real Emotion
Chapter Seven: Useless Is My War
Nope, I surely don't own it.
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Something had to be done about the sleeping arrangements. Sleeping on the couch had left a crick in Ophelia's neck, though she was more than grateful she hadn't been in Gippal's predicament. The poor guy had had to sleep in the chair, his legs tossed over the side and the rest of him jammed down in the corner of the cushions, his head pulled at a funny angle. And he was a talker. He'd woken her up, along with Rikku, three times during the night, saying things in his sleep that had been damn near unintelligible. Ophelia had suggesting suffocating him with a pillow, but Rikku had squashed the idea and gone back to bed. All three times.
But now she was grumpy, and clung desperately to the cup of coffee Barkeep sent her way. Her shoulders were hunched, and she was not in the least thrilled at the prospect of going to Luca. Not at all. And of course it would work out that this was the one day that everyone else was in a great mood. Well, except for Gippal. He sat next to her, squinty-eyed, growling at anyone who chanced a "Good morning" in his direction.
So it stood to reason that their end of the bar was empty, with everyone grouping at the other. Rikku was running around frantically, snatching up last minute items she might need while they were in the city, and digging for her other boot. Paine sat silently, watching everything else with amusement, along with Auron, who was scanning the latest printout of sphere signals. It was a mad house. And Ophelia just hunched lower.
The fog started to lift a bit, and she gave a yawn, stretching her arms behind her head, hearing her back pop loudly. In four different places. Yes, something would definitely have to be done about the sleeping arrangements. She could see clearly now, and finished off her coffee before sliding from her stool, leaving Gippal to his silent grouchiness. She still had time to throw herself from the deck, and the idea was sounding better and better. Especially since it seemed as though Yuna and Rikku were already planning a group outing. What made them think she wanted to hang around them in a city full of other people, Ophelia would never know. After all, she saw them nearly every minute of the day, being trapped on an airship with them.
She rode the elevator to the bridge, changing her dressphere to keep from wearing her torn leather. Gunner was appropriate enough, really. She yawned again as she stepped out of the elevator and made her way down the stairs, finding Buddy and Brother, along with Shinra, already at their stations.
"Kuut sunhehk," she mumbled, peering out of one of the long windows over Shinra's console. He raised a brow at her, glancing up from the key pad, and snickered, earning an icy glare. It didn't faze him a bit, and he went back to what he was doing, grinning. "How long before we reach Luca?"
"We're landing now," Buddy said, glancing over his shoulder. "Hey...Nice duds."
Ophelia flipped him the bird, earning a wide grin, and leaned against Shinra's chair, stifling yet another yawn. "Great," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yup, I know I always look forward to spending more time in the outside world with the people I'm jailed with." She gave a sigh and reached down, tugging a lock of Shinra's hair. "You need a haircut, squirt."
There was that look again. "Squirt?" He snickered again and turned from the monitor, running a hand through his hair. "I guess so. And I take it Yuna's planning another 'group outing'. Remind me to be unexpectedly unavailable."
"Can I come, too?" Ophelia snickered and tousled his hair, leaving it sticking up all over. "You know...I don't even know how old you are. Or Brother is. Or...Well, anybody but Rikku, Yuna, and Auron."
"I'm twelve." At her shocked expression he smirked. "So, yeah. I am just a kid. Brother's twenty. Buddy, too." He thought a moment, as though trying to remember everyone else. "Paine and Gippal are eighteen."
"Cred, you all make me feel so old." She reached over and smoothed his hair, which he was trying to do in vain. "Well, I'm barely twenty, so I guess I'm not. But, anyway." The elevator opened behind her, and she looked over her shoulder, seeing a less grumpy Gippal coming down the stairs. "Well, good morning, sunshine." She grinned at his dirty look, and picked up the half of a sphere they'd all found the day before, turning it over in her hands. "I wonder if we'll actually find the other half."
"Maybe." Shinra shrugged, and vainly attempted to duck the hair tousle he received from Gippal. With a huff, he repaired the damage, before taking the sphere from Ophelia. "If we do, I can get a read out from it. But, I don't think I need to tell you how rare it is to find matching sphere pieces."
"No." She frowned, feeling the Celsius shudder as it touched down. "Cred...We're here." She looked to Gippal, and grinned. "Hey...You don't want to go on a 'group outing', do you?"
The look he sent her spoke volumes, even before he spoke. "Nope. Why, you got an idea?"
"We'll pull a Shinra, make ourselves 'unexpectedly unavailable'. We've landed. If we leave now, we can get lost in the city before they make it out of the docks." Gippal answered her with a grin, and they both looked to Shinra.
"You guys are dirty." He kept his face deadpan straight, and then grinned evilly. "I'm in. Let's go."
