Upon hearing Gippal's familiar voice, Baralai turned around to face
Gippal, sporting a genuine, friendly grin.
"Baralai," Rikku's voice called excitedly as she caught up with Gippal.
Baralai nodded, "Nice to see you both."
"So, what possessed you to come visit us today," Gippal asked wryly.
Rikku elbowed him playfully in the side before chipping in her own comment.
"Maybe he's come to help out!"
"Came to check on the progress, actually," he replied in a good- natured tone. "Home's the talk of Spira, you know."
"Ah, good," Gippal nodded firmly. "Wait, is it a good kind of gossip or a bad kind of gossip about it?"
"Only intrigue and curiosity, from what I've heard," Baralai replied thoughtfully. "Though I do think you'll be getting new batches of volunteers around here-- the word's spreading like wildfire."
"And you?" Rikku asked casually, leaning over toward Baralai slightly, a mischievous gleam in her eye.
"Me?" Baralai asked with a small chuckle.
"Yeah," she nodded, "aren't you going to help out?"
Baralai looked hesitant, biting on his lower lip somewhat nervously.
"Come on, Baralai," Gippal chimed in, "you could use the time away from those Yevon party animals."
Baralai chuckled at the comment and shrugged his shoulders lightly. He peered out at the bustling desert before him, silently observing the work of all the people gathered among the sands-- whether it was diligent, hard work or not. He looked back to Rikku and Gippal after a few seconds and nodded to them.
"All right," he grinned, "I suppose I can take a break from headquarters."
"Good," Rikku replied happily. "No sense in staying stuffed up in Bevelle while you can play in the sand!"
Baralai laughed aloud at Rikku's comment and started off toward the construction site. Rikku and Gippal exchanged wary looks before glancing back toward Baralai.
"Um," Rikku spoke up hesitantly.
"Yo! Baralai!"
Baralai turned around toward Gippal and Rikku once again, an innocently confused expression taking over his features.
"Your clothes," Rikku commented softly, once again.
Baralai looked down, examining his clothes quickly, though still confused about what she had meant.
"She means," Gippal chuckled, "that you're bound to faint from heat exhaustion in that getup."
"Oh," Baralai nodded quickly, jogging back toward the two.
He stopped before them and removed his heavy green overcoat with ease, depositing it upon the sand rather casually. He looked back up at the two and smirked, taking their rather shocked expressions to his advantage.
"Better?"
A continued silence caused Baralai to laugh aloud.
"It's rude to stare," he chided playfully.
"Never saw the praetor with bare arms before," Rikku commented with a chuckle.
"Never thought the praetor would be that casual about stripping in public," Gippal nearly burst out laughing.
Baralai shook his head and laughed, "It was just an overcoat."
"Still, is that... allowed?" Rikku asked with a feigned curiosity, winking at Baralai quickly.
"Now, now," Gippal interrupted, finally calming his laughter, "we can all discuss Baralai's secret stripping habits later."
Rikku giggled, "Yeah, let's actually get some work done out there."
Rikku almost took off running for Home, but she caught herself before she went stomping all over Baralai's overcoat on the way there.
"What about this?" she asked, picking it up off of the ground. "Wouldn't want anyone to steal it."
"Put it over there," Gippal replied, gesturing to a spare table by the admissions desk, where Rin had returned to his seat, and was tapping his fingers along the edge of the desk in an idle manner.
"Druikr Rikku," Gippal added in wryly, "E ghuf oui't fyhd du gaab dryd vun ouincamv."
Rikku's green eyes widened at the comment, and her mouth formed into a shocked 'o.' She stomped over toward Gippal and punched him rather forcefully on the shoulder.
"Aah," Gippal scowled, rubbing his shoulder, eyeing Rikku warily. "Oui lyh'd nih vnus dra dnidr, pypa!"
"Crid ib, oui," Rikku shouted at him as she made her way over toward the spare table and dropped the overcoat atop it.
Gippal smirked and turned around, heading off toward the construction site of Home once again without another word. Rikku sighed and hurried after him, shaking her head as she made her way across the sand. Baralai waited until she reached him to start off after Gippal. As he ran alongside her, he gazed over at her curiously.
"What were you two talking about?"
Rikku looked over toward Baralai and simply smirked, though she felt a blush starting to burn in her cheeks.
"Ah, nothing."
