RPG <<Final Fantastic Survivor: Down To Two!>>

[Sandy]

[i]Continuation to Final Fantastic Survivor...[/i]

The Luca Stadium in Spira was filling with celebrators. Auron and Cecil, the two Survivors left, were pushed and pulled around the crowd, until Cid, the host of the game, returned on the stand.

Cid: "People, attention, please... [i]please[/i]... I said ATTENTION PLEASE!!!"

Gradually the crowd settled down, and the contestants slowly moved towards the stand.

Cid: "May I remind you that this contest is [i]not[/i] over yet. Would Auron and Cecil, our two finalists, please step to this stand with me?"

When all three of them were standing on the platform, it started to rise.

Cid: "During the final voting we will accomodate on the Ragnarok, with the other eight Survivors. The audience will be able to see us from the huge screens located in every world. The voting will be open to everybody, and people have an option to send a question to the finalists, if they feel unsure of who to vote.

But now, we will move into the airship! Take care, everybody!"

The platform rose to meet the red airship hovering in midair. The stairs appeared from the rear, and Cid lead Auron and Cecil to the lounge.

There they met the eight other Survivors, who welcomed them warmly; Rikku, Freya, Cloud, Zack, Sephiroth, Zidane, Rinoa and Zell.

Cid: "Please, let us all be seated. Now, the eight of you can also cast your votes, but before you do that, I wish you'd ask something from either Auron, Cecil or both of them, and they will give their answer.

Or, if you feel you've made up your mind already, you can give them a comment or a word of encouragement.

We also have a visual contact to all five worlds we have visited during this game, and people from there can also ask you something, as the voting progresses.

Now, let's begin, shall we?"

[size=1]offgame: Alright, let's review the rules of the voting:
1) [i]Anybody[/i] (including the finalists) can vote using the poll above.
2) [i]Anybody[/i] (except the finalists) can ask questions from the two finalists, but I especially encourage the other contestants to do so.
3) The questions can be anything that relates to the game and the character (not the player personally).
4) Everything will happen within this thread, so if you have any comments, you can post them right here.
5) The poll will be on until we have a clear winner, OR by the beginning of September, when I have to drastically cut my online-time.

If you still have any questions relating to the rules, my PM-box is always open![/size]

[GinnyLyn]

Auron cleared his throat. [color=crimson]"If I may, Cid...how long will the voting be open?"[/color]
[color=teal]"Yeah,[/color] Cecil added, [color=teal]"and do we get to vote, too? Or not?"[/color]

[Braidless Baka]