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Amazingly, it had worked. An hour walking around Luca, and still no sign of the others. Of course, Ophelia had had faith that Buddy and Brother would keep the silence, not wanting to go on a group thing anymore than she had. So far, Gippal and Shinra had stuck with her, and, amazingly, Gippal was a rather pleasant person when not being a cocky jackass. Even amusing. Shinra was his usual sarcastic, overly intelligent self, but Ophelia suspected he was glad for the company. Many things had changed in Spira, but there was still a good deal of prejudice against the Al Bhed. Luca was a little more lenient, but in a town where people came for fun, you got all kinds. And some of those people obviously had something against the little blonde-haired boy just because he was born on Bikinel, rather than in Bevelle.
It annoyed her, especially since they tended to think she was a full Yevonite, never bothering to notice her slightly spiraled pupils. But she wasn't going to let a few bad apples ruin what was promising to be a decent day. Instead, they had found an abandoned section of the walkway which spanned the water, and she was being taught how to play sphere break by Shinra. It was amazingly hard, since math had never been her strong point, and after her seventh lost game she gave up, laughing. Shinra smirked and stuck his core sphere in his pocket, gathering up his coins.
"Well, it's not for everybody, I guess." He stood and looked to Gippal, his grin going wider. "I notice you didn't decide to give it a try."
Gippal grinned back, from where he'd leaned against the railing, and shrugged. "The kind of ass whipping I'd give you wouldn't be polite for mixed company. I was one of Rin's testers."
"Huh. Figures." Shinra raked his hair from his face and looked back toward the theater, seeing a group of very familiar figures. "Uh oh, Gullwings at nine o clock." Gippal looked down the theater's way and groaned, and pushed away from the railing, offering Ophelia a hand.
"Let's get moving." She nodded and took his hand, letting him haul her to her feet, and they started back toward the crowds, glancing over their shoulders periodically. "Huh," Gippal finally said, pulling her down a side street, "Auron didn't look happy."
"He never does, but I know what you mean. All the more reason to keep away from them." Ophelia looked around for a shop they could duck into, spotting a café and immediately discarding the idea. Rikku would want ice cream or something. Instead, Gippal pulled both her and Shinra into a pub tucked between two larger buildings, and moved them to the back.
"Heh. They won't think to look for us here, not with Shinra with us." Shinra only looked around with mild interest, as he was pushed into a seat, and turned to scowl at Gippal.
"Well, I am only a kid." Then he grinned. "Of course, Yuna would never believe that I would set foot in a place like this, so I doubt we'll be discovered. Besides, I've never had the nerve to come into this kind of place."
"And you shouldn't." Ophelia stopped, looking horror-struck. That had been far too much like Yuna for comfort. She shook her head, grinning sheepishly. "Forget what I just said," she said, over their snickers. "I refuse to take the mother role. Drink yourself stupid for all I care, but don't expect me to hold your head when you get sick."
Gippal leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. "It's too early. 'Sides, this place has decent food, and I skipped breakfast. You did, too." He looked to Shinra, and the boy nodded, confirming that he hadn't eaten. "There. If Yuna found out, she could huff and puff all day long, but the fact is we're here to eat."
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An hour later, they slipped out of the pub and scanned around, spotting no sign of the Gullwings. Ophelia had somehow started to worry that Yuna was going to be waiting for them right outside, and either rope them into something or tell them off for taking Shinra to a pub. She breathed a sigh of relief as they started down the street, merging with the people on the main road. Her hand found Shinra's shoulder, and she held onto him so that they wouldn't get separated. He gave her a look, but stayed with her, and they found themselves in front of the blitzball stadium.
Deciding it was a safe place to stop, they parked it on a bench, though it was a tight fit for the three of them, and Ophelia started to people watch. Gippal started to explain something they were working on in the temple to Shinra, who listened raptly, but Ophelia had tuned them out. It was an Al Bhed guy thing, to get so worked up over things like screws, and she was most certainly not a guy. Besides, it was kind of nice, to not have to carry a conversation, and to be with people who didn't mind if you sat there. If Gippal or Shinra thought she was being unusually quiet, they didn't bug her about it, or ask her why she was glum. She wasn't glum. Just in the last few hours, she'd realized her perspective on Gippal was starting to change. Sure, he was cocky, and he knew how to press buttons, but he was also a really nice guy. After all, he didn't talk down to Shinra, or treat him like a kid, really.
That had definitely earned him respect points, because from the get go, Ophelia had taken a shine to Shinra. He seemed kind of lonely, even among the Gullwings. And his 'I'm just a kid' excuse was starting to look like a defense mechanism. As was his all around snarkiness. She imagined it must be tough, to be just a little smarter than everyone around you, and no doubt Shinra had gotten more than his fair share of grief about it.
She started to Gippal-watch then, in an attempt to see what made him tick. He was confident, that was obvious, very comfortable in his own skin. He knew who he was and what he wanted to do in life, and she found herself a bit envious of that. After all, she had no clue what she really wanted to do, if she were able to stop the trouble brewing beneath the placid surface of the crumbling Calm. And to think, he was younger than she was. He had some obvious hang ups, discrimination based on his race being one of them. She'd seen that this morning, plenty. But he was a pretty cheerful person, though not in the sometimes irritating way Rikku was. He wasn't forcing it on anyone else, and just...Genuinely enjoyed sitting on this crowded bench, running off at the mouth about something he obviously was passionate about.
