ooc; 001
This is a record of everything that has happened to Rikku, both in Spira and while she's been in Purgatorium - mostly for me, because yea. I'm terrible at keeping track of events, otherwise.
SPIRA;
Born to a set of Al Bhed parents, Rikku was raised as most others of her race were - behind the walls of Home in the Sanubia Sands, away from the religious influences of Yevon. Bikanel Island is where she grew up; it's an out-of-the-way island that's basically just one big desert. She was pretty much raised in a garage, surrounded by tools and machina - her world's version of machines. As she got older, she came to understand the hate between her people and most of the rest of Spira, and grew accustomed to ethnic slurs and dirty looks anytime she set foot off of the island her people had dubbed a safe haven. As her father, Cid, was the self-appointed maytan (leader) of her entire race, she was considered a sort of 'princess.' However, she has never embraced this position, and expertly avoids any mention of it; she also becomes quite annoyed and upset whenever it's brought up, even if in a completely innocent and unassuming manner.
When she was six years old, she got into an argument with her family and ran into the desert; there, she came into contact with a haywire machina which attempted to stab her. Right before it could impale her, however, her mother rushed in and took the blow, dismantling the machine before dying right in front of Rikku's eyes. Ever since, the girl has had a strong sense of family and won't tolerate her friends being injured in any way. Even though she often argues with her relatives, she would never abandon them or let them come to any harm if there was something she could do to prevent it. She has an undying strength of loyalty to those she considers important, and would willingly make the same sacrifice her mother did, if need be. This fierce love for others played a big part in her later decision to become a Guardian.
Just before her mother's death, she met a boy named Gippal; he had come to Home with his mother, without any trace of his father. Intrigued by his eye patch and the murky story surrounding his arrival on Bikanel, she was determined to find out more about him. Quickly (after a few minor scuffles, I'm sure), he and Rikku became the best of friends and were basically inseparable; one could call them childhood sweethearts, in spite of the fact that he was a year older than her. Also, Cid became sort of a father-figure to Gippal, and the one-eyed boy's mother assumed the role of Rikku's surrogate mother. It was a convenient, if bitter, turn of events that only brought the two young Al Bhed closer together.
A few years after she met Gippal, Rikku was at the oasis with Brother. A water fiend rose from the depths, and attacked her without warning. Still clumsy in the field of magic use, he shot a thunder spell at the creature, but missed horribly. Of course, he ended up hitting his younger sister instead, throwing her back into the rocks and knocking her unconscious. After suffering from amnesia for three days, she recovered her memories, but has never really forgiven her elder sibling for his lack of aim. Ever since, she has suffered from astraphobia, the fear of thunder and lightning.
At the age of fifteen, she found out that Gippal, was leaving Home. Rikku had no idea of where he was going or why - all she knew was that her best friend was leaving her, and the thought terrified her. Finding him the night before he left, she demanded an explanation for his abandonment. After he refused to give one, she told him that she had decided to become a Guardian for her cousin, Yuna. The two realized that they were both heading out for dangerous futures, and knew they might not see each other again once they set out. With this knowledge in mind, they made the mutual decision to make love for the first - and possibly last - time. (actually, it was more of Gippal deciding and Rikku agreeing). That was the second time Gippal had ever asked Rikku to trust him, and she did so without question.
About halfway through the Pilgrimage, Rikku caught up with her elder cousin, and enrolled herself as a member of the diverse crew of Guardians. Quickly, she came to look up to Lulu (the resident black mage) and Auron (the resident warrior) as role-models. She and another Guardian, Wakka, became friends as well; however, Wakka was an avid believer in Yevon, and the moment he found out that Rikku was Al Bhed, he renounced their friendship. After attempt after attempt to prove to him that she was not a heathen, he finally relented and admitted that he liked her anyway, no matter her ethnicity.
