What I Wouldn't Do For You
Chapter Eight: Rikku's Perspective
It's been another month since the whole incident with Pops and Cibaneun. I couldn't be happier that Gippal helped me out of that tight spot. If I actually had to marry a guy that I didn't know ANYTHING about whatsoever, I think that I would throw myself off the Celsius. Not that Cibaneun is bad looking; I think that he's rather cute. He seems like a gentleman, and he's really polite.
It's just that as I said, I don't know anything about him. He could probably make a good husband, but for the right girl. And I'm not her.
I mean, c'mon! I'm eighteen and single, and I like to keep it that way! A girl that has blossomed into her womanhood shouldn't have to be weighed down by the chains of marriage! I would rather lose all my respect points or face Vegnagun again if I had to be some perfect little housewife who is only expected to have dinner on the table before her husband comes home. Oh, I plan to get married, but not now. And I'd rather that I would marry the guy that I WANTED to spend my life with, not someone that Pops handpicked especially for me.
Yep, eighteen and single. Once I get this whole problem with the arranged marriage worked out, I'm gonna hit the town! I'm gonna go to the greatest clubs in Luca and dance and kick back a few drinks until the sun comes up! I don't need to have a husband to make me happy!
...although, I have to admit that I get lonely sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I like to have fun. But not wanting a husband doesn't mean that I don't want someone right there beside me.
C'mon girls, y'know what I mean! That great guy who sticks by you no matter what, and thinks you're beautiful even if you looked like you were swallowed by a sandworm and spat right back out. That guy who is fun to hang out with and makes you laugh until your sides hurt. And I guess it would be a bonus if he was hot.
I've been all over Spira, and I haven't met Mr. Perfect. I swear, the few perfect guys in this world are like a dying race or something. I looked and looked, but I never found that one person who I could imagine being with. The guys I've met are either too serious, or just plain perverted.
Talk about slim pickings, huh?
...but...for the longest time, I really thought one person I knew was actually the perfect guy for me. I was so sure, 100% absolutely positively CERTAIN.
That person was Gippal, emphasis on WAS. I always thought that he was really cute and totally fun to be around with. You just can't be gloomy around that guy because he was always laid-back. Plus, he was hot. That spiky blonde hair and that mysterious eye-patch made him really handsome.
He made me feel special when we dated. I was sixteen then, and I thought that I was in love. Y'know, that feeling when you're all warm and nice inside, when you feel that nothing can go wrong? Aside from his constant joking and his tough-guy act, he wasn't a bad person. I believed that there was a softer side of him that he did his best not to show because he was a guy, and supposedly guys don't show their sensitivity.
I was head-over-heels for him. I used to feel that I could've actually married him one day. That was how much I was in love...
...until the jerk tore my heart out of my chest and broke it. I mean he BROKE it, completely destroyed it, and just absolutely DEMOLISHED IT. There weren't even pieces of the pieces.
Needless to say, I was heartbroken. Like any girl would've done in my position, I asked him why.
And he answered, "Because I can't be tied down to a girl who's constantly traveling all over Spira."
...first of all, who said that I was tying him down?! What am I, some kind of burden to that egomaniac? Second, it's my job! I was helping out people in Spira and teaching them how to use machina! I mean, hello! These people lived in an era where machina were forbidden from their religion. It's not likely that they would know how to even assemble one! Third, Gippal could've just TOLD me he felt that way instead of dumping me like that! How was I supposed to know that I was upsetting him? It's not like I can read minds or something!
Of course, being me, I didn't tell him any of that. I just nodded my head and said 'okay', when things really weren't okay at all. I spent quite a lot of time on the Celsius in my room crying my eyes out. I didn't see anybody for that whole week, not even Brother, Buddy, or Shinra. I didn't even contact Yunie. Brother tried to get the truth out of me, but I just told him to go away. He would still bug me, and it got so bad that he told Pops about it. Before I knew it, I was summoned back to Bikanel Island. Pops was there with a serious look on his face, but once he saw how sad I looked, he softened up. He told me that I was supposed to be a strong girl because our people looked up to me. He also said that I had to stop crying, or else he would've started doing the same thing.
And I can't stand to see Pops cry. He did it once at Mom's funeral, and it really tore me up inside.