[b]OOC:[/b] *jumps up and down waving a hand* Me! Me! Pick my question!! O_O!
~~~~
[color=orangered]"Alright guys,"[/color] murmured Zell, leaning forward slightly and rubbing at his nose with a finger. [color=orangered]"Since the questions are free-for-all I assume I'm allowed to ask one?"[/color]
Cid nodded. "That's the whole point. Go right ahead Zell."
Zell, feeling a little self-conscious by now, cleared his throat. [color=orangered]"Okay, here it is: For each of you which was the point that you most suspected your eviction was next? Like... was there ever a time you felt like you were the next to go?"[/color] Zell leaned back, aware that everyone's gaze was on him. [color=orangered]"I mean, I know there were plenty of times I felt that way."[/color]
Zell flicked his gaze between Auron and Cecil, wondering who was going to answer first.

[GinnyLyn]

[color=crimson]"For me,"[/color] Auron began, [color=crimson]"I felt every eviction had my name on it. I have this sense as if I had been a similar contest before[/color] (OBBII!--GL) [color=crimson]and I had been dropped halfway through. To counter the anxiety of each challenge, I played as though to win, which I still intend to, if I can. I did not really become concerned until the halfway point, [i]especially[/i] during the Triple Triad challenge."[/color]
[color=orangered]"Triple Triad challenge, then. Is that your final answer?"[/color]
Auron raised an eyebrow behind his shades and hmphed.
[color=orangered]"Guess so."[/color]
[color=crimson]"Does this potential eviction count?"[/color] Auron responded.
[color=orangered]"Good point,"[/color] Zell grinned.

[Desbreko]

Cecil leaned back in his chair, his eyes seeming to focus on nothing in particular as he replayed the memories of various challenged in his head. [color=teal]"I think,"[/color] Cecil finally said as he leaned forward again. [color=teal]"That the last eviction was where I expected to drop out. Unless, like Auron, you count this eviction."[/color] He glanced at the current votes for each of them, and sighed. [color=teal]"I guess most people would be more familiar with Auron. Even if he is old--"[/color] he shot a wink at Auron [color=teal]"--his adventure was a lot more recent."[/color]

Everyone glanced over at Auron for a second, and he just shrugged. It wasn't like he could do anything about that fact.

[color=teal]"To tell the truth, though, I really wasn't expecting to make it this far in the first place. While it'd be nice to win, I'll be perfectly happy with second place."[/color] Finished with his answer, Cecil leaned back into the chair even farther this time. It was nice to be able to relax after the many struggles of the game, knowing it was over except for, in his opinion, the minor detail of who would win.

[GinnyLyn]

OoC: Is Sage going to answer our questions? I'm curious to know when the voting ends.
And is it ok that I voted for Des? O.o

[Sandy]

[size=1]offgame: Ginny, I edited my first post, so you can find all the answers from there. ;) (Ponders is he should PM the other Survivor-contestants to get their behinds over here...) [/size]
* * *

Cid turned to the finalists.

Cid: "Now, if you excuse me..."
Cecil: "Hey, what's wrong with you? You look... flickery."

Indeed, little things in Cid changed constantly. First he had a bald head, suddenly it was covered with brown hair. One moment he was wearing a formal suit of a headmaster, the other he was in a pilot-jacket. At one glance he held nothing, then a spear, and suddenly a hammer.

Cid: "Oh, [i]this[/i]! It's just a mild symptom of moving between dimensions. Since we aren't really in either of the world, my presence has hard time making up its mind about my shape."
Auron: "But how...?"
Cid: "Don't ask... But [i]anyway[/i], I have a question of my own for you two. I have to ask this because is a tradition:
[b]Why should just [i]you[/i] be the sole Final Fantastic Survivor?[/b]"

Both Auron and Cecil rolled their eyes.

[GinnyLyn]

[color=crimson]"You're kidding, right?"[/color] Auron rumbled. He closed his good eye for a moment, then opened it again. [color=crimson]"You want us to show off our ego?"[/color] he laughed.
"Just do it already."
[color=crimson]"All right...you asked for it,"[/color] Auron said.
[color=crimson]"If this game of yours had consisted of only one player, that person would deserve to be the sole Survivor. Because he was already. But we didn't have just one. We had many."[/color]
"So they all deserved to be the sole Survivor, yadda yadda [i]get on with it already![/i]"
[color=crimson]"Hmph. Amusing. So the question asks of me[/color] (like some sort of demented side quest in any clichéd RPG--Gin) [color=crimson]not if it should be only me, but if I am worthy."[/color]
Cid groaned and put his morphing head into his changing hands (when he had both at one time). "Oh gods, he's getting philosophical."
[color=teal]"Way to go, Cid, the world's gonna end and it's your fault,"[/color] Cecil ribbed.