Before Home was put under siege, Rikku received word that Gippal had joined an Al Bhed-friendly faction of the Crusaders. Knowing that the Crusaders had worked in unison with Al Bhed to create a machina to destroy Sin at Operation Mi'ihen, she assumed that was where Gippal had been stationed. With the knowledge that many of her people had died there, she sought out the one person she was positive would know her best friend's whereabouts - Rin. He told her that Gippal had already been sent to Home, so she knew he was alive, for the time being. As not all the Al Bhed got away on the airship, one of which was Gippal, there was an extended period of time where Rikku was under the impression that Gippal was either missing or dead, and he thought the same of her. Not until much later is it assumed that the two find out that the other is indeed still alive.
Just before Yuna's marriage to Seymour, the Guado launched an attack on Home. Desperate to save both the Summoners and her people, Rikku led the other Guardians into the bowels of the machina city to try and rid it of fiends. Unable to do much except slow them down, all of the remaining Al Bhed piled onto the airship, Fahrenheit, and abandoned their haven. In a last-minute act of defiance, Cid decided to destroy Home; the airship launched several missiles at it, sending the city back into the sands from whence it had come, along with all the monsters inside. Rikku's eldest brother, Keyakku, was killed before she and the other Guardians arrived on Bikanel to help; his death weighs heavily on her conscious, as she still believes that if she had been perhaps a few seconds faster or a tiny bit stronger, she would have been able to save him.
Two years pass after Sin is defeated; Spira finally has the pleasure of the Eternal Calm. During this time, Rikku changes rapidly (in character and dress), and travels all around the world to teach people about machina and its various uses.
However, peace doesn't last long; a new threat has arrived, and it's up to the Gullwings (Rikku and Brother's sphere hunting group) to clean up trouble. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine - better known as YRP - fly across Spira on the airship Celsius, beating down their sphere hunting competition and defeating fiends and corrupt Aeons alike. At one point in their journey, in the Den of Woe, Rikku becomes possessed by an Unsent called Shuyin, and actually attacks her comrades, under the delusion that they're fiends.
Also, Rikku meets up with Gippal again at the centre of the Machine Faction, Djose Temple. Immediately recognizing him, she tries to play it cool with her now-famous cousin and describes him as "alright." In turn, the eighteen year old boy remarks that he and Rikku "made quite the couple." Obviously embarrassed by this, she becomes flustered and can't really find anything else to say to him. This initial meeting is short-lived, but the two continue to run into each other as YRP makes their way towards Bevelle to finally reveal Vegnagun and expose Yevon's (and New Yevon's) secrets.
After the deadly machina is destroyed and calm returns to Spira, Rikku is yanked out of her world and thrown into a new one.
PURGATORIUM;
Arriving on the third of September, Purgatorium time, Rikku is immediately aware that she is no longer in Spira. Quickly reverting back to instinct, she treks to the junkyard and accidentally meets with Kakashi and Edward Elric. After gathering parts, she returns back to her newly-claimed garage to fix Lime's legs. The two immediately become friends, and Lime starts to consider Rikku as sort of a mother-figure. Edward had messed up his automail arm in a fight with Viral, so he seeks Rikku out a few days later and she gives him some repairs.
After an amazingly bad day, Rikku's newfound friend, Naminé, goes across Purgatorium to cheer up the elder blonde. It is at this initial meeting that the pregnant girl asks the Al Bhed to be her baby's godmother; Rikku gleefully accepts the offer. A few days later as she's out collecting machina, she runs into Kakashi and Lime and the trio chats for a bit before Kakashi leaves to find Naruto and Sakura.
As the Love Event begins, Rikku falls in love with all males in the city. Kakashi initially responds to her call, and the two meet up and have sex. The next day, Lime is having trouble with her Marionette legs again, so Rikku fixes her up once more. Twenty four hours later, Rikku meets with Tidus, who confesses his love for her because of the Event. Afterwards, both feel incredibly guilty and mutually agree to keep their meeting a secret from Yuna. And, yet again, she meets with Kakashi to talk about what happened between them.