So I told him about Gippal. I swear, it took every ounce of his control to keep himself from finding him and ripping him to pieces. After I was finished, he said that he would track Gippal down and give him "a serious talking to". And that meant that Gippal wouldn't be likely to walk on two feet for a while. So I had to beg Pops not to.
I wiped my tears away, and smiled, even if I didn't feel like smiling. I told him that I would get over Gippal because he wasn't worth moping over. I knew Pops didn't believe me, but he didn't say anything. He just hugged me and told me that if I ever wanted to get some serious payback, I just had to give him the word.
I never gave him the word, because I knew it wouldn't be right. As much as I didn't want to break up, I couldn't change Gippal's decision. He's his own person, and it would be wrong for me to make him date me because I was sad. If I didn't make him happy, then I didn't want to bother him anymore.
So I began to start smiling more and laughing more. If I became the bubbly, energetic Rikku everyone knew me to be, then my family and friends would stop worrying about me. I kept saying to myself that Gippal wasn't a reason to stop living, and I still tell myself that.
It still hurt, but I got over it. Gippal and I became friends, like we were before we began dating. We would joke around and make fun of each other like we always did. We pretended that we never dated.
That went on for a year or so. Then Yunie decided to travel around with me and Paine, and then we formed the Gullwings. It was great, it really was! I got to see different places and all that fighting with fiends kept me in shape! Oh, and the fact that we were always hunting for spheres kept me busy, meaning that it made me forget some rather unpleasant thoughts.
For a while, everything was great. Me and my best friends were traveling around Spira together. I loved the freedom. When I was on board the Celsius, I felt like I was flying. That I didn't have to live on the ground again, where all my problems seemed to be.
I was flying away from him...away from Gippal...
So wasn't I surprised when Pops arranged a marriage for me? I swear, it took every little bit of my control to keep myself from ripping his head off.
But what surprised me even more was when HE proposed to me. And I accepted.
I did it on a whim, to be honest. I always dreamed that my perfect guy would declare his love for me in front of all my friends and family. When I was younger, I imagined that it was Gippal. And there he was, kneeling and taking my hand into his...it was like a dream, despite the reality that Gippal was only buying time so we could figure something out that would get me out of marrying Cibaneun.
Until my Pops dragged him into the temple. I was worried then. Yunie and Paine tried to calm me down as I waited outside of Djose. I wanted nothing more than to barge in there and know what Pops and Gippal were saying. But Baralai and Nooj held me back. They said that Gippal could take care of himself, and that he would come out soon.
After what seemed like an eternity to me, they finally came out of the temple. Pops pulled me aside from the party and he told me everything. I almost wanted to jump into the air and burst out laughing, but I knew that that would destroy any chances of me avoiding the marriage.
When everyone left, I was so relieved that I had to thank Gippal. I was so happy: if Pops thought that I was in love with someone else, than he would have to call of the marriage. As much as I hate to admit it, I AM his 'little girl'.
...I wonder, why would Gippal want to help me? A little part of me wanted to think that he still liked me, but I think that's impossible. For one, he's an over-confident playboy. Second, I think he's WAY too committed to machina than he is to girls. And that's putting it lightly.
So it's been almost another month since my birthday. It's the same: wake up, put up with Gippal's teasing, fix and assemble machina.
Except today was different. I had a visitor.
It all began when I was reading over a manual with a few of the other Faction members. I saw something caught my eye, and then there he was.
Cibaneun, dressed in those funny robes of his, was there, smiling at me.
He approached me, completely unfazed by all the strange looks the Faction members were giving him. Rumor has it that Cibaneun had connections with the church of Yevon. To most Al Bheds, he is seen as a traitor.
And that's exactly how the Faction members saw him.
"Good morning, Lady Rikku," he greeted me politely.
I was surprised, and on top of that I didn't know how to react. This was the guy that Pops wanted me to marry, and he's also the same guy that I would rather keep a good distance from.
"Um...hi." I answered him lamely. "What are you doing here?"
His dark green eyes looked right at me, the sun glinting on his blonde hair. I have to admit that his hair was strange: most Al Bhed guys don't wear it that long. I mean, his hair wasn't 'Yuna' long, but it was pretty long by Al Bhed standards.
But...I thought his hair was kind of cute. It was different.
"I wanted to talk to you," he said, earning murmurs from the Faction members. "I mean, if you weren't too busy. If you are I can always leave and speak to you another time."