Ophelia shook her head, clearing it, and sat straighter. She actually found herself wishing she hadn't turned down that job. It would have given her some direction, a purpose, something to belong to. And, from the looks of everyone in Djose, she would have been surrounded by friends made in the desert. Her uncle Cid had said, before she'd left in search of Yuna, that she had become more and more the Al Bhed heathen, shrugging off that last little bit of reservation she'd had. She had embraced the Al Bhed part of herself, and was glad of it. By doing so, she'd found a place to actually belong. One of her pigtails was tugged, and she started, looking up wide-eyed at Gippal. "What?"
"You had this look on your face, like you were thinking too hard." He grinned easily, tugging her hair again. "So wake up."
"I was not thinking too hard, thank you," she retorted, but for the first time with him it held no venom. She grinned back and stretched, taking another look around them. "I was contemplating. It's very different."
Shinra snorted loudly and shook his head. "Right. Does your tongue always stick out of the corner of your mouth when you're 'contemplating'?"
Ophelia felt the heat in her cheeks, and gave a nervous giggle. "Shut up, you. Maybe I was thinking too hard. But, I've got a lot to think about. The fayth have certainly seen to that. If I don't, who will?"
"I have." Ophelia raised a brow at Gippal's admission, and he shrugged. "What? I mean, this is something that effects everyone, not just you. So it's pretty stupid if you think you're going at this alone. I mean, okay, sure. We kinda...Didn't click. It happens. Either way, you're not the mega bitch I thought you were, among other things." He gave a cough there, looking dully chastised by her look of disbelieving disdain. "And, either way, stuff happens for a reason. Now, we just gotta find that reason, right? Find the source of the malice."
"I thought you two were done fighting." The three turned quickly, eyes widening, realizing they had been caught. Rikku put her hands on her hips, and grinned. Behind her, the others were approaching, and Ophelia gave a laugh when Gippal grabbed her hand, pulling her from the bench, and started in a run for the twisting streets, Shinra close on their heels.
"Hey!" Ophelia glanced back, seeing Rikku start to give chase, and laughed harder, nearly stumbling over her own feet. She regained her balance and they ran on, before Gippal pulled her into an alley, into the shadows, shoving Shinra behind him with a grin. They saw Rikku run past, with Yuna right behind her, Auron and Paine bringing up the less than enthusiastic rear. Ophelia snorted and covered her mouth with her free hand, as Gippal still had her other, and they exchanged a look.
"Think we're safe?" Gippal's voice was barely over a whisper, and she shrugged, motioning for him to go look. He gave a mock sigh and inched forward, peeking around the side of a building, before he was jerked out of the alley by two very familiar hands, and Rikku appeared, pointing at Ophelia and Shinra.
"The jig is up, so show yourselves!"
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So much for no group activities. And her talk with Gippal. Ophelia was actually surprised when Rikku and Yuna surrounded him, effectively cutting him off from escape, and kept the lead, obviously talking his ear off. He threw Ophelia a helpless look over his shoulder, and she could only imagine what they were telling him. They would have to begin counter measures, and soon. And put the silly thought right out of their heads that there was anything but a giant misunderstanding between Gippal and herself.
And she and Shinra were stuck with Auron and Paine, neither one being good conversationalists. Alright, so Paine was a tad bit better than Auron, but it was like walking between two brick walls. She'd been able to hear plenty, however, when Auron had complained about the trip to the theater, and then a café, and then the discovery that they were going to have to endure another two days of this. Indeed, counter measures. She had shrugged and told Auron to find a way to hide, like she and Shinra were going to do. She couldn't speak for Gippal, as he was 'unavailable' at the moment, but she was pretty sure he'd make a point of being scarce, too.
Auron had snorted, and fallen silent, and she'd gotten no further with Paine. So, she and Shinra had fallen into speaking Al Bhed, grumbling to one another that it was Gippal's fault they'd been caught, with his over inflated head. He'd heard them, and sent them a nasty look, and they'd snickered evilly. At least someone knew how to retain a good sense of humor.
As the day had drawn to a close, they'd ended up on the docks, and Ophelia gave the Celsius a look of dread. That couch was going to be the death of her, if she had to sleep on it again. She was tempted to make Yuna or Rikku share their beds, but quickly rethought that plan. Yuna snored, though she would deny it to the death, and Rikku kicked. She checked her gil, and decided to get a room at an inn, to spare her back and neck some suffering.
When she'd slid off of the cargo crate she'd perched on, Yuna raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"
"To find a room somewhere. If we're going to be here another two nights, I want to at least sleep in a decent bed, and save my neck and back, thanks." To prove her point, she cracked her neck, hearing it snap multiple times as the vertebra loosened. Yuna winced, a hand going to rub her own neck, and then nodded.