When she has a completely random need for pastries, Rikku invites Zack to her garage, and the duo eats pie and talk. The two become fast friends, and Rikku is even more delighted to be his child's godmother. A few days later, she attends Misao's party, and thoroughly enjoys herself at the snack bar. Finally, in the middle of a thunderstorm, Rikku and Kakashi confess their love for each other and officially become a couple. At the end of the month, while scouting for machina, Rikku has a chance meeting with Logan, and he "saves" her from a fiend. After he calls her "princess," she gets defensive, but the two become friends anyway.
On the first of October, after resigning herself to the fact that Kakashi had died, she meets up with her mujan and his mentor completely by chance. Ecstatic, she clings and greets Jiraiya happily. Soon she becomes bored, and makes the acquaintance of a man named Lupin. When she finds out that he's a thief like her, she immediately meets with him and plots a steal-off. Rikku ends up stealing files from Rufus ShinRa, and Lupin ganks a few papers from Professor Hojo.
The next week, after being attacked by a fiend, she recruits help from The Doctor and he pays her a house-call to treat her wounds. Entranced by his Sonic Screwdriver, she contemplates stealing it, but rejects the idea because she thinks he's too nice. Not able to find anything with which to occupy herself, she meets with Balthier to plot another heist; this scheme falls through, however.
A masquerade is set up by the gods, and Rikku gratefully attends with Kakashi. Initially, she meets up with Logan and Yachiru before her mujan shows up a bit later. A few hours in, she gets some fresh air on a balcony and is bombarded with a whole host of people, most of whom she becomes fast friends with.
At the beginning of November, Rikku and Kakashi get into an argument. In an attempt to apologize, he waits for her at their home and the two end up having sex. A mere week after making up with her mujan, she disappears once she is infected with Jenova's cells thanks to Hojo. The transformation is tough on her, but she comes out relatively unscathed. She even manages to have sex with Hojo on his kitchen floor once she's been completely overtaken. A few days after that, she pretends to be injured and is "rescued" by Nel and Logan. Itachi is standing by, and becomes intrigued by the newfound power he can sense coming from her.
After having time to "recuperate," she is visited by Zack and Kadaj. Kadaj can immediately tell that she has been infected, and blatantly informs Zack of such. Horrified, Rikku is thrown into long-term denial about the change that has come over her, and continues to refuse acceptance that she is no longer completely human. In this state, she goes to the river where she meets Kakashi; the two have not seen each other in well over three weeks, and it's a touching reunion. However, this is essentially the beginning of their relationship's instability. Three days later Gippal arrives, and Rikku goes to the clock tower to pick up her best friend.
December started out on an interesting note; Rikku feels that Itachi is becoming too nosy, so she kills him, more out of impulse than anything. There is little evidence that she was the culprit of his murder, but pretty much everyone knows she was involved. Two days later, Naminé offers clothes to Purgatorium, and Rikku drops by for some hugs. Later in the week, Rikku meets Kakashi again to talk about what's been going on between the two of them. Sometime a few hours later, Naminé confronts Rikku about Jenova, and the Al Bhed finally starts to realize that she has indeed changed. Completely by chance, she runs into Church and Grif and becomes interested in their armor.
On the sixteenth, Hojo made his great escape from ShinRa with the help of the "infected." Shortly afterwards, Rikku is stricken by the horrible thing that she's done and runs away into the forest after making a nonsensical post on her journal. Schuldig responds, tracks her down, and takes her into ShinRa's custody. While in the makeshift jail, Paine comes to visit her in order to find out what happened. Possibly one of the greatest hardships Rikku has had to endure in Purgatorium was being interrogated by Zack. It was then that she let herself halfway accept that she had done so many horrible things, and that she had efficiently disgraced her family and her people. However, she cooperates fully with the SOLDIER, and even reveals part of Hojo's plans to punch a hole in the universe.
