Selphie giggled as her daughter snuggled into her embrace. "Oh Rik, it's not that bad... I think. Well, don't dislike them for being this way. Their just trying to be happy... in their own special way, I guess."
"Yeah right, it's too special that sometimes, even I can't stand it. Don't really understand what's going through their minds." Rikku chewed at her pizza thoughtfully before continuing, "I don't dislike them though. I'm just... not really used to it even after these years, ya know?"
Selphie nodded and gave Rikku a comforting smiles. It was another one of those I-understand-what-you-mean-but-some-things-are-not-meant-to-be-said-aloud kind of smile. And then all of a sudden, the smile turned sour.
Very sour indeed.
I think there's no need to guess. It's him and his old habit again.
Rikku knew the reason behind her mother's sour face for there could only be one. The feminine giggles coming from outside just proved her guess right.
"You know, I'd like to say 'I can handle this, so chill, mum'. But you know I really can't handle this and I know you really can't chill now. You'd better go do your thing like how you've always been doing for all these years." Rikku patted her mother's shoulder helplessly before getting out of the kitchen with another slice of pizza at hand.
Selphie took a deep breath and with clenched fists, made her way towards the source of the irritating giggles on this fine day. Okay, maybe it wasn't a very fine day. At least it's not going to be fine for Irvine, that is.
Selphie is going to kick his butt.
"So as I was saying, I spotted that alligator, slow and agile, making its way towards the poor injured animal trapped on the bank. I took pity on the poor thing who was going to be eaten alive by that giant alligator and so I took out my handy rifle and aimed for his eye. And right at that mome-- Ah!" And Irvine's charismatic story telling has come to a painful end, once again.
Selphie was practically pulling the poor man's ears out.
"And what were you saying to these fine ladies here again? Maybe you'd like to continue telling that old tale of how you killed that stupid alligator with one shot. I'm sure I'd like to hear that lousy bluff for my millionth time. Right, dearie?" Selphie threatened Irvine as she tugged harder at his aching ear lobes.
"What? That was a bluff?! So uncool!" The ladies screwed their noses in disgust at irvine and turned their heads to walk off promptly with a "Hmph!". Leaving poor Irvine in the hands of his unexpectedly fearsome wife, Selphie.
"I thought you were offering to mow the lawn? How come you've time to chat with idle ladies? What about the lawn?! Get to work, you jerk!" Selphie dragged Irvine in front of her by his ear and gave him a sharp kick up his butt. Irvine fell squarely in his face with a loud "Oof!" and there was nothing heard from him, not even the heavy breathing from just now. Selphie just rolled her eyes at his usual act.
"If you think acting dead is going to get me worried for you like the first time you tried that trick from me, you are dead wrong! How do you think I got into the SeeD academy if I was stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice? When I come back later, the lawn better be tidy OR... You. Will. Know. the. Consequences!" And Selphie stormed off, leaving Irvine and a very weedy lawn of course.
"I don't know how I ever doubted if I could survive through SeeD training. Living with Selphie is far more terrorizing than any tough SeeD misson I ever went through..." Muttering under his breath, Irvine started up the lawn mower relunctantly. Rikku observed from a corner, amazed by her mother's hidden powers. If there was anyone who could get her dad's lazy butt off the couch, it's her mother. Who knew sweet little Selphie was so tough in handling her asshole husband, Irvine the Flirty.
"You just never learn, Dad. Can't you stop your flirting ways to prevent mum from kicking your butt like she always does?" Rikku teased her Dad as she finished off her pizza.
"Fortunately, you did not choose to study at the SeeD academy. I wouldn't know how to survive if there was one more woman in the house, trying to kick my butt."
"You'd survive if you don't try to flirt, Dad. Don't even know why you flirt when you claim to love mum so much..."
"You don't understand, Rikku. The women of the world need me, they are calling out to me! I can't be selfish to only care about my happiness when the women of the world need me to comfort them. It is a true gentleman's job to protect these women from despair and fear. But even though the women of the world want me, the only woman I truly love is your mother. I am only doing my job as a gentleman to those ladies."
"... Seriously, I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything, Rikku, as long as you understand how I feel..."
"The point is... I don't understand and I don't want to, okay? So don't start another one of those talks about your view on flirting because I refuse to be your audience."
"BUT HOW COULD YOU?! I'M SO HEARTBROKEN!" Irvine burst into tears childishly and started murmuring something about how daughters' always try to fly out of their cages once their wings gather strength. Rikku just rolled her eyes and walked off. Somehow, Grandad's only same habit as Dad was the love to start up a weird lecture but it was only that Grandad's speech always started with "As children of Jenova..."
As Rikku strolled into the back yard, deep in thought, a low voice called out to her, chuckling.
"Hey Cid's girl!" A blondie smirked at her playfully from over the low wall seperating the two houses. He was wearing a black eye patch over one eye.
"Hey Gip, would you stop calling me that?! That is such a lame nickname! What's with Cid's girl anyway? Who's Cid?" Rikku grumbled as she ran her hand through her own blonde hair, frustrated at his habit.
"Don't ask me, how would I know?" Gippal continued smiling as if innocently.
"How would you not know? You are the one who gave me that name!"
"Hmm... I don't know. You just look like Cid's girl to me."
"And how exactly does Cid's girl look like?"
"Dunno... Maybe like you?" Rikku sweatdrops and rolls her eyes. Gippal can be quite stupid at times.
"Hey, wanna come over and play? I've got that new racing game for my playstation. I bet I can win you at that anytime!" Gippal chirped excitedly and grinned arrogantly.
"Oh yeah, says who? You always lose to me, Gip. ALWAYS." Rikku smiled back and swung herself over the low wall.
Maybe her day wasn't going to get so bad after all.
Labels: the final fantasy