It was fairly late in the night before the village of Besaid resembled anything quiet. Clasko looked quickly around Wakka's old Hut, before stepping outside and locking the door. After he had bought the place, he had turned it into the office for his Chocobo business. He made a very good profit, as now people didn't have to go all the way to the Calm Lands for good Chocobos. Behind his Office was the Chocobo Huts and Pens, then in a bit of forest, his house he had built. All fenced in one nice block. He sighed and began to walk back to his house. His life was great at the moment. He had his property, millions of Gil, a great business... But he felt something was missing. He felt stupid complaining, because he was luckier than a LOT of people, but still... Y'know.... He secured the lock on the last pen and the Chocobo in side 'kwekked' happily at him. Clasko scratched it's head affectionately before walking up the short path to his home.
Once inside, he flicked on the light switch and stretched wearily, throwing his yellow and blue shirt on the floor. Although he didn't notice, he had changed vastly since the defeat of sin. He had lost that chubby look about him and was now lean with nicely defined muscles. He'd developed a bit of a tan and his gingery blond hair had grown to his shoulders, so he had it tied back in a ponytail, but the shorter bits near his face kept falling out. The young man just ignored it, as he devoted himself to the Chocobos, but unknown to him, there were quite a few girls dreaming about him each night. Tightening the belt on his jeans, he walked into his bedroom and stopped.
"R-Rikku?" He asked, smiling in disbelief. "You're not due in town for months!"
The small blonde who sat on the end of his bed, looked up, her hair falling off her face. Her usually flawless skin, was marred with a few bruises and a cut down one cheek. Clasko strode towards her, arm outstretched, and the Al Bhed Flinched away from him. He looked confused and lowered his arm.
"Rikku." He said gently, trying to catch her eye. "I'm not going to hurt you. Ever. I Promise."
The Albhed nodded and smiled wanly. Clasko shook his head and gently cupped her chin in his hands, looking her squarely in the face.
"Was it Nimrook, Rikku?" he asked firmly.
Rikku avoided his gaze.
"N-no." She said, quivering.
Clasko sighed.
"Ok. Whatever you say..." he said, relenting. The Chocobo breeder walked over to his closet and rummaged around. He pulled a plain Blue shirt and it handed over to his friend.
"Here. Take this. You can stay here as long as you need to."
Rikku looked at the double bed and opened her mouth to speak, but Clasko cut her off.
"I'll sleep on the couch. Yell if you need me." He walked out of the room and closed the door, with a click.
Rikku clutched the shirt close to her body. She resented the fact that Clasko had been so short with her, but she knew it was her fault. She knew she should have told the truth, but it would mean a major blow to her pride. Rikku and Clasko had been friends for awhile, since the beginning of the Eternal Calm. After Yuna had presented her speech to Spira, about their liberation from fear, Rikku had hung around for awhile before travelling to the Calm Lands and Mt. Gagazet to research the Machina fiends that had somehow populated the area. And so they had met. At one stage they had engaged in a 'no strings attached' kind of relationship with each other, so they could get the things they were seeking with out the risky full commitment of a normal relationship. It seemed however that Clasko didn't quite see his rendezvous with the bubbly Al Bhed girl as being no strings and had developed feelings beyond the lust and affection that made their superficial relationship work. So when Rikku started walking out with Nimrook, the super fit and super famous Goalie for the Al Bhed Psyches, It really shook the Clasko up, and caused a deep rift in his and Rikku's friendship. She'd still hung out with him every so often, but things had never been the same. So to admit that she'd broken Clasko's heart to have her own broken, would be perhaps the hardest thing Rikku could possibly do at this point in her life...
Rikku sighed quietly and began unlacing her boots and placing them neatly at the end of the bed. With her new found fame, based on Sin's defeat and dating an Al Bhed Psyche, she felt she needed a new look. She was only 15 after all when sin had been destroyed and she had started dating Nimrook. Almost a child and her looks, while they did expose a fair amount of skin, still held a certain childish innocence about them. That, was totally inaccurate to Rikku's personality. So she'd turned around and ran almost in the completely opposite direction. She wore an assortment of micro minis, bikinis, thongs, other provocative forms of underwear, boots, scarves and half sleeves. She'd allowed her golden hair to grow, and kept it out of her face with the means of a visor and intricate braiding and ponytails. It definitely made her look more mature than her fresh 16 years, or at least less innocent. If nothing else, she became a bubbly, sexy new figure for the media. She tenderly touched the rapidly swelling bruise on her cheek and winced. Peeling off her clothes, save her bikini top and boy leg shorts, she pulled on Clasko's shirt and climbed into bed, a confusing myriad of emotions.