[color=crimson]"Worthiness means did I come to the task with the skills expected of me? Did I perform at base level or did I exceed that level? Did I hold back, hoping to let simply existing carry me through or did I rise beyond the occasion? In my mind, I believe so."[/color]
"Wrap it up, kid." Cid had a long beard for a few seconds.
[color=teal]("Auron called a kid? The world really [i]is[/i] coming to an end...")[/color]
[color=crimson]"The question,"[/color] Auron finished, [color=crimson]"is not a matter of comparing myself to the others, to say how much greater I am than them. I cannot say that, because we all exceeded expectations[/color] (by sticking this RPG through--Gin again)[color=crimson]. Therefore, I have acted both as one on his own and as one with many others."[/color]
[color=teal]"Well, now that we've shifted to confusing exposition, the world will be ok."[/color]
"Yeah, if it kept making sense--"
Auron continued on by himself for a moment. [color=crimson]"So it's not how much do I deserve this so much as how worthy was I--did I do enough?, and because I continued to be confident even when I thought I would be returning to Spira on my own--"[/color] That's when Auron peered at the other two jabbering. [color=crimson]"Look, if you aren't going to listen to me--"[/color]
"We're all worthy, blah blah blah, yeah yeah, anyways, NEXT!" Cid chuckled at Auron's wounded look then grinned. "Kept the ego in check. Very nice speech, kiddo."

[Desbreko]

Cid turned to Cecil. "Well, get on with it." He glanced at Auron for a moment. "And please make it easier to understand."

[color=crimson]"Hmph."[/color]

[color=teal]"Right, why do [i]I[/i] deserve to win?"[/color] Cecil looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Yes, that's what I asked."

Cecil then looked over at Cid, a quizzical look on his face. [color=teal]"It was a rhetorical question, used for effect, and not meant to be answered. But [i]anyway[/i], like Auron was saying, I think we're both worthy of winning this thing. We've both performed up to and beyond our limits while competing, so I really couldn't give you any real reason why I should win."[/color]

Cid stared at him for a moment. "So basically, what you're saying is, 'I don't know'?"

[color=teal]"What I'm [i]saying,[/i] is that I don't think either of us really deserve to win any more than the other. And because of that, when it comes down to it, personal bias is going to choose the winner. Neither of us did better than the other, so people are basically just left to choose their favorite."[/color]

Zell couldn't help himself. [color=orangered]"I think someone is just bitter about Auron getting most of the votes."[/color]

Cecil glared. [color=teal]"Quiet, you."[/color]

[GinnyLyn]

Cid was sleeping, snoring even. He was resting his head against his arm, which was propped up.
Auron nodded to Cecil, then nodded to the arm. Cecil stared, mouth wide open. [color=teal]"You wouldn't [i]dare...[/i]"[/color]
[color=crimson]"What are you talking about? I was just going to ask if you had a pillow or knew of some way to wake Cid back up."[/color]
[color=teal]"Suuuuure you were."[/color]
Auron blinked once, then stood up, his eyebrows furling together. [color=crimson]"Look, I don't know what's going through your blue haired head--"[/color]
Cecil also stood up, hand instinctively to his hair. [color=teal]"I saw that glint in your eye--and you call yourself honorable!"[/color]
Auron's mouth dropped open. [color=crimson]"At least I wasn't evil at some point!"[/color]
Cecil took offense to that, because the statement was untrue. [color=teal]"At least I have both of my eyes!"[/color] he shot back in the same tone.
That one stung.
Auron gritted his teeth and gripped the Masamune's hilt tightly.
Cecil watched him with narrowed eyes and held his Crystal Sword out.
Both roared in a battle manner, charging each other and--
"What the HELL'S the meaning of this?!?" Cid bellowed.
Auron and Cecil both skidded to a halt in midcharge.
[color=teal]"Well, I, uh..."[/color]
[color=crimson]"Well, you see..."[/color]
"I was having the [i]best[/i] dream about the ultimate Airship and you two nitwits had to go and &#%$*ing wake me up!!!"
Both men looked cowed and hung their heads sheepishly. [color=crimson]"S[/color][color=teal]o[/color][color=crimson]r[/color][color=teal]r[/color][color=crimson]y,[/color] [color=teal]C[/color][color=crimson]i[/color][color=teal]d,"[/color] they both mumbled.
"Yeah yeah yeah, just wait a little longer, ok? Can you two play nicely till we wrap this up?"
Both eyed each other, then broke out into huge grins.
[color=teal]"I can, can you?"[/color]
[color=crimson]"Of course."[/color]
"Good. Now shut up, both of you. Gonna see if I can get back to that dreamship...hmm, there's a nice name...dream...ship..."
[color=crimson]"I apologize, Cecil."[/color]
[color=teal]"Please forgive me, Auron."[/color]
[color=crimson]"It[/color] [color=teal]was[/color] [color=crimson]the[/color] [color=teal]tension,"[/color] they continued together.
[color=teal]"Forgiven."[/color]
[color=crimson]"Agreed!"[/color]
And they shook hands.
~~~~~~
Seriously, though, the natives [i]are[/i] getting restless. Zidargh's already planning the next FF:S. ^_^;