"Alright then. Just remember. We're on dock three." Ophelia nodded and started back toward town, when she heard footsteps behind her and glanced over her shoulder. Gippal had pried himself from Yuna and Rikku, and was making a quick retreat, using the same excuse for the chair. Ophelia rolled her eyes and gave him a smirk when he'd caught up and they were out of earshot.
"Alright, you know it, I know it. Counter measures."
"Counter measures?" He grinned, for the first time in a few hours, and put his hands behind his head as they moved through the emptying streets and the lights came on along the roadsides. "Counter measures for what?"
"You know what." She raised a brow and turned back to the buildings, trying to remember where she'd seen that inn. "Rikku and Yuna couldn't get more obvious if they tried. And, though I appreciate their concern, it really has to stop. Yuna's been working on me since I walked out of the bridge when you stowed away on the Celcius."
"Oh, those counter measures." His grin told her he'd known exactly what she'd been talking about all along. "Aww, am I that repulsive?" He snickered at her rolled eyes, reaching over to pull a pigtail. "They've been working me over pretty good. I think it's funny."
"Funny or not, they're driving me crazy." Ophelia stopped, finally admitting she was lost. "Alright, where the hell was that inn we passed?"
"About six blocks in the opposite direction," Gippal snickered. He dodged her playful slap, wrapping his arm around her neck and hauling her back the way they'd come, letting her struggle a moment before letting her go. "It's driving you crazy? Pssh, laugh it off. They'll give up, eventually. We'll just have to think of a way to get 'em to lay off."
"Like what? They're smarter than they look." She shook her head, giving an exasperated sigh. "Talking to them rationally does no good. I think the whole world's gone love crazy or something."
"Hmm. Dunno. We'll just have to think on it. And see? Isn't it so much better when we work together?" He grinned when she scowled up at him, and shoved his hands in his pockets, taking a moment to look out at the water. "Seriously. It was fun, until we got caught."
"Tell me about it. At least you weren't walking between two brick walls." She snickered and covered her mouth. "That was mean, but it's true. I was so stupidly bored, I thought I was going to fall asleep walking." Her face grew serious a moment, and she gave him a small nudge with her shoulder. "Thanks for being so nice to Shinra. I get the impression he's kinda lonely."
"Hey, that was nothing. The kid's like a brother to me." He shrugged, pulling a hand from his pocket to point out the inn. "He and Benzo...They don't have family. So I kinda...I dunno, took 'em in, so to speak."
"Benzo?" She started toward the inn, raising a brow in question.
Gippal nodded, reaching up to rub at his nose. "Shinra's cousin. They're pretty competitive, but you try to come between 'em. It's like fighting two rabid coeurls. You'll meet him, if you ever head out toward Bikinel, which is highly likely. I've got to get out there, see what's up about a shipment of parts that's late, and Yuna and company want to dig." He laughed at her groan, patting her shoulder. "Hey, you didn't get hired, so you don't have to worry about it."
"Yeah, about that." Ophelia cleared her throat, stopping on the inn's steps. "It just screams uncle Cid's influence. The funny thing about that is, I was actually coming to apply, but you had to bring him up. Your loss." She grinned and pushed open the door, stepping inside the brightly lit lobby. She blinked, clearing her vision, and moved up to the front desk, digging though her pouch for her gil. "Please, please, please, tell me you have a room left."
"Yep, last one." Ophelia could have kissed the guy, had he not been...Well, scary looking. "How many nights?"
"Just two." She looked back to Gippal as she handed over her gil, raising an eyebrow. "And what are you going to do? Where's the next closest inn?"
"On the other side of town." He gave a sigh and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, now that you're here safe and sound, I've kept my word to Rikku. We'll meet up tomorrow, in that café we passed in the main square. Mid morning." He turned on his heel and started for the door, and Ophelia felt a bit guilty. She bit her lip, debating, and took her key before catching up with him across the lobby. "Hmm?"
"Listen, that's a long way to walk. If you promise to be a mature adult, you can share my room." At his raised eyebrow and quick grin she added, "For tonight."
"And here I thought you might be warming up to me." She sent him a look that said 'You wish' and started down the hall, searching for her room. Damn spirians and their weird numbering system.
"You could be a tonberry or a cactuar for all I care right now. The only thought keeping me sane is the thought of a bed, and not that uncomfortable couch." She stopped in front of her room's door and unlocked it, motioning him inside.
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Ophelia blinked herself awake, starting at finding Gippal less than a foot away, sound asleep. Not something she'd expected to wake up to. Why was it that she was always waking up next to strange one-eyed men she barely knew, who managed to get under her skin like a bad rash? She considered blaming her lousy luck. And her inability to attract any normal sort of person. With a sigh, she pushed herself up, yawning and shaking out her hair, blowing at the lock that tried to curl into her mouth. It was times like these she craved her normal life, as a somewhat normal college student, but it always lasted less than an instant. There was too much water under the bridge to go back to that. She'd found that out the hard way.
She stood and stretched, and vaguely wondered what had happened to Marissa. For all Ophelia knew, she was still here in Spira, and, hopefully, had adapted to the way of life. A lot had changed, and she no longer felt any ill will toward her. She would have to ask Yuna later.