At MakubeX's request, the "infected" are allowed to meet and discuss what has happened to them so far. Afterwards, and still in ShinRa custody, Rikku lazes about the kitchen and has a random encounter with Shishiwakamaru. Thanks to Zack's connections and a lot of pouting at Rufus, Rikku is allowed to attend the Winter Ball, and arrives with her soul-twin, Riku. Ghiki runs rampant, and the two spend most of the evening trying to track the monkey down.
Seymour got hold of Rikku at the beginning of January, and thoroughly mindfucked her. Paranoid that she has done something terrible by just being near him, she hides out in her garage but is soon found by Brother and Braska. The two men give her comfort, and she soon comes out of her near-hysterical state. Perhaps in an attempt to return to normalcy, the blonde goes to the hospital where she explores with Nhadala and Paine. They don't find much, but it was still good girl-bonding time.
Bored once again, she ropes Riku into spending quality time with her. The two work on an engine, and end up covered in oil. After cleaning herself up, she heads out to the junkyard and helps Shido tame some wild dogs. The two become friends, of course, and Shido develops something of a crush on the blonde girl. A few days later, Gippal re-arrives, and she immediately rushes out to find her best friend. She takes him back to her garage, and hardly lets him out of her sight for fear that he'll disappear again.
Logan comes up with a completely random request, so Rikku goes to his house to tell him about her past and help him forget about Jean for a few hours. All that begging directed at Rufus paid off, because Rikku is allowed to kidnap Bella and hold a sleepover in the ShinRa building. Edward keeps a close eye on them, but he doesn't appear throughout the entire night. Just a few nights after this happy occasion, Schuldig sends out a dream-plea to those closest to him, and Rikku wakes in fear. Celes and Rikku ran into each other by accident, and the two blondes become fast friends. To top off the month, Rikku and Kakashi have a chance meeting at the junkyard, where they officially end their relationship. The two feel that not only has Gippal come between them, but ever since Kakashi had disappeared for three weeks, Rikku had effectively fallen out of love with him. Right after this, Genesis goes to Rikku's garage in order to offer comfort and a shoulder to cry on.
With the arrival of her role-model, Auron, Rikku throws herself into her duties as a Guardian, keeping watch on Weiss and Yuna's home. Once Braska is kidnapped by Seymour, though, she abandons all duties and rushes out to find the elder Guardian, who is in the company of Tifa and Roxas; the two have offered to aid in the search for the Summoner. Soon after this search proves fruitless, Rikku hides in the shadows at the clock tower to keep watch as Weiss and Yuna meet up with Seymour to discuss the High Summoner's release. All goes well, and a few days later, Rikku meets up with Belkar to track down some fiends.
Just a few days later, the gods decide that everyone needs to take a step back - or ahead - in their lives, and alter the ages of the city's inhabitants. Both Rikku and Gippal are changed into children, and Gippal goes to rescue her after he thinks she's been kidnapped by Angeal and Genesis. As soon as Gippal returns to his normal age, he finds out that Baralai is in Purgatorium. Of course, the two get into a fight, and even though the still-young Rikku tries to break it up, Gippal flips out and scares her. The event ends and, as everyone is back to their normal ages, life resumes.
At the beginning of March, an entire host of people - a lot of whom Rikku were friends with - disappear. Secretly distraught, she's more than willing to spar with Paine when the elder girl offers. Several of these people return, however, and she’s back on track after a few days. Rikku’s life is relatively calm until near the middle of the month, when the newly-arrived Baralai beings acting strangely. After a business mishap with the other two Curious Cait Item Shop owners, Rikku turns in early on the night of March 19. She’s woken up by arguing in the main part of her garage and goes downstairs to investigate. She finds Gippal and a possessed Baralai arguing, and is shot.
Genesis, who had recently returned to Purgatorium, immediately leaves the Upper Level to collect her body and wait for her to revive.
