Our Enemy (chapter 32 of 49, 8130 words)
Forced to find an alternative means of crossing the Moonflow, Braska and his guardians end up relying on the Al Bhed for transport. Jecht realises how he travelled to Spira, and a sinspawn attack has unpleasant consequences.
Read here on praze.net or here on archiveofourown.org, or read the whole fic so far as a PDF or an EPUB.
I think Braska's “maybe giving Auron a wee touch on the back will make him feel better” versus Auron's “I feel better because there has been a concrete change to the situation” sums up one of the principal differences in their personalities.
Braska is quite happy to do everything the aeons tell him. I'm sure this will turn out fine … just like it did when they were fighting the chocobo eater, right?
I imagine Auron's outraged “what?” in response to the Hypello being said in exactly the same way that he says it to Tidus during their snowmobile adventure.
Auron's episode on the boat has no doubt changed a bit since the first draft, but it was originally based on the experience of being on a plane and sitting next to someone with a fear of flying.
Jecht's addressing Auron as “boss” shows that he actually has quite a lot of respect for him by this point, especially in the context of combat. Auron is unlikely to have realised this. Neither has the Crusader, apparently!
Braska spends much of the boat crossing and its aftermath being characteristically Braska-like, but I don't think he's wrong to take offence at the Crusader's attitude towards mages; nor to avoid calling the aeons during the battle.
It was odd how people sometimes seemed determined to ignore the evidence before their own eyes.
But … at least Kinoc's happy about that??
Braska had his big “defending Auron” moment during the altercation with Perula's guardians at Kilika Temple, so I wanted Auron to have a similar “defending Braska” one.
Classic Braska and Auron doing a big emotional stare at each other during battle … lads, please concentrate.
I wonder what the older Crusader does after he throws the guns into the river … I'm sure he resigns his commission immediately. Maybe he has a complete career change and trains as a healer or something.
Jecht's reaction to the Crusader's death is quite an important moment for him: it's a reminder that the stakes are much higher in Spira than what he's used to. All of this contributes to how he perceives the importance of the pilgrimage and his own role in it – this will obviously influence the decision he eventually makes when they get to Zanarkand.
I think part of the reason why he doesn't tell the others about Sin having brought him to Spira is because he's worried it might make them scared of him somehow. He's never going to admit it, but he's desparate for them to like him. He knows they like him a bit (especially Braska), for more meaningful reasons than his fans back home, and he doesn't want to say anything that could genuinely jeopardise that. (Calling Auron an asshole all the time is fine though, I guess that's just banter.)
I originally had Braska “detecting Auron's discomfort” or something when he suggests they go to bed, but I couldn't bring myself to make him as uncharacteristically observant as that, haha. At least once he gets into the tent he's somewhat remorseful about having made Auron cross the river in the boat. I think when it's just the two of them Braska is more likely to think about Auron's wellbeing.
The real non-diegetic reason for Braska asking Jecht to take first watch is that if he does, Auron ends up taking first watch in chapter 42, which is necessary for logistical reasons.
Auron is convinced that it's wrong to be continuing all this intimate contact with Braska, but at the same time he's a. sexually frustrated by it (and by Jecht's repeated attempts at hooking up with him) and b. desperately in need of some kind of, idk, therapy or something, and even though a nice hug from Braska isn't exactly the best remedy, it's certainly better than nothing. I don't think he can really be blamed for giving in and letting Braska hold him for a while.
“That would have taken days,” said Auron.
I really wanted to slip in a homage to Clasko's “That'd take days!”, one of the many random FFX lines that come into my head at any vaguely relevant moment. Clasko is a great character but, like Elma, he's a bit too young to have a proper cameo, so I guess this is the next best thing.
The aeons have, um, good and bad effects on Braska, but one of the biggest advantages of their presence in his mind is the consequences for his mental health. But he's spent so long convinced he wants to die that by this point, the idea that he actually might not feels wrong to him – as does the idea that he might be moving on from Girl's death at last.