He shrugs a little - he doesn't actually understand all that much about what is going on in Spira as a whole, or know all that much about any other summoners.

“It’s all right. We’ll learn together,” Yuna says, hand over her heart.

He nods slowly. "I- as you say, ma'am."

Yuna seems a little taken-aback by the formal address. “The aeons don’t usually call me ma’am. You don’t have to either, Aten.”

Confusion.

"I- then- what? Um. Should I call you? Ma-"

“My name is Yuna. I’m from the Isle of Besaid,” she says, smiling at him. 

He nods slowly. "I- okay. I-I'll. Try. Ma- Yu-Yuna." (It sounds physically painful for him to say her name.)

“Oh, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just- people call me ma’am or my lady, but the people I care about just call me Yuna. I’ve never much liked the formality of other titles.”

He flickers a little - shyly? - and gives another nod.

"I- just. Don't- I was always-" he gestures a little vaguely.

“You weren’t treated like a friend,” Yuna says, and nods. “The summoners you had previously, they must’ve been terrible people. You’re supposed to form a close bond with your aeons. That’s how they become more powerful. They’re- you’re not servants or slaves. Friends.”

There's a sense that that is a completely new concept to Aten.

"I- I don't know how to- I'm sorry."

“It’s okay. It’s not really something I can instruct, it’s more like...building trust. I want to prove myself to you, to prove that I won’t just use you to build my own power. I want us to fight well.”

She ducks her head, blushing a little. “I hope we’ll be good friends.”

-Yup, that flicker is definitely shyness. "I- I think I hope that to?"

Yuna can't help the grin, but she keeps her head down, blushing bright red.

The others wake not long after, and the group readies to leave. 

Auron keeps his eye on Aten, curious about the aeon that acts so much like a young boy.

Lulu regards him with actual suspicion, watching over Yuna, as if waiting for her to faint any second.

He withdraws in on himself as everyone wakes, trying very hard not to look like a threat. Not the easiest task when you're made entirely of fire.

Lulu will keep a careful eye on him, one arm wrapped around Yuna.

"Next stop, the Calm Lands. Keep close, Aten."

Auron leads the way.

He slides out of his human form into a ball of fire, and follows. He stays close, although still somewhat separate.

Yuna smiles at the little ball of flames very fondly.

The sun is going down once they leave the woods proper, and with none of Rin's establishments in sight, they set up camp just on the edge of the forest. 

Yuna pulls out a small sphere, and begins muttering quiet words into it. It's become something of a ritual for her, keeping a journal of their journey.

Aten settles himself out of the way, the ball of fire shrinking somewhat, trying to be less noticeable.

Yuna's voice carries just enough that Aten can hear her talk about him...and someone she lost.

-he doesn't want to intrude. And there's an- alien desire to comfort her? But he doesn't know how.