Harris offered a sly smile to the mage, which hadn’t been intended for either of the men in their party to notice.  There was a certain type of understanding between the mage and the Blitzer, unspoken but firm, which looked an awful lot like Harris watching out for quiet and reserved Amal.  She might have set her heart on being a Blitzball star, always in the limelight, but she certainly wouldn’t begrudge Amal for wanting to stay in the shadows.  After all, it just meant more attention for her.<br/><br/>Amal, on the other hand, simply shook her head at where Chiron was carrying on beside Harris.  She tried her best not to laugh when Ethan had to step in to preserve Harris’s modesty but she hadn’t been able to stop herself.  Yevon only knew what Chiron would have managed if he’d been allowed to continue; Amal had known Harris for the least amount of time out of the group but she was certain the Blitzer had few, if any, inhibitions when it came to such… exhibitionism.<br/><br/>And as though to validate Amal’s thoughts on the matter, Harris began to laugh along with the mage and even added a little spin for the group for fun.  Her tone was light and playful when she said, “Stop trying to sour the only relationship I have with a woman who isn’t jealous of my ridiculously good looks, Chiron.”<br/><br/>Unfortunately for the mage, as soon as Chiron was pulled away from Harris, his attention fell back on her.  But this new line of questioning didn’t embarrass her in nearly the same way as his prior actions had.  She’d known the warrior the longest and could attribute so much of his forward nature to the cultural differences between them.<br/><br/>For months the two of them had been working together through the basic spells so he would be ready to accompany Ethan on his travels.  When the time eventually came for the duo to set off, he’d seemed to sense the sadness in his new friend to see him leave and had, instead, invited her along with them.  Amal was still trying to figure out what impulsive instinct had taken over her when she’d agreed but, no matter what consequences might be waiting for her in Bevelle, she hadn’t regretted the decision.<br/><br/>Patting Chiron on the shoulder as he worked the words out on his own, Amal smiled politely up at him, as he was several inches taller, and shook her head as she explained, “Not wanting to celebrate the glory of your humanity doesn’t mean I lack an equivalent appreciation for said humanity in other male specimens.”<br/><br/>Laughing out loud and doubled over until she had to clutch at her sides, it took a few moments before Harris could collect herself to reprimand the mage, “I would have never imagined you saying such terrible things in front of a priest.  What have you done with our sweet, sensible lady?”<br/><br/>But in almost the exact same moment, Ethan took the name of Yevon in vain and Harris had no choice but to smack her hand over her forehead and continue laughing.<br/><br/>Amal took a subconscious step away from Chiron and Harris, who were still busy enumerating the merits of the human form.  She leaned backwards against the ship’s railing, listening with half an ear to Harris and Chiron’s continued banter and letting the remainder of her attention drift back to the sketch she’d been working on of her newest travel companion.  She was beginning to wonder if it would be possible to capture such mischief in Harris’s eyes as she had currently displayed when she noticed Ethan’s sharp motion to her right.<br/><br/>Turning to look at the priest with curiosity she opened her mouth to ask what was wrong but there was a tremendous roar of rushing water that drew her eyes back towards the small island of Besaid.  Her heart skipped a beat as the captain called out his warning to the crew and passengers.<br/><br/>Sin…<br/><br/>Closing her eyes to the bright flash of light, Amal felt herself lose balance and stumble backwards into Harris and Chiron.  The trio fell in a pile of tangled limbs against the deck as water crashed over the side of the small ship and soaked them all.  By the time she had sense enough to consider where she was and what had happened, she felt Harris’s arms wrap around her waist as the other woman buried her face against Amal’s shoulder.<br/><br/>As children, they’d all been raised to fear Sin and a few unfortunate among them had been made to see what terrible destruction the creature could wreck.  They had enjoyed several years of Lord Braska’s calm; Amal had almost forgotten that fear and she could sense Harris had, as well.  The fearless Blitzer’s shoulders were shaking as she started to mutter incoherent musings to herself.<br/><br/>Fearfully, Amal looked up to see Ethan was the only one who had maintained his dignity and remained standing following the scuffle.  He was speaking with authority but Amal was so numb she couldn't make herself comprehend the words.  All she could think was Sin had returned and she had no way of warning Agustin.  He would be all the more furious she had left Bevelle when eventually some message or another would reach him.<br/><br/>Turning away from the Ethan and the island and everything else she had just witnessed, Amal looked at Chiron and asked, “Are you alright?”<br/><br/>They were near enough to shore they could have jumped over the side to swim to the beach but there was so much debris in the water it would have been difficult.  She thought of the people who lived there, on Besaid, and tried not to think about her own parents killed so many years before.<br/><br/>Chiron hadn't responded yet, so she placed a hand on his forearm and asked again, “Are you alright?  We’ll have to search for survivors when we arrive at the shore.”