P.S. - Feel free to comment on this to tell me if I've missed anything, if you're in awe because of it, if you think I'm a nutjob, etc. That is, if anyone takes the time to read it all~
SPIRA;
Born to a set of Al Bhed parents, Rikku was raised as most others of her race were - behind the walls of Home in the Sanubia Sands, away from the religious influences of Yevon. Bikanel Island is where she grew up; it's an out-of-the-way island that's basically just one big desert. She was pretty much raised in a garage, surrounded by tools and machina - her world's version of machines. As she got older, she came to understand the hate between her people and most of the rest of Spira, and grew accustomed to ethnic slurs and dirty looks anytime she set foot off of the island her people had dubbed a safe haven. As her father, Cid, was the self-appointed maytan (leader) of her entire race, she was considered a sort of 'princess.' However, she has never embraced this position, and expertly avoids any mention of it; she also becomes quite annoyed and upset whenever it's brought up, even if in a completely innocent and unassuming manner.
When she was six years old, she got into an argument with her family and ran into the desert; there, she came into contact with a haywire machina which attempted to stab her. Right before it could impale her, however, her mother rushed in and took the blow, dismantling the machine before dying right in front of Rikku's eyes. Ever since, the girl has had a strong sense of family and won't tolerate her friends being injured in any way. Even though she often argues with her relatives, she would never abandon them or let them come to any harm if there was something she could do to prevent it. She has an undying strength of loyalty to those she considers important, and would willingly make the same sacrifice her mother did, if need be. This fierce love for others played a big part in her later decision to become a Guardian.
Just before her mother's death, she met a boy named Gippal; he had come to Home with his mother, without any trace of his father. Intrigued by his eye patch and the murky story surrounding his arrival on Bikanel, she was determined to find out more about him. Quickly (after a few minor scuffles, I'm sure), he and Rikku became the best of friends and were basically inseparable; one could call them childhood sweethearts, in spite of the fact that he was a year older than her. Also, Cid became sort of a father-figure to Gippal, and the one-eyed boy's mother assumed the role of Rikku's surrogate mother. It was a convenient, if bitter, turn of events that only brought the two young Al Bhed closer together.
A few years after she met Gippal, Rikku was at the oasis with Brother. A water fiend rose from the depths, and attacked her without warning. Still clumsy in the field of magic use, he shot a thunder spell at the creature, but missed horribly. Of course, he ended up hitting his younger sister instead, throwing her back into the rocks and knocking her unconscious. After suffering from amnesia for three days, she recovered her memories, but has never really forgiven her elder sibling for his lack of aim. Ever since, she has suffered from astraphobia, the fear of thunder and lightning.
At the age of fifteen, she found out that Gippal, was leaving Home. Rikku had no idea of where he was going or why - all she knew was that her best friend was leaving her, and the thought terrified her. Finding him the night before he left, she demanded an explanation for his abandonment. After he refused to give one, she told him that she had decided to become a Guardian for her cousin, Yuna. The two realized that they were both heading out for dangerous futures, and knew they might not see each other again once they set out. With this knowledge in mind, they made the mutual decision to make love for the first - and possibly last - time. (actually, it was more of Gippal deciding and Rikku agreeing). That was the second time Gippal had ever asked Rikku to trust him, and she did so without question.
About halfway through the Pilgrimage, Rikku caught up with her elder cousin, and enrolled herself as a member of the diverse crew of Guardians. Quickly, she came to look up to Lulu (the resident black mage) and Auron (the resident warrior) as role-models. She and another Guardian, Wakka, became friends as well; however, Wakka was an avid believer in Yevon, and the moment he found out that Rikku was Al Bhed, he renounced their friendship. After attempt after attempt to prove to him that she was not a heathen, he finally relented and admitted that he liked her anyway, no matter her ethnicity.
