"They're almost to the equalizer point," Soldat offers, taking the couple seconds to clap a hand on Tidus's shoulder, gripping where shoulder and neck meet in an oddly old-fashioned sort of gesture of reassurance.

Then they sight along their own pistol's barrel and shoot down another rising warrior. "The flowers are a little much," they admit. "But one time I had to fight a pack of moving rocks. At least these can get shot."