The way he spoke...he sounded like a very considerate person.
"I'm not THAT busy," I admitted, feeling sorry for the poor guy. A bunch of the members were cracking jokes in Al Bhed and throwing disapproving stares at his way.
"So, you wouldn't mind taking a short walk with me?"
I bit my lip. What was I going to do? This is the man that my Pops unintentionally doomed me with...
...but he's so nice! I should hate him, kick him, yell at him...but I couldn't. Cibaneun was too much of a gentleman. I don't know why he helped Pops in exchange for marrying me, but he didn't deserve to be treated like dirt.
So, much to the surprise of the Faction members, I agreed. Cibaneun and I left the temple and started to walk on the road that led to the Moonflow. To our luck, the weather was beautiful, and the fiends weren't acting up today.
Not that I was worried. Paine might have a big sword and Yunie her pistols, but I have my trusty daggers! There ain't a fiend that they can't cut through!
Okay, enough of my boasting. Anyway, we were walking, neither of us saying anything for a while. I kept looking at him from the corners of my eyes, but his long bangs partially covered his face.
"Thank you for taking a walk with me," he said. I could've sworn I saw his cheeks blushing when he said that.
Whether I wanted to marry him or not, I couldn't deny that he was cute!
"No prob," I cheerfully answered, stretching my arms. "It's nice to take a break from working on machina all day."
"I am glad to hear that," he continued. He looked at me with a grateful expression in his dark green eyes. "I actually want to ride across the Moonflow when we get there. Would it trouble you to...?"
I shook my head. "No, it's fine! I've actually haven't ridden on a shoopuf for a while."
He smiled shyly. Funny how he seemed so confident around a bunch of glaring Al Bhed, but he seemed nervous around me.
We walked in silence again for a while. We could hear the gushing of the Moonflow ahead of us as well as the laughter of a few kids.
"I'm sorry if your feet are tired," he said suddenly. "I guess the walk to the Moonflow was longer than I had thought. I should've brought a carriage—"
I threw my hands up in protest. "Whoa, settle down. You don't have to apologize for anything."
He opened his mouth again, but closed it.
Seeing how he was nervous, I giggled lightly. "Don't worry. Just relax."
He was quiet, but then he smiled. "Yes. I'll do that."
He talked to a Hypello at the dock, and then we boarded the carriage on top of the shoopuf. The Hypello driver muttered something that we couldn't hear (I still have trouble trying to understand what those guys say!), the blue creature shifted and we were off.
The water glided around the shoopuf gracefully as we sat on the plush, comfortable seat. The slight breeze tickled my bare arms, and it passed through Cibaneun's shoulder-length hair, revealing a bit of his face.
I'm not going to lie: he doesn't look half-bad for an Al Bhed Yevonite. His hair might be a little long, but he looks clean and well groomed. He didn't even know me that well, and already I can tell that he's a polite and sweet guy.
...so not like Gippal, who spiked his hair and smelled of machina grease and oil. Gippal, who always called me 'Cid's little girl', and teased me on a daily basis.
Cibaneun and Gippal were two different guys. They were the polar opposites of each other. Each one had characteristics that the other lacked.
It's a small world, huh?
"Lady Rikku?"
I heard his voice from my thoughts, and I quickly snapped out of my daze. "Yeah?"
Cibaneun looked worried as he spoke. "Are you all right? You look like something's bothering you."
"Yeah, I'm fine!" I fibbed. "You're way too serious, y'know that? You shouldn't worry so much or else you'll get wrinkles."
To my surprise, Cibaneun chuckled. "That's so like you."
My eyes widened. What did he mean by that?
"Huh?" I asked, confusion swelling inside of me.
He smiled and brushed back a few loose strands of his hair. "Forgive me. What I meant was that it's so like you to reassure people the way that you do."
I tilted my head to one side, listening as he continued.
"From what I have seen, you seem like a person who puts other's troubles ahead of your own," he spoke, looking to the waters of the Moonflow. "When I see you, you're always smiling or laughing around people, as if you didn't have a care in the world."
His eyes cast downwards, his hair spilling over his eyes again. "I...admire that. Whenever I am around people, I can never feel that happy or carefree because of my family's past. The Yevonites treat me like I'm a praetor, whereas the Al Bhed treat me like I'm some kind of horrible fiend."