After closing the door, Clasko immediately regretted doing so. Rikku was hurting... He should be there for her and supporting her through this hard time, not walking away.... He clenched his fists repeatedly as he sat down on the sofa, trying to sort out his thoughts. With a certain disgust at himself, he admitted that he still loved her. He never thought, during the times they had spoken briefly on Yuna's pilgrimage, that she would be the kind of person who would play around with people's feelings and thoughts like she did. She was only 15 and barely 16 now, and just look at her... Clasko cursed himself for letting himself fall for the pretty girl. No. He cursed himself for just getting involved with an immature child, like she was, at all. It was with a raging bitterness that he lay down on the sofa and tried to sleep.
Once inside, he flicked on the light switch and stretched wearily, throwing his yellow and blue shirt on the floor. Although he didn't notice, he had changed vastly since the defeat of sin. He had lost that chubby look about him and was now lean with nicely defined muscles. He'd developed a bit of a tan and his gingery blond hair had grown to his shoulders, so he had it tied back in a ponytail, but the shorter bits near his face kept falling out. The young man just ignored it, as he devoted himself to the Chocobos, but unknown to him, there were quite a few girls dreaming about him each night. Tightening the belt on his jeans, he walked into his bedroom and stopped.
"R-Rikku?" He asked, smiling in disbelief. "You're not due in town for months!"
The small blonde who sat on the end of his bed, looked up, her hair falling off her face. Her usually flawless skin, was marred with a few bruises and a cut down one cheek. Clasko strode towards her, arm outstretched, and the Al Bhed Flinched away from him. He looked confused and lowered his arm.
"Rikku." He said gently, trying to catch her eye. "I'm not going to hurt you. Ever. I Promise."
The Albhed nodded and smiled wanly. Clasko shook his head and gently cupped her chin in his hands, looking her squarely in the face.
"Was it Nimrook, Rikku?" he asked firmly.
Rikku avoided his gaze.
"N-no." She said, quivering.
Clasko sighed.
"Ok. Whatever you say..." he said, relenting. The Chocobo breeder walked over to his closet and rummaged around. He pulled a plain Blue shirt and it handed over to his friend.
"Here. Take this. You can stay here as long as you need to."
Rikku looked at the double bed and opened her mouth to speak, but Clasko cut her off.
"I'll sleep on the couch. Yell if you need me." He walked out of the room and closed the door, with a click.
Rikku clutched the shirt close to her body. She resented the fact that Clasko had been so short with her, but she knew it was her fault. She knew she should have told the truth, but it would mean a major blow to her pride. Rikku and Clasko had been friends for awhile, since the beginning of the Eternal Calm. After Yuna had presented her speech to Spira, about their liberation from fear, Rikku had hung around for awhile before travelling to the Calm Lands and Mt. Gagazet to research the Machina fiends that had somehow populated the area. And so they had met. At one stage they had engaged in a 'no strings attached' kind of relationship with each other, so they could get the things they were seeking with out the risky full commitment of a normal relationship. It seemed however that Clasko didn't quite see his rendezvous with the bubbly Al Bhed girl as being no strings and had developed feelings beyond the lust and affection that made their superficial relationship work. So when Rikku started walking out with Nimrook, the super fit and super famous Goalie for the Al Bhed Psyches, It really shook the Clasko up, and caused a deep rift in his and Rikku's friendship. She'd still hung out with him every so often, but things had never been the same. So to admit that she'd broken Clasko's heart to have her own broken, would be perhaps the hardest thing Rikku could possibly do at this point in her life...
Rikku sighed quietly and began unlacing her boots and placing them neatly at the end of the bed. With her new found fame, based on Sin's defeat and dating an Al Bhed Psyche, she felt she needed a new look. She was only 15 after all when sin had been destroyed and she had started dating Nimrook. Almost a child and her looks, while they did expose a fair amount of skin, still held a certain childish innocence about them. That, was totally inaccurate to Rikku's personality. So she'd turned around and ran almost in the completely opposite direction. She wore an assortment of micro minis, bikinis, thongs, other provocative forms of underwear, boots, scarves and half sleeves. She'd allowed her golden hair to grow, and kept it out of her face with the means of a visor and intricate braiding and ponytails. It definitely made her look more mature than her fresh 16 years, or at least less innocent. If nothing else, she became a bubbly, sexy new figure for the media. She tenderly touched the rapidly swelling bruise on her cheek and winced. Peeling off her clothes, save her bikini top and boy leg shorts, she pulled on Clasko's shirt and climbed into bed, a confusing myriad of emotions.
After closing the door, Clasko immediately regretted doing so. Rikku was hurting... He should be there for her and supporting her through this hard time, not walking away.... He clenched his fists repeatedly as he sat down on the sofa, trying to sort out his thoughts. With a certain disgust at himself, he admitted that he still loved her. He never thought, during the times they had spoken briefly on Yuna's pilgrimage, that she would be the kind of person who would play around with people's feelings and thoughts like she did. She was only 15 and barely 16 now, and just look at her... Clasko cursed himself for letting himself fall for the pretty girl. No. He cursed himself for just getting involved with an immature child, like she was, at all. It was with a raging bitterness that he lay down on the sofa and tried to sleep.