She glanced back at Gippal as she pulled on her boots, realizing he wasn't wearing his eyepatch, and moved closer, curious as to the nature of his injury. It was probably incredibly rude, but he was the one who'd pulled it off. A network of thin, pale, crisscrossing scars had sealed it shut, and she winced, pulling back. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what had caused them, and she doubted he'd tell her. Besides, that was his business.
She started pulling her hair up, hearing him stir and groan behind her, and felt a small smile pull at her mouth. Someone was definitely not a morning person. She heard him fumble on the night table next to him and sit up, realizing he must be slipping on his eyepatch. Funny, but she didn't see him as being the type to be self-conscious about something like that. After all, no one could honestly say life in Spira was easy. Losing an eye, really, was not that big of a deal, considering some of the more gruesome things she'd both seen and heard about.
She turned back to him, tightening the laces in her hair, as he was pulling on his own boots, buckling the latches somewhat clumsily with sleep-numbed fingers. Though she'd only known him a short while, his hands looked odd without their gloves, a few scars standing out in a paler shade from his tanned flesh across his knuckles. No, he was nowhere near perfect. She nearly snorted, wondering who she was to talk. She'd finally gotten the hang of using a sword and not getting cracked on the head by fiends, but she was still as big of a klutz as ever. Completely accident-prone. She was surprised she hadn't cracked her head open recently.
His feet, now buckled into his boots, hit the floor heavily, and he yawned deeply, his back popping with such a ferocity she was sure every vertebra had shifted at once. She winced, brushing a lock of hair out of her face that had come free of its leather tie and tucked it behind her ear, before tying her belt and skirt around her waist, adjusting the holster's position more comfortably against her hip. She glanced up, realizing he was watching her, and raised an eyebrow, tucking back the stray lock once more. "Yes, merry sunshine?"
"You had that look again."
"It happens. Don't let the klutzy outside fool you. I'm a deep thinker." Satisfied everything was tied on tightly and straight, she put her hands behind her back and rocked side to side in a decent imitation of Yuna, and grinned. "Are we going on another 'group outing' today?"
Gippal grinned back, his own still a bit sleepy, and shook his head, standing. "I sure as hell hope not. And don't do that. Makes you and Yuna look too much alike."
Her eyes widened a moment, that being only the second time someone had said such a thing. Yuna took more after their father, Ophelia their mother, and most times people hadn't realized they were sisters. "If you say so." Her hands dropped to her sides and she shrugged as he pulled on his jacket, buckling it on. "So...Then what are you going to do."
He glanced at her over his shoulder, his eyebrow arched. "I thought we were going to café. Counter measures, remember?"
"Right." She'd completely forgotten about that. She still thought that Rikku and Yuna giving up their efforts was a losing battle, but Gippal might yet still have an ace up his sleeve. And it was worth a shot.
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Oh, hell no. Ophelia gaped at Gippal across the table, her jaw feeling as though it had unhinged itself. If that was his plan, he could...Take it and shove it. Thank you very much and goodnight. "You're kidding me."
"Nope."
"Uh huh. Did you hit your head? That completely defeats the purpose." Ophelia shook her head roughly, crossing her arms. "Nope, never gonna work. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in league with them."
"Oh, c'mon. It totally gives into what they want. They'll lay off, and when we go our separate ways, we can have the big messy breakup. You'll get sympathy, and I'll become the biggest bastard to walk the face of Spira." He grinned, looking as though he wanted to pat himself on the back for his 'supposed' brilliant plan.
"Well, as willing as you are to sacrifice your...Good standing, I still say your idea sucks." She blew at the loose lock of hair, frowning. "Besides, they expect me to use you as a rebound, anyway. Considering I just split from someone."
Gippal's brow arched over the rim of his coffee mug, and he sat it aside. "Auron?" At her nod he shook his head, grinning. "Aw, that makes it even more perfect. What, you got a thing for tragically scarred smartasses?"
"Not particularly. I just have a magnet in my ass that seems to attract them." She scowled as his grin widened, giving a small huff. "Look, your plan will not work. Not only will they see through it, it...Doesn't appeal to me."
"You got any better ideas?" When she remained silent, he nodded, still grinning. "Yep, just like I thought. It's either my idea or we deal with them doing this for a long time to come." She opened her mouth to snap at him, and something caught her attention. Oh, hell. She slid lower in her chair, her knees bumping his under the table, and purposely turned from the door, hoping the others wouldn't see them. She kicked Gippal, hard, as a warning not to draw attention to himself.
However, it wasn't Gippal that gave them away, it was Shinra, who came over and gave them both a scowl. "Thanks for abandoning me. Really. Now I've been suckered into another 'group outing'." An evil grin broke onto his face, and he turned back to the others. "Hey! Look who I found."
Ophelia gave Shinra a murderous glare, and kicked Gippal again, straightening in her chair. Gippal only gave her a sly grin, before plastering an innocent expression on his face, taking another long drink of his coffee as Yuna and Rikku came over. Ophelia forced her expression to become neutral, offering her sister and cousin a tight-lipped smile.