He looked at me again, a sad smile on his lips. "You probably hate me as well, knowing my connections."
I shook my head frantically. "No, of course not!"
"...but you are a respected member of the Al Bhed tribe."
"So what?!" I stood up, placing my hands on my hips. "Just 'cause I'm an Al Bhed doesn't mean I hate your guts. So what if your family had connections with the Yevonites? That isn't any reason for you to be discriminated."
He stared at me with those dark green eyes again, but I continued to rant. "It shouldn't matter what your ancestors did. The point is that you're NOT them. You can't help what they did, and even if you had wanted to, you wouldn't be able to stop them. The past is past, y'know?"
A few more moments of silence passed between us, and I sat back down again. "Sorry, I get a little carried away."
Cibaneun smiled and shook his head. "No, I should be sorry. You're absolutely right, Lady Rikku."
A few pyreflies drifted in front of us, and he held out his hand to them. The glowing fayth began to dance above his palm, and then they silently flew away.
"The past is past," he repeated what I had said. "Yes...that is all that matters..."
We spent the rest of the shoopuf ride talking about little things. I told Cibaneun about my adventures with the rest of the Gullwings. I decided to leave the part about Shuyin and Vegnagun, though. Those aren't what I would call subjects that could break the ice.
When we were back at the dock, Cibaneun walked me back to Djose. Even though I still was against the arranged marriage, I had a good time talking to him: he wasn't a bad guy at all.
When he left, I thought that the best thing to do was to get back to work before Gippal scolded me. I was walking across the bridge to the temple, where I found the man himself waiting.
"Hey, Gippal," I greeted casually. "What's up?"
"Where were you?" he demanded to know, ignoring my last sentence.
I was caught off guard. His deep voice was a lot more different now. It usually sounded cocky and arrogant...but now, it sounded quite dark.
Like he was mad. At me.
"I took a walk," I said.
"With Cibaneun," he snapped, his green eye glaring at me. "That's what the Faction members said."
"...yeah, so?"
"Why'd you go with him?" he asked me, his face a few inches away from my own.
"He asked me to." I simply answered, confused by the strange way Gippal was acting.
"Do you have ANY sense in that head of yours, Cid's little girl?" he mocked me.
I took a step back, but stood my ground. Why in Spira was he so angry?
"What's your problem, Gippal?" I shot back.
"We're supposed to pretend that we're a couple, remember?" he replied. "I thought you didn't want to marry that pretty boy."
"I don't!" I yelled back.
"Then why the hell did you take a walk with him?" he yelled.
"Because if I didn't get him away from Djose, the Faction members probably would've ripped him apart!"
"Oh, big loss," he retorted sarcastically, turning his back to me.
"Geez Gippal, why are you being such an ass today?!" I screamed at him, feeling my last nerve slipping away from me.
He whirled around and stared me straight into my face with one good eye. "And why are you defending him?"
"Because you act like he's the freaking plague or something," I argued. "He isn't that bad of a guy."
"If that's what you think, why not marry him then?"
My hands curled up into fists.
"If he's not such a bad guy, why don't you just tell Cid that you changed your mind and you wanna go through with the wedding?"
I bit my tongue. Arguing with Gippal wasn't going to do me any good...
"I'm sure that he'll be happy to hear that his darling little girl wants to be a traitor's wife—"
Before I knew it, my hand left my side and I slapped Gippal across his face. The sound was clear and distinct, and reverberated through the air.
Gippal just stood there, holding his cheek with one gloved hand. My hand lowered itself as I felt the hot tears rolling down my face.
"Y-you...you can be so mean, y'know that?"
That said, I ran away from him and to the temple. I ignored the bewildered stares of the Faction members as I bolted past the doors and into my room. I locked it and threw myself on my bed, the tears dripping down my cheeks and soaking my pillow.
I hate Gippal so much. I hate how insensitive he can be, how much of a jerk he is...
...but the one thing that I hate about him the most is that I can't hate him at all.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Thanks for being so patient with the updates, guys. I hope this chapter makes up for my tardiness. I know that it's not very good, but I wanted to make things a bit more exciting and write from Rikku's perspective since most of the story is from Gippal's.
Hopefully, you've enjoyed it. I know it's kinda angsty, but I was inspired.