___________________________________
A bright sunset painted the desert sky, the clear blues melting away into shades of red and gold as the sun set in the horizon. The construction on Home was ceased for the day and many groups of people were heading back toward the entrance, to either depart to other reaches of Spira for the night on Cid's airship, or to head to the rather large travel agency that Rin had recently set up on Bikanel.
"I never knew that you knew so much about operating machina," Rikku commented in a bit of awe, walking beside Baralai and Gippal, heading down toward the entrance area.
"Oh, come on," Gippal chuckled, "he lives in Bevelle, where there's been so many discoveries of secret machina--"
"Hey," Baralai laughed in protest, interrupting Gippal.
Gippal just grinned and continued his speech, "And he was possessed by Shuyin and operated Vegnagun. Of course the man knows a lot about machina."
"Oh, right," Rikku chuckled. "I forgot about that."
"Thank you," Baralai chuckled lightheartedly. "At least you have-- but Gippal here doesn't seem to let that rest."
Gippal grinned and patted Baralai on the shoulder with a friendly chuckle.
"It just isn't in me to let things like that rest," he laughed. "You know that."
"Mm," Baralai nodded.
The three reached the entrance area and headed over toward the spare table, where Baralai's overcoat still remained.
"Good," Rikku said proudly, "no one stole it."
Rikku was the first to step up toward the table. She grabbed hold of the overcoat and turned back toward Gippal and Baralai. Her expression quickly formed into a glare as she spotted a wide smirk across Gippal's face.
"Drehgehk ypuid dygehk dryd luyd vun ouincamv, ynah'd oui?"
Rikku gasped angrily, "Oui!"
Gippal simply chuckled proudly, glancing sideways at Baralai, and then looking back toward Rikku with an arrogant gleam in his eye.
"See, it just isn't in me to let things like that rest," he recited mischievously.
"Oh?" Rikku asked, narrowing her eyes yet again.
Gippal nodded firmly.
"Veha, drah! E's dygehk ed," Rikku shouted at him, slipping the overcoat over her arms casually.
"Fryd?" Gippal asked in awe.
"Hmph," Rikku scowled as fidgeted with the various parts of the coat, attempting to make it fit a bit better-- seeing as the broad collar just about covered her nose.
"Did I... miss something?" Baralai asked innocently, looking from Rikku to Gippal curiously.
"She just... has this need to take your coat," Gippal chuckled.
Baralai was hesitant to reply.
"Oh..."
Rikku giggled quietly as she observed Baralai's rather confused expression. She walked back over toward Baralai with a broad grin on her face.
"I'll give it back, don't worry," she whispered to him, "you don't mind if I take it for now, do you?"
"N-no," Baralai chuckled quietly, "but may I ask why?"
"Playing mind games with Gippal," she whispered in an amused tone, "that's all."
"Ah," he nodded, "all right, then."
"Great," she grinned, sending a wink toward Baralai once again.
She stepped back and glared at Gippal before speaking up once again.
"Now, then," she said in an abrupt manner, "if you'll excuse me-- I'll be going to bed, now."
She nodded simply and turned around, starting off toward the travel agency slowly.
"Good night, Rikku," Baralai called out.
She raised her hand in the air as she continued on walking, turned her palm and did her best to send a backwards wave in Baralai's direction.
"Cfaad tnaysc-- ypuid ouin mujan puo, uv luinca," Gippal called out seriously.
Rikku's exasperated yell quickly rang in the air.
"OUI!"
Baralai glanced over at Gippal curiously. Gippal suppressed another round of laughter and simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Could never figure out that girl," he commented innocently.
--------------------
Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2! ^-^ Ch. 3 is on it's way!
A lot more Al Bhed in this chapter. Sorry about the constant references, but it's the only way Gippal can joke about Rikku supposedly liking Baralai without letting him understand it. XD
Translations:
Druikr Rikku, E ghuf oui't fyhd du gaab dryd vun ouincamv. - Though Rikku, I know you'd want to keep that for yourself.
Oui lyh'd nih vnus dra dnidr, pypa! - You can't run from the truth, babe!
Crid ib, oui. - Shut up, you.
Drehgehk ypuid dygehk dryd luyd vun ouincamv, ynah'd oui? - Thinking about taking that coat for yourself, aren't you?
Oui - You
Veha, drah! E's dygehk ed. - Fine, then! I'm taking it.
Fryd? - What?
Cfaad tnaysc-- ypuid ouin mujan puo, uv luinca. - Sweet dreams-- about your lover boy, of course.