"Hey, didn't expect to see you out so early," Rikku said teasingly, elbowing Gippal in the ribs. He grinned back, and for a moment, Ophelia could see the internal conversation he was having with the proverbial angel and devil on his shoulders.
"Yeah, well..." He gave Ophelia a sidelong look, his grin widening. Dammit, the devil had won. "I was thinking about heading to Djose for the day, take care of some stuff that'll just pile up if I don't do it now. Besides, I've got some help." He nodded to Ophelia, and her eyes narrowed at him slightly. If you do it, I'm feeding you to the next fiend I see. Gleefully.
"Oh!" Yuna couldn't look more pleased. Obviously trying to hide her intense curiosity, she put her hands behind her back, rocking side to side. "Like what?"
"Boring paperwork." Gippal made a face, nudging Ophelia's foot with his own under the table. "I just wanted some company, so your sister volunteered."
The snort had almost come out. Right, like Ophelia would volunteer to do anything involving Gippal other than feeding him to a flan. One of those big ones on Gagazet. "Oooh," Rikku said, stroking her chin. "So, you two are on better terms?"
Gippal nudged her again under the table, and she fought not to glare at him. "You can say that," Ophelia said tersely.
Gippal gave Yuna and Rikku an easy smile, sending Ophelia a warning look. "Dunno what's gotten into her. Guess she's being bashful. Heh, don't blame her...It is kinda sudden and all."
"Sudden?" Yuna was actually refraining from bouncing, and Ophelia swallowed the nasty things that sprang to her tongue, and bit down on said instrument of speech hard enough to draw blood. "What's sudden?"
Rikku didn't stop from bouncing, and pawed at Gippal. "Oooooh! Tell, tell!"
The minute he opened his mouth, he signed his death certificate. "You know...Us." He gestured between himself and Ophelia, grinning at Yuna and Rikku's squeaks of excitement. Ophelia was surprised she hadn't bitten though her tongue by now, because her mouth was full of blood. She stood, not bothering to conceal the glare that she sent Gippal, and walked out of the café, spitting the blood in the gutter. That had done it. He was so dead. Like she wanted to be linked to someone like him. She started off across the square, muttering a quick healing spell and repairing the damage done to her tongue, seeing red. Oh yes, it would be painful...Slow.
Lost in her thoughts of butchering Gippal, she started when an acolyte she remembered from her pilgrimage, Shelinda, called her by her false name, and she turned, seeing her and her camera crew running toward her. Oh, hell, it just kept getting worse. She picked up her pace, only to be caught at a dead end. With a sigh, she turned, and braced herself, putting on her game face. "Yes?"
"Oh, Ninoc! It's an honor!" Ophelia refrained from rolling her eyes, her gaze darting to the café. So far, no one had followed her. "May I ask you a favor?"
"Let me guess. You want an interview." When Shelinda nodded, Ophelia sighed wearily. "Fine."
Suddenly Shelinda was all business, and Ophelia found herself in front of the sphere cameras, just barely managing to refrain from fidgeting. Shelinda turned to the camera, smiling, and held up her mike, waiting for the signal from the camera man before her. When it was given, her smile broadened. "Hello, Spira, this is Shelinda, reporting to you live from Luca. Today we have a special guest, one the entire sphere hunting world is buzzing about, from her daring exploits to places other sphere hunters wouldn't dare to tread, to rumors of her romantic connections. That's right, I'm talking about Ninoc, the one-woman sphere hunting army."
Ophelia had to admit, that had definitely stroked her battered ego. Shelinda turned to her, and Ophelia fought the urge to run screaming for the hills. "So, tell us, Ninoc, how does it feel to be considered as influential as one of Spira's factions?" She held out the mike, and Ophelia blinked a moment, wondering what the hell kind of question that was.
"Um...I really wouldn't say that. I don't think I've influenced anyone." She raised a brow and crossed her arms, her game face slipping on to perfection.
"On the contrary, a recent poll shows that sphere hunters who've started in the last month say that you were their main influence." Ophelia blinked again, frowning. Really? "It's rumored you've joined up with the Gullwings. Would you like to comment on that?"
"It's true." When Shelinda didn't move the mike away, Ophelia realized she should elaborate. "I have close ties to most of the members, and it seemed to be a logical choice. However, it's only a temporary arrangement."
"Interesting! Now, to get to the heart of the matter. Is it true that Gippal of the Machine Faction has also joined the Gullwings?" Ophelia nearly gaped. How the hell did news get around so fast?
"I don't know how he'd feel about my speaking for him, but yes, he's temporarily joined as well."
Shelinda nodded, her smile growing even wider. "There are rumors, having just popped up in the last few days, about your personal involvement with the Machine Faction leader turned Gullwing. Would you like to confirm or deny those?"
Ophelia opened her mouth, preparing to deny it all, to tell the world what a detestable slug he was, when a loud whistle caught her attention from across the square, and she looked over, seeing Gippal headed her way. Shelinda noticed as well, and raised an eyebrow.