See ya!
Chapter Eight: Rikku's Perspective
It's been another month since the whole incident with Pops and Cibaneun. I couldn't be happier that Gippal helped me out of that tight spot. If I actually had to marry a guy that I didn't know ANYTHING about whatsoever, I think that I would throw myself off the Celsius. Not that Cibaneun is bad looking; I think that he's rather cute. He seems like a gentleman, and he's really polite.
It's just that as I said, I don't know anything about him. He could probably make a good husband, but for the right girl. And I'm not her.
I mean, c'mon! I'm eighteen and single, and I like to keep it that way! A girl that has blossomed into her womanhood shouldn't have to be weighed down by the chains of marriage! I would rather lose all my respect points or face Vegnagun again if I had to be some perfect little housewife who is only expected to have dinner on the table before her husband comes home. Oh, I plan to get married, but not now. And I'd rather that I would marry the guy that I WANTED to spend my life with, not someone that Pops handpicked especially for me.
Yep, eighteen and single. Once I get this whole problem with the arranged marriage worked out, I'm gonna hit the town! I'm gonna go to the greatest clubs in Luca and dance and kick back a few drinks until the sun comes up! I don't need to have a husband to make me happy!
...although, I have to admit that I get lonely sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I like to have fun. But not wanting a husband doesn't mean that I don't want someone right there beside me.
C'mon girls, y'know what I mean! That great guy who sticks by you no matter what, and thinks you're beautiful even if you looked like you were swallowed by a sandworm and spat right back out. That guy who is fun to hang out with and makes you laugh until your sides hurt. And I guess it would be a bonus if he was hot.
I've been all over Spira, and I haven't met Mr. Perfect. I swear, the few perfect guys in this world are like a dying race or something. I looked and looked, but I never found that one person who I could imagine being with. The guys I've met are either too serious, or just plain perverted.
Talk about slim pickings, huh?
...but...for the longest time, I really thought one person I knew was actually the perfect guy for me. I was so sure, 100% absolutely positively CERTAIN.
That person was Gippal, emphasis on WAS. I always thought that he was really cute and totally fun to be around with. You just can't be gloomy around that guy because he was always laid-back. Plus, he was hot. That spiky blonde hair and that mysterious eye-patch made him really handsome.
He made me feel special when we dated. I was sixteen then, and I thought that I was in love. Y'know, that feeling when you're all warm and nice inside, when you feel that nothing can go wrong? Aside from his constant joking and his tough-guy act, he wasn't a bad person. I believed that there was a softer side of him that he did his best not to show because he was a guy, and supposedly guys don't show their sensitivity.
I was head-over-heels for him. I used to feel that I could've actually married him one day. That was how much I was in love...
...until the jerk tore my heart out of my chest and broke it. I mean he BROKE it, completely destroyed it, and just absolutely DEMOLISHED IT. There weren't even pieces of the pieces.
Needless to say, I was heartbroken. Like any girl would've done in my position, I asked him why.
And he answered, "Because I can't be tied down to a girl who's constantly traveling all over Spira."
...first of all, who said that I was tying him down?! What am I, some kind of burden to that egomaniac? Second, it's my job! I was helping out people in Spira and teaching them how to use machina! I mean, hello! These people lived in an era where machina were forbidden from their religion. It's not likely that they would know how to even assemble one! Third, Gippal could've just TOLD me he felt that way instead of dumping me like that! How was I supposed to know that I was upsetting him? It's not like I can read minds or something!
Of course, being me, I didn't tell him any of that. I just nodded my head and said 'okay', when things really weren't okay at all. I spent quite a lot of time on the Celsius in my room crying my eyes out. I didn't see anybody for that whole week, not even Brother, Buddy, or Shinra. I didn't even contact Yunie. Brother tried to get the truth out of me, but I just told him to go away. He would still bug me, and it got so bad that he told Pops about it. Before I knew it, I was summoned back to Bikanel Island. Pops was there with a serious look on his face, but once he saw how sad I looked, he softened up. He told me that I was supposed to be a strong girl because our people looked up to me. He also said that I had to stop crying, or else he would've started doing the same thing.
And I can't stand to see Pops cry. He did it once at Mom's funeral, and it really tore me up inside.