Before Home was put under siege, Rikku received word that Gippal had joined an Al Bhed-friendly faction of the Crusaders. Knowing that the Crusaders had worked in unison with Al Bhed to create a machina to destroy Sin at Operation Mi'ihen, she assumed that was where Gippal had been stationed. With the knowledge that many of her people had died there, she sought out the one person she was positive would know her best friend's whereabouts - Rin. He told her that Gippal had already been sent to Home, so she knew he was alive, for the time being. As not all the Al Bhed got away on the airship, one of which was Gippal, there was an extended period of time where Rikku was under the impression that Gippal was either missing or dead, and he thought the same of her. Not until much later is it assumed that the two find out that the other is indeed still alive.
Just before Yuna's marriage to Seymour, the Guado launched an attack on Home. Desperate to save both the Summoners and her people, Rikku led the other Guardians into the bowels of the machina city to try and rid it of fiends. Unable to do much except slow them down, all of the remaining Al Bhed piled onto the airship, Fahrenheit, and abandoned their haven. In a last-minute act of defiance, Cid decided to destroy Home; the airship launched several missiles at it, sending the city back into the sands from whence it had come, along with all the monsters inside. Rikku's eldest brother, Keyakku, was killed before she and the other Guardians arrived on Bikanel to help; his death weighs heavily on her conscious, as she still believes that if she had been perhaps a few seconds faster or a tiny bit stronger, she would have been able to save him.
Two years pass after Sin is defeated; Spira finally has the pleasure of the Eternal Calm. During this time, Rikku changes rapidly (in character and dress), and travels all around the world to teach people about machina and its various uses.
However, peace doesn't last long; a new threat has arrived, and it's up to the Gullwings (Rikku and Brother's sphere hunting group) to clean up trouble. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine - better known as YRP - fly across Spira on the airship Celsius, beating down their sphere hunting competition and defeating fiends and corrupt Aeons alike. At one point in their journey, in the Den of Woe, Rikku becomes possessed by an Unsent called Shuyin, and actually attacks her comrades, under the delusion that they're fiends.
Also, Rikku meets up with Gippal again at the centre of the Machine Faction, Djose Temple. Immediately recognizing him, she tries to play it cool with her now-famous cousin and describes him as "alright." In turn, the eighteen year old boy remarks that he and Rikku "made quite the couple." Obviously embarrassed by this, she becomes flustered and can't really find anything else to say to him. This initial meeting is short-lived, but the two continue to run into each other as YRP makes their way towards Bevelle to finally reveal Vegnagun and expose Yevon's (and New Yevon's) secrets.
After the deadly machina is destroyed and calm returns to Spira, Rikku is yanked out of her world and thrown into a new one.
PURGATORIUM;
Arriving on the third of September, Purgatorium time, Rikku is immediately aware that she is no longer in Spira. Quickly reverting back to instinct, she treks to the junkyard and accidentally meets with Kakashi and Edward Elric. After gathering parts, she returns back to her newly-claimed garage to fix Lime's legs. The two immediately become friends, and Lime starts to consider Rikku as sort of a mother-figure. Edward had messed up his automail arm in a fight with Viral, so he seeks Rikku out a few days later and she gives him some repairs.
After an amazingly bad day, Rikku's newfound friend, Naminé, goes across Purgatorium to cheer up the elder blonde. It is at this initial meeting that the pregnant girl asks the Al Bhed to be her baby's godmother; Rikku gleefully accepts the offer. A few days later as she's out collecting machina, she runs into Kakashi and Lime and the trio chats for a bit before Kakashi leaves to find Naruto and Sakura.
As the Love Event begins, Rikku falls in love with all males in the city. Kakashi initially responds to her call, and the two meet up and have sex. The next day, Lime is having trouble with her Marionette legs again, so Rikku fixes her up once more. Twenty four hours later, Rikku meets with Tidus, who confesses his love for her because of the Event. Afterwards, both feel incredibly guilty and mutually agree to keep their meeting a secret from Yuna. And, yet again, she meets with Kakashi to talk about what happened between them.
