Author's Notes: Because 1.) Random, unrelated Gippalai drabbles pop into my head, 2.) There's not enough Gippalai, and 3.) I'm able to upload things. Also, these will all have crappy titles, since they're drabbles.
Because I wanted to explore a darker side to Baralai.
"lies"
By: Rosalyn Angel
All Baralai does now is lie.
Gippal supposes Baralai's deceit shouldn't bother him so much, because he's seen it developing for years, watching the Praetor give speeches to his people with wide sweeps of his arms. He'd be at the back of the crowd, leaning against a wall, to catch a glimpse of Baralai walking onto the podium. He'd see Baralai's smile assuring that everything was under control, and that things were running smoothly, efficiently, slowly. Among the polite clapping and standard bowing after the speech, Gippal would leave for Djose without looking back. He knew what Baralai would do then: he'd walk down and shake people's hands, smile and laugh at bad jokes they made, and it was all so fake that Gippal couldn't stand any more.
Baralai lies without a forked tongue.
It is not with ill intent. He really means to do good, to soften people's fears and worries, but he knows what he speaks is not true, and he does it with ease. He can look at them in the eye with all sincerity, lie without a second thought, and people believe him. They need something to believe in, these poor souls clinging so hard to the past—Baralai gives them peace and ground to stand on.
Baralai lies to Gippal.
He's a good soul. He's a good person. Save for this one fault that he has mastered so beautifully. Now Gippal watches it, and he's amazed at how far it's gone. He's almost angry, maybe hurt, that Baralai can smile and say everything is all right when it's not.
Sometimes Baralai wakes up screaming.
He shakes and shivers late at night, and Gippal is there stroking his silver hair. It's only then when Baralai is truthful, when his soul is bared wide open in all its trembling monstrosity. He murmurs things about darkness and Shuyin, faith, Yevon, and Seymour, until he slips back into sleep like nothing happened. Gippal sits and stares at the wrinkles in Baralai's brow as he rests with nightmares.
Morning comes, and Baralai smiles softly. He lies that today will be a good day, and that he had slept well.
Gippal can't bring himself to disagree.
fin