= 066 ♣
Vydran;
It’s been three days. Eight, total. I should really just... drag him out of the garage or something, but I can’t. He won’t move, hardly eats, doesn’t speak. I’m pretty sure Genesis and Angeal have noticed me sneaking food from their house, so I gotta figure that out, soon. I just wish he’d... get over it, y’know? I mean, it’s in the past. I died, lost a memory. Baralai died, lost a memory. Boom, it’s over. Life goes on.
We Al Bhed are good at letting go of the past, yea? So... why can’t he?
I wonder what you’d tell him. ... Hm. "There ain’t no Yevon to damn when things don’t work, boy. A machina fails, and we fix it, we don’t go praying to some imaginary deity asking for guidance. So pull yourself together, else you’ll be on quicksand duty for a week!" Maybe. Maybe, maybe, maybe. He’d listen to you - he’s always listened to you. You’re like a father to him, y’know. Closest thing he’s ever had. Maybe that’s why he...
... Huh.
Anyways, Naminé’s due any day now. Shiva, she’s so pregnant. Looks like a giant sphere, her belly does. But she’s never been prettier! When they say "mothers-to-be glow," they really weren’t kidding. I’ll have that, one day.
Not too soon, ‘cause I know you’d probably throw me to the fiends if I got pregnant before I was... dunno, eighteen. Yea, probably not soon - I’ve got too much to do. Watching over Uncle Braska and Yunie, making sure Baralai doesn’t commit cieleta, getting stuff ready for Zack and Naminé’s baby, taking care of Gippal... Too much to do. Some day, though. Bet you can’t wait to be a grandpa, huh? Sometimes I still wonder how come Brother, Keyakku, and I weren’t eaten by fiends right after birth. Must’ve been sysy’s doing.
You miss her, don’t you? Sometimes, I dream about her, y’know. Nice dreams - like, we’re down at the oasis, filling canteens for the men. Or out near the cactuar village, picking pears. All those girly things I did before she died and you took over raising me. Or rather, you handed me off to Gippal’s sysy for raising and you took Gippal under your wing. Good trade-off, huh? Got the second son you always wanted, and your daughter was in training to become a right and proper lady.
I wonder if you’re disappointed, now that we’re grown.
... D’you know how much Brother wishes he could’ve really been that second son? He says he hates you, but honestly, he just wants your approval. The other day, he told me that he just wants you to say you at least like him, before one of you dies. If you were here, I’d make you say it, and you’d mean it. Because it’s not fair of you to do that to him - he knows he’s got so much to live up to, with Keyakku gone. But he’s not Keyakku - he’s Anikki, and you’ve gotta remember that. I’ve gotta, too. ‘Cause when we forget, it hurts him. And I don’t want that.
What else... oh! Remember Genesis? I told you about him last time - red-haired guy, doesn’t say a lot, waited with me while I revived, kinda cute? Well, he’s a woman again! I think this might be the third time it’s happened. Medea must really like him or something.
Now, I know you’re puffing out your chest and getting ready to go into some big speech about how “there’s no such thing as gods,” but just hold up, okay? She and Asclepius - he’s her hubby, I think - are really good to us, most times. They like to screw with our heads, but they say it’s all for some sort of lesson. Don’t you give me that look - that one where you narrow your eyes and you bare your teeth like you’re gonna rip someone’s face off. Yea, I can see it right now, Pops. Don’t knock ‘em till you’ve met ‘em, alright? They’re decent enough, and I’m getting along just fine with them up there. ... Or where ever it is they hang out. Dunno - never actually seen either of them, just talked over these nifty terminals.
Speaking of, I think you might have to tell Shinra someone’s smarter than him, since these are here and not on the Celsius. Some of them double as commspheres, too. Give the kid some competition; make him work for his bunk. Or at least put the idea for a new project in his head.
... Ah, gotta run. It’s time to give Gippal a bath. And don’t you give me that look, either! He always keeps his boxers on, ‘cause we both know you’d whack him if he didn’t.
Ouin tyikrdan,
Rikku
Mmm I had a reason for this... oh, right!
Lockon! You said you had a project for me~?