When she has a completely random need for pastries, Rikku invites Zack to her garage, and the duo eats pie and talk. The two become fast friends, and Rikku is even more delighted to be his child's godmother. A few days later, she attends Misao's party, and thoroughly enjoys herself at the snack bar. Finally, in the middle of a thunderstorm, Rikku and Kakashi confess their love for each other and officially become a couple. At the end of the month, while scouting for machina, Rikku has a chance meeting with Logan, and he "saves" her from a fiend. After he calls her "princess," she gets defensive, but the two become friends anyway.
On the first of October, after resigning herself to the fact that Kakashi had died, she meets up with her mujan and his mentor completely by chance. Ecstatic, she clings and greets Jiraiya happily. Soon she becomes bored, and makes the acquaintance of a man named Lupin. When she finds out that he's a thief like her, she immediately meets with him and plots a steal-off. Rikku ends up stealing files from Rufus ShinRa, and Lupin ganks a few papers from Professor Hojo.
The next week, after being attacked by a fiend, she recruits help from The Doctor and he pays her a house-call to treat her wounds. Entranced by his Sonic Screwdriver, she contemplates stealing it, but rejects the idea because she thinks he's too nice. Not able to find anything with which to occupy herself, she meets with Balthier to plot another heist; this scheme falls through, however.
A masquerade is set up by the gods, and Rikku gratefully attends with Kakashi. Initially, she meets up with Logan and Yachiru before her mujan shows up a bit later. A few hours in, she gets some fresh air on a balcony and is bombarded with a whole host of people, most of whom she becomes fast friends with.
At the beginning of November, Rikku and Kakashi get into an argument. In an attempt to apologize, he waits for her at their home and the two end up having sex. A mere week after making up with her mujan, she disappears once she is infected with Jenova's cells thanks to Hojo. The transformation is tough on her, but she comes out relatively unscathed. She even manages to have sex with Hojo on his kitchen floor once she's been completely overtaken. A few days after that, she pretends to be injured and is "rescued" by Nel and Logan. Itachi is standing by, and becomes intrigued by the newfound power he can sense coming from her.
After having time to "recuperate," she is visited by Zack and Kadaj. Kadaj can immediately tell that she has been infected, and blatantly informs Zack of such. Horrified, Rikku is thrown into long-term denial about the change that has come over her, and continues to refuse acceptance that she is no longer completely human. In this state, she goes to the river where she meets Kakashi; the two have not seen each other in well over three weeks, and it's a touching reunion. However, this is essentially the beginning of their relationship's instability. Three days later Gippal arrives, and Rikku goes to the clock tower to pick up her best friend.
December started out on an interesting note; Rikku feels that Itachi is becoming too nosy, so she kills him, more out of impulse than anything. There is little evidence that she was the culprit of his murder, but pretty much everyone knows she was involved. Two days later, Naminé offers clothes to Purgatorium, and Rikku drops by for some hugs. Later in the week, Rikku meets Kakashi again to talk about what's been going on between the two of them. Sometime a few hours later, Naminé confronts Rikku about Jenova, and the Al Bhed finally starts to realize that she has indeed changed. Completely by chance, she runs into Church and Grif and becomes interested in their armor.
On the sixteenth, Hojo made his great escape from ShinRa with the help of the "infected." Shortly afterwards, Rikku is stricken by the horrible thing that she's done and runs away into the forest after making a nonsensical post on her journal. Schuldig responds, tracks her down, and takes her into ShinRa's custody. While in the makeshift jail, Paine comes to visit her in order to find out what happened. Possibly one of the greatest hardships Rikku has had to endure in Purgatorium was being interrogated by Zack. It was then that she let herself halfway accept that she had done so many horrible things, and that she had efficiently disgraced her family and her people. However, she cooperates fully with the SOLDIER, and even reveals part of Hojo's plans to punch a hole in the universe.