So I told him about Gippal. I swear, it took every ounce of his control to keep himself from finding him and ripping him to pieces. After I was finished, he said that he would track Gippal down and give him "a serious talking to". And that meant that Gippal wouldn't be likely to walk on two feet for a while. So I had to beg Pops not to.
I wiped my tears away, and smiled, even if I didn't feel like smiling. I told him that I would get over Gippal because he wasn't worth moping over. I knew Pops didn't believe me, but he didn't say anything. He just hugged me and told me that if I ever wanted to get some serious payback, I just had to give him the word.
I never gave him the word, because I knew it wouldn't be right. As much as I didn't want to break up, I couldn't change Gippal's decision. He's his own person, and it would be wrong for me to make him date me because I was sad. If I didn't make him happy, then I didn't want to bother him anymore.
So I began to start smiling more and laughing more. If I became the bubbly, energetic Rikku everyone knew me to be, then my family and friends would stop worrying about me. I kept saying to myself that Gippal wasn't a reason to stop living, and I still tell myself that.
It still hurt, but I got over it. Gippal and I became friends, like we were before we began dating. We would joke around and make fun of each other like we always did. We pretended that we never dated.
That went on for a year or so. Then Yunie decided to travel around with me and Paine, and then we formed the Gullwings. It was great, it really was! I got to see different places and all that fighting with fiends kept me in shape! Oh, and the fact that we were always hunting for spheres kept me busy, meaning that it made me forget some rather unpleasant thoughts.
For a while, everything was great. Me and my best friends were traveling around Spira together. I loved the freedom. When I was on board the Celsius, I felt like I was flying. That I didn't have to live on the ground again, where all my problems seemed to be.
I was flying away from him...away from Gippal...
So wasn't I surprised when Pops arranged a marriage for me? I swear, it took every little bit of my control to keep myself from ripping his head off.
But what surprised me even more was when HE proposed to me. And I accepted.
I did it on a whim, to be honest. I always dreamed that my perfect guy would declare his love for me in front of all my friends and family. When I was younger, I imagined that it was Gippal. And there he was, kneeling and taking my hand into his...it was like a dream, despite the reality that Gippal was only buying time so we could figure something out that would get me out of marrying Cibaneun.
Until my Pops dragged him into the temple. I was worried then. Yunie and Paine tried to calm me down as I waited outside of Djose. I wanted nothing more than to barge in there and know what Pops and Gippal were saying. But Baralai and Nooj held me back. They said that Gippal could take care of himself, and that he would come out soon.
After what seemed like an eternity to me, they finally came out of the temple. Pops pulled me aside from the party and he told me everything. I almost wanted to jump into the air and burst out laughing, but I knew that that would destroy any chances of me avoiding the marriage.
When everyone left, I was so relieved that I had to thank Gippal. I was so happy: if Pops thought that I was in love with someone else, than he would have to call of the marriage. As much as I hate to admit it, I AM his 'little girl'.
...I wonder, why would Gippal want to help me? A little part of me wanted to think that he still liked me, but I think that's impossible. For one, he's an over-confident playboy. Second, I think he's WAY too committed to machina than he is to girls. And that's putting it lightly.
So it's been almost another month since my birthday. It's the same: wake up, put up with Gippal's teasing, fix and assemble machina.
Except today was different. I had a visitor.
It all began when I was reading over a manual with a few of the other Faction members. I saw something caught my eye, and then there he was.
Cibaneun, dressed in those funny robes of his, was there, smiling at me.
He approached me, completely unfazed by all the strange looks the Faction members were giving him. Rumor has it that Cibaneun had connections with the church of Yevon. To most Al Bheds, he is seen as a traitor.
And that's exactly how the Faction members saw him.
"Good morning, Lady Rikku," he greeted me politely.
I was surprised, and on top of that I didn't know how to react. This was the guy that Pops wanted me to marry, and he's also the same guy that I would rather keep a good distance from.
"Um...hi." I answered him lamely. "What are you doing here?"
His dark green eyes looked right at me, the sun glinting on his blonde hair. I have to admit that his hair was strange: most Al Bhed guys don't wear it that long. I mean, his hair wasn't 'Yuna' long, but it was pretty long by Al Bhed standards.
But...I thought his hair was kind of cute. It was different.
"I wanted to talk to you," he said, earning murmurs from the Faction members. "I mean, if you weren't too busy. If you are I can always leave and speak to you another time."