[Sandy]

The air everywhere was filling with excitement.

In Spira, at Luca Stadium, people continued to cheer as they watched the Survivors sitting inside the Ragnarok from the big screen.

In Gaia, aboard of Prima Vista, a huge screen was also set on the stage, and the ship was full of people holding signs. Queen Garnet, Hilde, Eiko and Vivi were sitting at the frontmost part of the audience. Garnet?s sign said: ?I love you Zidane!?, while Eiko?s said: I love you [strike]Zidane[/strike] Aurie!!!?.

Three other screens were set at Timber TV-station, Gold Saucer and the Opera House. In each world all the people had their eyes turned on the screens that all feeded live transmission directly from the Ragnarok.

Finally Cid appeared to the screen. He had finally settled with his original shape as Cid Highwind.

[u]Cid:[/u] ?It seems that we have no more questions. Alright, people it is time to reveal the results of the voting. After a few moments, either Auron or Cecil will become the Final Fantastic Survivor! But first ? ?

[u]People from all over the worlds:[/u] ?JUST GET ON WITH IT!!!?

[u]Cid:[/u] ?Alright, [i]alright[/i]! Geez, I?m the host here, I should be able to speak... Well, anyway, the votes are visible on the screen... [i]NOW[/i]!?

The noise rose to the skies as the name of the winner was revealed.

[u]Cid:[/u] ?With 71,4% of the votes, the winner is [b][color=crimson]AURON[/color][/b]! Congratulations, old warhorse, you?re the Final Fantastic Survivor!?

Auron rose from his seat, and walked to Cid, glancing behind at Cecil, and shrugging.

[u]Cid:[/u] ?Now, as an award you will receive the TITLE of [b]Final Fantastic Survivor[/b] ? bear it with honor ?, ONE BILLION GIL, and an OWN ISLAND from the world of your choise! Congratulations!!! But now, please tell me ? and all thousands of your fans ?, [b]what are your feelings and thoughts right now?[/b]?

* * *
[u][b]Offgame:[/b] Thoughts of the host/maker of the game:[/u]

Well, firstly, of course, CONGRATS Ginneh! You really deserved to win this thing, and I think each person who participated in this feels the same way. You were the one who had the strenght to carry this through no matter how threatening the situation was. With your amazing website, pictures and enthusiasm in general I got the motivation I needed to pull this through. Thank you!!! And sorry I don?t have anything more concrete to award you, but you know my scannerless way of life... ;)

And of course I want to thank each and everyone of the other contestants, all the way from KittyLy, unfortunately the first to leave, to Des, who came to the well-earned second place! You all knew what this game was about ? that only one could be the winner ? but nevertheless you showed remarkable sense of co-operation, which we will never see in the real tv-show. Though some of you were more visible than the others, I have to say that all of you played your character greatly!

So this is finally it: after I don?t know [i]how[/i] many months, the Final Fantastic Survivor is now over and done. Thanks to anybody who lived this experience with us ? it was long but well worth it.

And now, what would be a better way to end this thing than to the words of the winner: go ahead, Ginny, the last post is all yours!

Sage thanks and says goodbye! :toothy:

[GinnyLyn]

Auron cleared his throat, for once, looking...well...perplexed and without words. His mouth hung open ever so slightly, working to form words that just didn't come out.

Cid plopped the microphone in front of the Crimson Warrior again, and he stepped back as it shrieked with high pitched feedback.
Instead of his usual glare, Auron just watched Cid step back, then cleared his throat. He looked up over his shades toward his audience, giving the appearance that he was watching everyone through the screens in every world.

[color=crimson]"I am...well, I am...honored. Something I haven't felt in a long, long time. I..."[/color] Auron blinked hard and his shades slid down his nose; he had to nudge them back up to keep them from falling off. [color=crimson]"...well I..."[/color]

All over the many worlds, people leaned in to hear what he had to say. The other Survivors watched from their prime spot on the Ragnarok; even Cecil listened attentively.

[color=crimson]"Cid asked me what my thoughts and feeling are. My mind whirls in a mad rush with the memories of everything we Survivors have done in the past few months. We raised Chocobos, climbed an enormous tree, fought for cards, searched for Espers, saved Aeons and were Aeons ourselves. We laughed, we planned, we lived in awe of each other as we learned to work together.

Never once did I see any malice between players, whether it was from the loss of a single challenge to loss of ourselves from the game. That, my friends, I will truly take with me. For, in any other competition, many would have cheated to win, thrived on hatred and gossip, and pulled out on top only to be cursed. Yet here, in Final Fantastic Survivor, twelve of us were thrown together, people who did not know each other well, if at all. And I know I have walked away as friends to them all, closer to some after all this, and becoming friends for the first time because of all this.

I am proud and honored to wear the Final Fantastic Survivor title, not because of me, myself, and I. I wear this for all those who helped to shape me into this. I wear this in memory of what we started so long ago, and what, sadly, finishes here today. I can't..."[/color]

Auron's shades slipped down again as he bowed his head. He furrowed his eyebrows and pushed them high on his bridge nose, enough to cover his russet eye, glinting brightly.