"It depends on the rumor," Ophelia finally choked out.
"Are you romantically involved with him?" Ophelia flushed, and Gippal had obviously caught the question, realizing she was being harassed by a reporter.
"Oooh, an interview. Can anybody join in?" He grinned at Shelinda, who flushed as darkly as Ophelia.
"Of course! Gippal of the Machine Faction," she said, turning back to the camera. "Would you like to confirm or deny a romantic involvement?"
"I'll confirm it." He darted a sidelong look at Ophelia, his grin growing wider. "It's time a man like me, in my position, started to think about settling down. Taking on more responsibility." She was close to exploding, he could see that much, though she covered it well.
Shelinda's smile returned, her face returning to its normal color. She was obviously pleased, hearing it from the horse's mouth. "So it's serious?"
If Gippal's grin got any wider, his face would split. Ophelia was certain. At least, he'd better hope that was what would happen, because when she got through with him, there'd be no putting him back together. "I'd say so. I know it's kind of sudden, but it happens that way sometimes, right?" He wrapped an arm around Ophelia's stiff shoulders, tugging her closer. He was dead, and he knew it, but it was worth it. So worth it.
"Indeed, it does. Is there any hope Spira will be hearing wedding bells anytime soon? And, if so, will your factions remains separate, or will you merge into a joint venture?" Shelinda looked pleased as punch, and Ophelia had to fight the urge to beat Gippal stupid. She put her arm around Gippal's waist, and, from Shelinda's point of view, and the camera's, it looked like an affectionate enough gesture, but she dug her nails into his side viciously.
He didn't even flinch. "That's a possibility. Always a possibility. Nothing official on that, but we've...Talked about it." His hand tightened painfully on her shoulder, his grin becoming a little strained. She was going too far. Her nails retracted from his side, and his grip loosened. "As for our factions, it's Al Bhed tradition that the sharing is mutual. So, speaking from that viewpoint, it wouldn't make sense to have them separate."
"Oh, my! It appears it is serious! And, while we're on the subject, are there any plans to rebuild the Al Bhed Home?" Shelinda hadn't even noticed the little struggle for dominance taking place before her. Hell, no one in Spira probably would. Ophelia held back a sigh, and relaxed her shoulders, wishing she could just walk off.
"Officially? No. Unofficially? Of course. I've been in contact with some very influential Al Bhed, and it's being worked over, with estimated costs, labor, time frame, the usual. If it looks like it might be successful, then it will become official." Gippal shrugged, his grin becoming easy again. "Wouldn't want my kids to miss an opportunity like growing up in Home. Those that have lived there know what I mean. The Al Bhed are one big family."
"That's wonderful, and I'm sure it gives inspiration to those waiting for a decisive answer." Shelinda turned back to the camera, and Ophelia breathed a sigh of relief, realizing the fiasco of an interview was about to be over. "Well, there you have it! It's official ladies, so take Gippal of the Machine Faction off of your eligible bachelors list. And you gentlemen can forget making a play for the sphere hunter. That's all the time we have for now, but I'd like to thank our guests for generously allowing us to peek into their lives." When the signal was given, Shelinda turned to Ophelia and bowed gratefully. "Thank you so much, what a great interview."
"Er..." Ophelia started to pull away, but Gippal held her firmly, and grinned.
"No problem. Might as well let the world know she's off the market." He nodded as Shelinda and her crew walked off, only then releasing Ophelia. She jerked away, looking ready to spit nails, when the mike in her collar cut on, and a familiar, heavily accented voice blared out over the static, overrun by another, smoother voice.
"Ophelia! You are getting married? To Gippal? Now is the time to explain yourself!" Brother.
"Hey, whoa now! You kids are getting awful carried away, don't you think?" Buddy.
Ophelia cringed, burying her face in her hands. And it just kept getting worse. And worse, when she saw Yuna and Rikku dart out of the café, squealing like madwomen. Her hands dropped, and one twitched near her gun, while she seriously considered taking out Gippal's kneecaps. She caught his smirk, and glared up at him, begging him to give her a reason to do it.
Gippal leaned over, and pulled out her mike, purposely brushing his fingers lightly against her neck. Her pulse had gone crazy, though she outwardly still remained relatively calm. Oh yes, he was dead. He grinned and put an arm around her again, not breaking eye contact while he addressed Brother and Buddy.
"Cool it, Brother. Nothing to explain, 'cause I see you obviously watched the sphere cast. Buddy? It's all cool, man. Carried away nothing. Just doing what comes naturally."
If looks could kill, he'd be on the Farplane right now. Someone collided with him hard, and he nearly lost his balance, almost taking Ophelia with him. He felt her stumble, and pull away, before he caught himself and looked down at Rikku, who was so excited she was about to jump out of her skin. Ophelia gave an 'oof' and he looked back at her, seeing Yuna grab her in a stranglehold, and shook his head ruefully. Maybe that had worked a little too well.