The way he spoke...he sounded like a very considerate person.
"I'm not THAT busy," I admitted, feeling sorry for the poor guy. A bunch of the members were cracking jokes in Al Bhed and throwing disapproving stares at his way.
"So, you wouldn't mind taking a short walk with me?"
I bit my lip. What was I going to do? This is the man that my Pops unintentionally doomed me with...
...but he's so nice! I should hate him, kick him, yell at him...but I couldn't. Cibaneun was too much of a gentleman. I don't know why he helped Pops in exchange for marrying me, but he didn't deserve to be treated like dirt.
So, much to the surprise of the Faction members, I agreed. Cibaneun and I left the temple and started to walk on the road that led to the Moonflow. To our luck, the weather was beautiful, and the fiends weren't acting up today.
Not that I was worried. Paine might have a big sword and Yunie her pistols, but I have my trusty daggers! There ain't a fiend that they can't cut through!
Okay, enough of my boasting. Anyway, we were walking, neither of us saying anything for a while. I kept looking at him from the corners of my eyes, but his long bangs partially covered his face.
"Thank you for taking a walk with me," he said. I could've sworn I saw his cheeks blushing when he said that.
Whether I wanted to marry him or not, I couldn't deny that he was cute!
"No prob," I cheerfully answered, stretching my arms. "It's nice to take a break from working on machina all day."
"I am glad to hear that," he continued. He looked at me with a grateful expression in his dark green eyes. "I actually want to ride across the Moonflow when we get there. Would it trouble you to...?"
I shook my head. "No, it's fine! I've actually haven't ridden on a shoopuf for a while."
He smiled shyly. Funny how he seemed so confident around a bunch of glaring Al Bhed, but he seemed nervous around me.
We walked in silence again for a while. We could hear the gushing of the Moonflow ahead of us as well as the laughter of a few kids.
"I'm sorry if your feet are tired," he said suddenly. "I guess the walk to the Moonflow was longer than I had thought. I should've brought a carriage—"
I threw my hands up in protest. "Whoa, settle down. You don't have to apologize for anything."
He opened his mouth again, but closed it.
Seeing how he was nervous, I giggled lightly. "Don't worry. Just relax."
He was quiet, but then he smiled. "Yes. I'll do that."
He talked to a Hypello at the dock, and then we boarded the carriage on top of the shoopuf. The Hypello driver muttered something that we couldn't hear (I still have trouble trying to understand what those guys say!), the blue creature shifted and we were off.
The water glided around the shoopuf gracefully as we sat on the plush, comfortable seat. The slight breeze tickled my bare arms, and it passed through Cibaneun's shoulder-length hair, revealing a bit of his face.
I'm not going to lie: he doesn't look half-bad for an Al Bhed Yevonite. His hair might be a little long, but he looks clean and well groomed. He didn't even know me that well, and already I can tell that he's a polite and sweet guy.
...so not like Gippal, who spiked his hair and smelled of machina grease and oil. Gippal, who always called me 'Cid's little girl', and teased me on a daily basis.
Cibaneun and Gippal were two different guys. They were the polar opposites of each other. Each one had characteristics that the other lacked.
It's a small world, huh?
"Lady Rikku?"
I heard his voice from my thoughts, and I quickly snapped out of my daze. "Yeah?"
Cibaneun looked worried as he spoke. "Are you all right? You look like something's bothering you."
"Yeah, I'm fine!" I fibbed. "You're way too serious, y'know that? You shouldn't worry so much or else you'll get wrinkles."
To my surprise, Cibaneun chuckled. "That's so like you."
My eyes widened. What did he mean by that?
"Huh?" I asked, confusion swelling inside of me.
He smiled and brushed back a few loose strands of his hair. "Forgive me. What I meant was that it's so like you to reassure people the way that you do."
I tilted my head to one side, listening as he continued.
"From what I have seen, you seem like a person who puts other's troubles ahead of your own," he spoke, looking to the waters of the Moonflow. "When I see you, you're always smiling or laughing around people, as if you didn't have a care in the world."
His eyes cast downwards, his hair spilling over his eyes again. "I...admire that. Whenever I am around people, I can never feel that happy or carefree because of my family's past. The Yevonites treat me like I'm a praetor, whereas the Al Bhed treat me like I'm some kind of horrible fiend."
