As Gippal wordlessly sifted through his belongings and stuffed certain items into a large canvas bag in that careless, guyish way, Rikku sat tentatively on his bed, legs crossed in front of her and her hands grasping her ankles, and it was a silent, somber moment in time, as Rikku sat and Gippal packed, as if they had forgotten the other's presence in the same space.
But they hadn't forgotten - only - they almost wanted to forget - but it was just impossible.
Rikku's vivid green eyes were transfixed on the sight of Gippal's hands, moving this and that and the other thing into the bag. Vivid green eyes, childlike and bright, betraying the inner confusion she felt. It wasn't so long ago - not so long ago at all - that they were little children, running happily through the Sanubian sands and laughing and enjoying their blissful, youthful ignorance. It really wasn't that long ago. And yet she had to dig in her subconscious for those memories of the sight of small feet and stubby legs kicking up dust and the feel of the grains of sand under her fingernails after the sandcastles...
They were too soon grown, she thought, and the world became real with just as much danger and drama and other woes as there was happiness. Now Gippal was leaving the familiar grounds of Home, to fight alongside strangers in a harsh, outer realm, fighting a near-impossible battle to bring down a truly evil monstrosity.
Fro tu baubma knuf ib mu vycd?* she thought.
Her thoughts were interrupted upon seeing a long, narrow black box laid out beside Gippal's luggage. It was the first time she seemed to consciously notice it. The box was unmarked, covered in a tough leather hide and held together with slightly beat-up looking metallic latches. It seemed almost insignificant, but Rikku was intrigued all the same.
"What's this?" she said, almost too casually - as if she were trying too hard.
Gippal glanced quickly at the box, then back to his present task. "Rifle," he said bluntly.
"You carry it in a box...? Since when? I thought you just always kept it on you."
"Well, that would be kind of impractical while traveling... I've got a ways to go before I'm actually gonna use it." He shrugged nonchalantly.
Somehow Rikku didn't feel satisfied with that explanation, and so she grabbed the box and began undoing the latches. Gippal snapped around, almost alarmed, after hearing the snapping of each one being opened, and yet he did nothing but stare with a blank expression. Rikku finally lifted the lid, and nestled among the soft, onyx cloth within was a blade shining with the artificial lighting of the dormitory.
"A katana...?" she mumbled, puzzled. "Why a katana? I thought you were taking your rifle..." He was, after all, far better with machina weapons, just as most Al Bhed were. Rikku had a sneaking suspicion as to why he made such an odd choice though, and now she was putting two and two together.
"They don't know you're Al Bhed?" she said. She remembered how surprised she was when she heard he had been accepted for the Crimson Squad Trials.
Gippal shook his head vehemently, sighing. "I knew you wouldn't get it," he said.
Rikku was appalled. "What do you mean? You couldn't tell me?"
No answer.
"Why don't you just tell them? Why does it matter? The Crusaders are working with Pops right now to get together Operation Mi'ihen! You know that!"
"Rikku," Gippal said matter-of-factly, "this is an elite squad. They really don't want us there."
"They'll know!" Rikku argued. "They'll see it in your eyes!"
Her own bright eyes met with Gippal's, and his visible green eye seemed to darken at her defiance. After a sharp exchange, he said, "Rikku. I only have one eye."
"You know what I mean!" she said, crossing her arms with a violent, jerking motion which gave away her embarrassment. "I don't see why it would matter to them, anyway. They need the help! They know it! You could just as well help them beat Sin."
Gippal actually smirked a little in spite of himself at this remark. "Oui drehg duu rekrmo uv baubma.*"
Rikku felt defeated at this comment, and a little irritated. Why did everyone and everything have to always be raining on her parade? What was wrong with a little optimism and a little goodwill? Sometimes she felt like the only human of her kind. Everyone else seemed to always assume the worst, all the time...
Gippal zipped up the bag and slung it over his shoulder. All he said was, "C'mon."
Rikku sluggishly stood up from the bed and exited the dormitory, and Gippal followed her out and paused to lock the machina door on the dormitory. Rikku listened to each bleep of the keys being punched as he entered the code, thinking, That room will be empty for... Who knows? Weeks, maybe... Maybe even months...
And how would she even say goodbye? How does one say goodbye to an old friend/nuisance who is leaving for some undeterminable amount of time for a world you don't really know very much about? For someone you won't see again for a long time, because they're going to be off doing something important... something really meaningful... What does one say?
She was saved the stress of thinking on it for a nanosecond as he turned to her. "You're more quiet than usual."
Rikku was struck with bemusement. "Well, yeah... Especially after that insult a while back..."
"Hey, it's not that I don't trust you, I just knew that... well, you wouldn't handle it well. But it's something I gotta do."
"It's not even that! I just..." Rikku started, and then realized she didn't even know what she was thinking.
"Just...?"
"Never mind." She shook her head, frowning a little.
Gippal just smirked again, almost as if he found her confusion amusing somehow. "Don't worry about it. Now that I think of it, that annoying optimism of yours?... I think that's why I always liked ya." He reached up and pinched her cheek, adding a smartly worded "Cid's girl".
Rikku couldn't help but giggle and bat his hand away. "Famm, E landyehmo mega so ubdesecs.*"
"E druikrd cu*," he said. "I'll see you again soon. Gotta hop on Pahho's salvage ship if I wanna get to the Djose shore soon enough! He's leaving at sundown."
"Then I guess you better run," Rikku said. He smiled once more and turned to walk down the long corridor out of Home. "Goodbye!" she added, on second thought, and then - doubly late - "I'll miss you, I guess..."
But the last part was mumbled and unsure and he had already nearly disappeared up one of the staircases leading off of the hallway.
*For those of you too lazy to interpret the Al Bhed quotes ;] here are the translations in order of appearance:
Rikku: Why do people grow up so fast?
Gippal: You think too much of people.
Rikku: Well, I certainly like my optimism.
Gippal: I thought so.
A/N: Yes, I am well aware Gippal was indeed equipped with a machina weapon when the time came for the Crimson Squad trials... As were the other candidates... Just clarifying, in case you were a bit confused. It will work out later on.