Their eyes met again, and, to his great surprise, she gave him a sweet smile, before mouthing, "If I don't kill you, Uncle Cid will." She had a point. The old man was for sure gonna put him through the wringer for this one, but it was still worth it, just for that moment when her face went white when he'd announced intentions to marry her in front of all of Spira.
"I'm not sure what you're thinking, but it's wonderful." Yuna was still apparently attempting to strangle Ophelia. She finally released her and stepped back, her smile wide. "Auron said it would be a 'cold day in hell' before it happened, but Paine told him to stuff it."
"Er..." Ophelia was at an utter loss for words. Even Paine was convinced by that little act Gippal had put on. And on the sphere network. Dammit, that was the last thing she needed. She couldn't have her every move tracked while she was trying to find the source of turmoil in Spira.
"I'm with Yunie. I don't get it, but I think you two are cute." Rikku took Gippal's arm and pulled him to her level, asking in a stage whisper, "So when are you really gonna pop the question, huh?"
It was Gippal's turn to be speechless, but he covered it quickly with a grin. "Dunno yet. I mean...It's pretty out of the blue, right? Didn't know you were so anxious to make your cousin somebody's old lady."
Ophelia twitched, and took a deep breath. Old lady?? Her hand actually shot to her gun that time, before she forcibly unwrapped her fingers from around the butt. Rikku gave Gippal a pout, letting him go. "I'm not. Me and Yunie just want to see her happy."
"I need some air." Ophelia turned on her heel and started for stairs, having to force herself not to sprint. To walk calmly. Let Yuna and Rikku think it was from nerves, anything. But she had to get out of there before she really did kill Gippal. And to think, she'd started to actually like the shifty little snake. She climbed the stairs quickly, making her way for the walkway overhead, hoping a nice walk on the highroad would chill her out. If Gippal thought that was going to help he'd been dead wrong. Yuna and Rikku were only going to become more intrusive, and so would the rest of Spira.
She knew he'd extracted himself from Yuna and Rikku, and she could hear his footsteps a good distance behind her. If he were a smarter man, he might have realized that she wanted to do nothing more than drag him into the bushes of the highroad and put him down. But of course not. He just had to follow, no doubt with some reason or another as to why he'd done what he had to get Rikku and Yuna off their backs. He was dumber than he looked, apparently. He'd just stuck them both in Spira's unblinking spotlight when she really need to be as anonymous as possible.
She stepped onto the highroad without pausing, and started down the trail, still fuming. Oh yeah, this was beautiful. And what about the 'messy breakup'? All of Spira would think that their 'romance' had come to a bitter end. Romance her half Al Bhed ass. She would bet all the gil in her pocket that he wouldn't know romance if it bit him in the ass. Not that she cared. It was just the principle of the whole thing. She just sincerely hoped no one expected them to act like a couple, because she would be sure to kill him or herself before it was over. His hand closed around her arm, just as she was passing the hovers, and he turned her to face him.
"Look, it got out of hand, and I'm sorry." He let her go and shrugged, before scratching the back of his head. "I'll...I'll fix it. Don't know how, but I will."
"You damn well better, because this is your mess." In a fit of temper she shoved hard against his chest, knocking him back a few steps. "Dammit, how dare you! You've fucked up everything. I didn't need this kind of attention. Telling Yuna and Rikku we're a couple, that was fine, I could handle that. That was easily fixed. Telling Spira you plan on marrying me? That's a whole new level of stupid. I needed to be anonymous. I have a fucking job to do. And it's hella more important than Yuna and Rikku playing matchmaker." She broke off, panting, and closed her eyes. He actually looked apologetic, and she didn't want to buckle.
"I know, alright? Look, I said I'd fix it, and I will. Just give me time to think." He started to the hovers, taking her arm. "But as for now? I really am going to Djose, and so are you. You're gonna go talk to that fayth of yours, and I'm gonna get some work done, and then we'll figure this out when we get back to Luca."
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A/N: Okay, so they never made it to Kilika. . Give me a break, this chapter's like, 17 pages long, or something. Gippal really went off on a tangent, didn't he? I remembered a comment from one of the Al Bhed outside of the temple in Djose, where they guy said, "Gippal may not be around much, but when he does something he does it right." Or...Something like that. Anyway, that's kinda where the whole idea for this chapter came from. Heh. Why just tell Yuna and Rikku, when you can tell all of Spira? I can see Nooj now, sitting in the Youth League base, after watching that sphere cast, staring blankly at the wall, his brain broken. Gippal plus marriage does not compute. Whir whiz shut down will begin now spaz die. Indeed.
So, as for what will happen, I have a REALLY evil plot bunny in mind. And I mean, really. And I'm damn well gonna use it, no matter how many people it's gonna twick off. Because we know I love the angst. Dunno how soon...It might be a while. It might be a few chapters away. Possibly sooner than later, though.
Next Chapter: Djose! Diablo! More homicidal urges! And a possible cruel plot bunny. I am such an evil person.
Al Bhed Translations:
Good morning.