks are you kidding?" he laughed "This is pretty much beyond a dream for me an all to think I'd get so much luxury in my life" he said satisfied.

Gil smirked "Not as tight knit as you'd like, some would sooner slit your throat in the night for a gil than do honest work" he sighed shaking his head "A good mercenary has to be choosy about his work, plenty of good causes out there" he said chuckling "Yeah I can imagine ninja kids would love Hide and Seek as a test of their abilities" he said.

Itaka smiled "Well you are a pretty exceptional woman, not everyone could get by on their own out there" he said taking another bite of his dessert "Oassu I doubt would make it alone but you know I got by fine, ran a thieves guild for a long time" he chuckled "Don't mind a life of peace and privacy" he admitted

Zadina giggled moving to peek over the edge again secretly a little unnerved by Mu's demon form "Well I imagine Ardie must be really bored if she's already explored over half the forest but yes we do have some particularly nice sculptures and paintings in the temples and palace" he said with a hint of pride.