There was a moment of silence. Auron gritted his teeth slightly, and when he spoke again, his voice sounded thick. [color=crimson]"Thank you, Cid. Thank you, Survivors. Thank you, everyone who voted. I am proud to be your [b]Final Fantastic Survivor[/b]."[/color] And with that, he stepped away from the microphone.

World to world, the audiences burst into tremendous applause, accented by screams of joy and cheering. Cid clapped Auron on his back and grinned. "You just won Final Fantasy Survivor. What are you going to do next?"

[color=crimson]"I'm going to....rest."[/color]

"That's rather anticlimatical, you know."

Auron smiled. [color=crimson]"There's a nice little island just off the coast of Besaid. Perfect for an 'old warhorse' like myself. I'm glad to prove that us 'old fogies' can do as well as the young ones, but...it's time for me to rest. Thank you again, Cid."[/color]

"No, thank you. And everyone, for joining us for [b]Final Fantastic Survivor[/b]!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
OoC: OH MY GAW EEEEEEEEEEE!!! *bounces off of walls crazily and screams and does all sorts of Ginny-gone-crazy things* ThankyouThankyouThankyouThankyouThankyouThankyou!!!!
Oh my gosh oh my gosh...I never thought I would have made it this far but....whoa. :eek:

Seriously, for everyone that stuck it through, thank you. For everyone who wrote, thank you. For everyone who voted, thank you.
For everyone that grew closer because of this game...thank you.
And thank [i]you[/i], Sage, for making this game, for showing me I can actually write, for reflaming my passion for Auron (that's right, it's HIS fault, lol!), and for, well, for all of it!

This is GinnyLyn, Final Fantastic Survivor, signing off! :excited:

[Desbreko]

[color=seagreen]Hmm, so does the runner-up get a consolation post? If not, too bad. :p[/color]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cecil stood up as Auron stepped back from the microphone. He extended his arm and the two shook hands, the same old grin on their faces, only this time... This time there was a hint of regret. Regret at the competition being over.

[color=teal]"Congratulations,"[/color] Cecil said as they shook. [color=teal]"You deserve it."[/color]

[color=crimson]"You didn't do so bad yourself."[/color]

Cecil chuckled. [color=teal]"Yeah, and I suppose I don't really need another island or more money anyway."[/color]

Auron raised an eyebrow. [color=crimson]"What do you mean by that?"[/color]

Cecil grinned again. [color=teal]"You know how, back in Besaid, I said I had a title that would be a lot more annoying than 'Sir'?"[/color] Auron nodded, still puzzled, as Cecil continued. [color=teal]"Well, let's just say this game was fit for a king,"[/color] he finished with a wink.

Eyebrows shot up all around the lounge of the Ragnarok before Auron finally replied, the grin returning to his face. [color=crimson]"I can see what you mean...Your Majesty."[/color]

[color=teal]"Ha ha, yes, I can just imagine what Zell would have been capable of with that knowledge."[/color]

[color=orangered]"Hey!"[/color]

Cecil chuckled again, and Auron asked, [color=crimson]"So what are you king of?"[/color]

[color=teal]"The Nation of Baron. After I and my friends defeated Zeromus, me and Rosa got married and I became the new king. I had to save the world in the process, but I went from Dark Knight to Paladin king."[/color]

[color=crimson]"You're right, then; you don't need the money or island. And you've already got a good title, Your Majesty."[/color]

[color=teal]"It's too bad you're not from my world. I'd make you bow before me,"[/color] Cecil said with a smirk.

[color=crimson]"I don't have to be from Baron to bow,"[/color] Auron said with yet another grin, and bowed.

[color=teal]"Yes, very funny. This is why I didn't say anything until now, at the very end."[/color] Cecil glanced over at Cid. [color=teal]"So what happens now?"[/color]

"The competition's over, so it's time for you guys to get the #%&$ off my airship and go home."

Cecil raised an eyebrow. [color=teal]"Touché."[/color]

"Heheh, nah, I'll give each of you a lift back to your own world. So hold on to your drawers and don't piss in 'em." And with that, Cid sat down in the pilot's chair and blasted off into the dimensional warp.

[center]-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

[size=5][i]The End[/i][/size][/center]