At MakubeX's request, the "infected" are allowed to meet and discuss what has happened to them so far. Afterwards, and still in ShinRa custody, Rikku lazes about the kitchen and has a random encounter with Shishiwakamaru. Thanks to Zack's connections and a lot of pouting at Rufus, Rikku is allowed to attend the Winter Ball, and arrives with her soul-twin, Riku. Ghiki runs rampant, and the two spend most of the evening trying to track the monkey down.
Seymour got hold of Rikku at the beginning of January, and thoroughly mindfucked her. Paranoid that she has done something terrible by just being near him, she hides out in her garage but is soon found by Brother and Braska. The two men give her comfort, and she soon comes out of her near-hysterical state. Perhaps in an attempt to return to normalcy, the blonde goes to the hospital where she explores with Nhadala and Paine. They don't find much, but it was still good girl-bonding time.
Bored once again, she ropes Riku into spending quality time with her. The two work on an engine, and end up covered in oil. After cleaning herself up, she heads out to the junkyard and helps Shido tame some wild dogs. The two become friends, of course, and Shido develops something of a crush on the blonde girl. A few days later, Gippal re-arrives, and she immediately rushes out to find her best friend. She takes him back to her garage, and hardly lets him out of her sight for fear that he'll disappear again.
Logan comes up with a completely random request, so Rikku goes to his house to tell him about her past and help him forget about Jean for a few hours. All that begging directed at Rufus paid off, because Rikku is allowed to kidnap Bella and hold a sleepover in the ShinRa building. Edward keeps a close eye on them, but he doesn't appear throughout the entire night. Just a few nights after this happy occasion, Schuldig sends out a dream-plea to those closest to him, and Rikku wakes in fear. Celes and Rikku ran into each other by accident, and the two blondes become fast friends. To top off the month, Rikku and Kakashi have a chance meeting at the junkyard, where they officially end their relationship. The two feel that not only has Gippal come between them, but ever since Kakashi had disappeared for three weeks, Rikku had effectively fallen out of love with him. Right after this, Genesis goes to Rikku's garage in order to offer comfort and a shoulder to cry on.
With the arrival of her role-model, Auron, Rikku throws herself into her duties as a Guardian, keeping watch on Weiss and Yuna's home. Once Braska is kidnapped by Seymour, though, she abandons all duties and rushes out to find the elder Guardian, who is in the company of Tifa and Roxas; the two have offered to aid in the search for the Summoner. Soon after this search proves fruitless, Rikku hides in the shadows at the clock tower to keep watch as Weiss and Yuna meet up with Seymour to discuss the High Summoner's release. All goes well, and a few days later, Rikku meets up with Belkar to track down some fiends.
Just a few days later, the gods decide that everyone needs to take a step back - or ahead - in their lives, and alter the ages of the city's inhabitants. Both Rikku and Gippal are changed into children, and Gippal goes to rescue her after he thinks she's been kidnapped by Angeal and Genesis. As soon as Gippal returns to his normal age, he finds out that Baralai is in Purgatorium. Of course, the two get into a fight, and even though the still-young Rikku tries to break it up, Gippal flips out and scares her. The event ends and, as everyone is back to their normal ages, life resumes.
At the beginning of March, an entire host of people - a lot of whom Rikku were friends with - disappear. Secretly distraught, she's more than willing to spar with Paine when the elder girl offers. Several of these people return, however, and she’s back on track after a few days. Rikku’s life is relatively calm until near the middle of the month, when the newly-arrived Baralai beings acting strangely. After a business mishap with the other two Curious Cait Item Shop owners, Rikku turns in early on the night of March 19. She’s woken up by arguing in the main part of her garage and goes downstairs to investigate. She finds Gippal and a possessed Baralai arguing, and is shot.
Genesis, who had recently returned to Purgatorium, immediately leaves the Upper Level to collect her body and wait for her to revive.
P.S. - Feel free to comment on this to tell me if I've missed anything, if you're in awe because of it, if you think I'm a nutjob, etc. That is, if anyone takes the time to read it all~