"Baralai," Rikku's voice called excitedly as she caught up with Gippal.
Baralai nodded, "Nice to see you both."
"So, what possessed you to come visit us today," Gippal asked wryly.
Rikku elbowed him playfully in the side before chipping in her own comment.
"Maybe he's come to help out!"
"Came to check on the progress, actually," he replied in a good- natured tone. "Home's the talk of Spira, you know."
"Ah, good," Gippal nodded firmly. "Wait, is it a good kind of gossip or a bad kind of gossip about it?"
"Only intrigue and curiosity, from what I've heard," Baralai replied thoughtfully. "Though I do think you'll be getting new batches of volunteers around here-- the word's spreading like wildfire."
"And you?" Rikku asked casually, leaning over toward Baralai slightly, a mischievous gleam in her eye.
"Me?" Baralai asked with a small chuckle.
"Yeah," she nodded, "aren't you going to help out?"
Baralai looked hesitant, biting on his lower lip somewhat nervously.
"Come on, Baralai," Gippal chimed in, "you could use the time away from those Yevon party animals."
Baralai chuckled at the comment and shrugged his shoulders lightly. He peered out at the bustling desert before him, silently observing the work of all the people gathered among the sands-- whether it was diligent, hard work or not. He looked back to Rikku and Gippal after a few seconds and nodded to them.
"All right," he grinned, "I suppose I can take a break from headquarters."
"Good," Rikku replied happily. "No sense in staying stuffed up in Bevelle while you can play in the sand!"
Baralai laughed aloud at Rikku's comment and started off toward the construction site. Rikku and Gippal exchanged wary looks before glancing back toward Baralai.
"Um," Rikku spoke up hesitantly.
"Yo! Baralai!"
Baralai turned around toward Gippal and Rikku once again, an innocently confused expression taking over his features.
"Your clothes," Rikku commented softly, once again.
Baralai looked down, examining his clothes quickly, though still confused about what she had meant.
"She means," Gippal chuckled, "that you're bound to faint from heat exhaustion in that getup."
"Oh," Baralai nodded quickly, jogging back toward the two.
He stopped before them and removed his heavy green overcoat with ease, depositing it upon the sand rather casually. He looked back up at the two and smirked, taking their rather shocked expressions to his advantage.
"Better?"
A continued silence caused Baralai to laugh aloud.
"It's rude to stare," he chided playfully.
"Never saw the praetor with bare arms before," Rikku commented with a chuckle.
"Never thought the praetor would be that casual about stripping in public," Gippal nearly burst out laughing.
Baralai shook his head and laughed, "It was just an overcoat."
"Still, is that... allowed?" Rikku asked with a feigned curiosity, winking at Baralai quickly.
"Now, now," Gippal interrupted, finally calming his laughter, "we can all discuss Baralai's secret stripping habits later."
Rikku giggled, "Yeah, let's actually get some work done out there."
Rikku almost took off running for Home, but she caught herself before she went stomping all over Baralai's overcoat on the way there.
"What about this?" she asked, picking it up off of the ground. "Wouldn't want anyone to steal it."
"Put it over there," Gippal replied, gesturing to a spare table by the admissions desk, where Rin had returned to his seat, and was tapping his fingers along the edge of the desk in an idle manner.
"Druikr Rikku," Gippal added in wryly, "E ghuf oui't fyhd du gaab dryd vun ouincamv."
Rikku's green eyes widened at the comment, and her mouth formed into a shocked 'o.' She stomped over toward Gippal and punched him rather forcefully on the shoulder.
"Aah," Gippal scowled, rubbing his shoulder, eyeing Rikku warily. "Oui lyh'd nih vnus dra dnidr, pypa!"
"Crid ib, oui," Rikku shouted at him as she made her way over toward the spare table and dropped the overcoat atop it.
Gippal smirked and turned around, heading off toward the construction site of Home once again without another word. Rikku sighed and hurried after him, shaking her head as she made her way across the sand. Baralai waited until she reached him to start off after Gippal. As he ran alongside her, he gazed over at her curiously.
"What were you two talking about?"
Rikku looked over toward Baralai and simply smirked, though she felt a blush starting to burn in her cheeks.
"Ah, nothing."