He looked at me again, a sad smile on his lips. "You probably hate me as well, knowing my connections."
I shook my head frantically. "No, of course not!"
"...but you are a respected member of the Al Bhed tribe."
"So what?!" I stood up, placing my hands on my hips. "Just 'cause I'm an Al Bhed doesn't mean I hate your guts. So what if your family had connections with the Yevonites? That isn't any reason for you to be discriminated."
He stared at me with those dark green eyes again, but I continued to rant. "It shouldn't matter what your ancestors did. The point is that you're NOT them. You can't help what they did, and even if you had wanted to, you wouldn't be able to stop them. The past is past, y'know?"
A few more moments of silence passed between us, and I sat back down again. "Sorry, I get a little carried away."
Cibaneun smiled and shook his head. "No, I should be sorry. You're absolutely right, Lady Rikku."
A few pyreflies drifted in front of us, and he held out his hand to them. The glowing fayth began to dance above his palm, and then they silently flew away.
"The past is past," he repeated what I had said. "Yes...that is all that matters..."
We spent the rest of the shoopuf ride talking about little things. I told Cibaneun about my adventures with the rest of the Gullwings. I decided to leave the part about Shuyin and Vegnagun, though. Those aren't what I would call subjects that could break the ice.
When we were back at the dock, Cibaneun walked me back to Djose. Even though I still was against the arranged marriage, I had a good time talking to him: he wasn't a bad guy at all.
When he left, I thought that the best thing to do was to get back to work before Gippal scolded me. I was walking across the bridge to the temple, where I found the man himself waiting.
"Hey, Gippal," I greeted casually. "What's up?"
"Where were you?" he demanded to know, ignoring my last sentence.
I was caught off guard. His deep voice was a lot more different now. It usually sounded cocky and arrogant...but now, it sounded quite dark.
Like he was mad. At me.
"I took a walk," I said.
"With Cibaneun," he snapped, his green eye glaring at me. "That's what the Faction members said."
"...yeah, so?"
"Why'd you go with him?" he asked me, his face a few inches away from my own.
"He asked me to." I simply answered, confused by the strange way Gippal was acting.
"Do you have ANY sense in that head of yours, Cid's little girl?" he mocked me.
I took a step back, but stood my ground. Why in Spira was he so angry?
"What's your problem, Gippal?" I shot back.
"We're supposed to pretend that we're a couple, remember?" he replied. "I thought you didn't want to marry that pretty boy."
"I don't!" I yelled back.
"Then why the hell did you take a walk with him?" he yelled.
"Because if I didn't get him away from Djose, the Faction members probably would've ripped him apart!"
"Oh, big loss," he retorted sarcastically, turning his back to me.
"Geez Gippal, why are you being such an ass today?!" I screamed at him, feeling my last nerve slipping away from me.
He whirled around and stared me straight into my face with one good eye. "And why are you defending him?"
"Because you act like he's the freaking plague or something," I argued. "He isn't that bad of a guy."
"If that's what you think, why not marry him then?"
My hands curled up into fists.
"If he's not such a bad guy, why don't you just tell Cid that you changed your mind and you wanna go through with the wedding?"
I bit my tongue. Arguing with Gippal wasn't going to do me any good...
"I'm sure that he'll be happy to hear that his darling little girl wants to be a traitor's wife—"
Before I knew it, my hand left my side and I slapped Gippal across his face. The sound was clear and distinct, and reverberated through the air.
Gippal just stood there, holding his cheek with one gloved hand. My hand lowered itself as I felt the hot tears rolling down my face.
"Y-you...you can be so mean, y'know that?"
That said, I ran away from him and to the temple. I ignored the bewildered stares of the Faction members as I bolted past the doors and into my room. I locked it and threw myself on my bed, the tears dripping down my cheeks and soaking my pillow.
I hate Gippal so much. I hate how insensitive he can be, how much of a jerk he is...
...but the one thing that I hate about him the most is that I can't hate him at all.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Thanks for being so patient with the updates, guys. I hope this chapter makes up for my tardiness. I know that it's not very good, but I wanted to make things a bit more exciting and write from Rikku's perspective since most of the story is from Gippal's.
Hopefully, you've enjoyed it. I know it's kinda angsty, but I was inspired.
See ya!