___________________________________
A bright sunset painted the desert sky, the clear blues melting away into shades of red and gold as the sun set in the horizon. The construction on Home was ceased for the day and many groups of people were heading back toward the entrance, to either depart to other reaches of Spira for the night on Cid's airship, or to head to the rather large travel agency that Rin had recently set up on Bikanel.
"I never knew that you knew so much about operating machina," Rikku commented in a bit of awe, walking beside Baralai and Gippal, heading down toward the entrance area.
"Oh, come on," Gippal chuckled, "he lives in Bevelle, where there's been so many discoveries of secret machina--"
"Hey," Baralai laughed in protest, interrupting Gippal.
Gippal just grinned and continued his speech, "And he was possessed by Shuyin and operated Vegnagun. Of course the man knows a lot about machina."
"Oh, right," Rikku chuckled. "I forgot about that."
"Thank you," Baralai chuckled lightheartedly. "At least you have-- but Gippal here doesn't seem to let that rest."
Gippal grinned and patted Baralai on the shoulder with a friendly chuckle.
"It just isn't in me to let things like that rest," he laughed. "You know that."
"Mm," Baralai nodded.
The three reached the entrance area and headed over toward the spare table, where Baralai's overcoat still remained.
"Good," Rikku said proudly, "no one stole it."
Rikku was the first to step up toward the table. She grabbed hold of the overcoat and turned back toward Gippal and Baralai. Her expression quickly formed into a glare as she spotted a wide smirk across Gippal's face.
"Drehgehk ypuid dygehk dryd luyd vun ouincamv, ynah'd oui?"
Rikku gasped angrily, "Oui!"
Gippal simply chuckled proudly, glancing sideways at Baralai, and then looking back toward Rikku with an arrogant gleam in his eye.
"See, it just isn't in me to let things like that rest," he recited mischievously.
"Oh?" Rikku asked, narrowing her eyes yet again.
Gippal nodded firmly.
"Veha, drah! E's dygehk ed," Rikku shouted at him, slipping the overcoat over her arms casually.
"Fryd?" Gippal asked in awe.
"Hmph," Rikku scowled as fidgeted with the various parts of the coat, attempting to make it fit a bit better-- seeing as the broad collar just about covered her nose.
"Did I... miss something?" Baralai asked innocently, looking from Rikku to Gippal curiously.
"She just... has this need to take your coat," Gippal chuckled.
Baralai was hesitant to reply.
"Oh..."
Rikku giggled quietly as she observed Baralai's rather confused expression. She walked back over toward Baralai with a broad grin on her face.
"I'll give it back, don't worry," she whispered to him, "you don't mind if I take it for now, do you?"
"N-no," Baralai chuckled quietly, "but may I ask why?"
"Playing mind games with Gippal," she whispered in an amused tone, "that's all."
"Ah," he nodded, "all right, then."
"Great," she grinned, sending a wink toward Baralai once again.
She stepped back and glared at Gippal before speaking up once again.
"Now, then," she said in an abrupt manner, "if you'll excuse me-- I'll be going to bed, now."
She nodded simply and turned around, starting off toward the travel agency slowly.
"Good night, Rikku," Baralai called out.
She raised her hand in the air as she continued on walking, turned her palm and did her best to send a backwards wave in Baralai's direction.
"Cfaad tnaysc-- ypuid ouin mujan puo, uv luinca," Gippal called out seriously.
Rikku's exasperated yell quickly rang in the air.
"OUI!"
Baralai glanced over at Gippal curiously. Gippal suppressed another round of laughter and simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Could never figure out that girl," he commented innocently.
--------------------
Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2! ^-^ Ch. 3 is on it's way!
A lot more Al Bhed in this chapter. Sorry about the constant references, but it's the only way Gippal can joke about Rikku supposedly liking Baralai without letting him understand it. XD
Translations:
Druikr Rikku, E ghuf oui't fyhd du gaab dryd vun ouincamv. - Though Rikku, I know you'd want to keep that for yourself.
Oui lyh'd nih vnus dra dnidr, pypa! - You can't run from the truth, babe!
Crid ib, oui. - Shut up, you.
Drehgehk ypuid dygehk dryd luyd vun ouincamv, ynah'd oui? - Thinking about taking that coat for yourself, aren't you?
Oui - You
Veha, drah! E's dygehk ed. - Fine, then! I'm taking it.
Fryd? - What?
Cfaad tnaysc-- ypuid ouin mujan puo, uv luinca. - Sweet dreams-- about your lover boy, of course.