Remind Me Again {Lulu/Open}

[Raloxmly]

It was an absolute beautiful day on the Isle of Besaid. The sun shone brightly through small wisps of clouds, and every now and then a gentle breeze would begin to blow through the trees. Children could be seen playing in the village while their parents worked in their small shops, wishing they could join their kids in their fun. It should have been outlawed to have to work while the weather was this clear, but unfortunately it wasn't.

A man with obnoxious orange-red hair strolled out of a tent. He desired some fresh air since he had been cooped up inside countless hours these days due to his responsibilities as a parent. His job as a father was far from easy, but at least he felt fulfilled of his time with his son. At first Wakka had been so nervous about becoming a parent, since his own parents were killed by Sin and had no one to really look to for advice on parenting. Eventually he got the hang of it, but it was very tiring, especially on his wife Lulu.

He stood outside the entrance of his home for awhile, stretching out his tight joints and breathing in some of the nice island aromas. He smiled as the small children ran around him. He was hoping that sometime soon his son Vidina and him could enjoy some pleasant father-son time once he got older, and watching the village tykes chasing each other made his mind wander.

He shook off the stray thoughts and decided to take a stroll down to the beach. Walking the path, he was soon reminded of his childhood memories. Back when he, Lulu, Yuna, and his brother Chappu were all one happy family. He missed the good ol' days, but even after Chappu died, Wakka gained some new acquaintances. But even they disappeared or had their own lives. He sighed and let his mind wander some more as he walked.

Upon his arrival at the beach, Wakka found a comfortable place in the sand and fall over on his back. To his surprise the beach was awfully calm and quiet for such a gorgeous day; he didn't seem too bothered by it though, since he came here to relax and reminisce. He folded his arms behind his head and gazed up at the sky. I miss them so much, ya?

[Lulu]

When it came to the weather for Lulu, it had to be a little more overcast and cool than it was on this day to be considered good. The pallid mage couldn't tan the way her husband did, and avoided strong sunlight as a rule of thumb after one particularly bright day on the beach had left her red as a bomb fiend.
Today though, just this once, she would rather brave the heat and risk of burning than waste another day shut up inside the hut she inhabited with her small family. Lulu had recently fallen ill with some variation of the stomach flu, no doubt catching it from Vidina, who had been the first to take sick.
This tiny virus managed to single-handedly break down all form of order within their household and make life rather unpleasant and chaotic. At first, it was practically business as usual with a sick baby, since both parents where quite used to wiping vomit and he was normally fussy anyway. But then Lulu caught the bug too; her immune system was hit so hard she was more or less bedridden for two days. The healthy/unhealthy ratio was now tipped in favor of the latter, and any sort of routine unraveled with only one functioning adult in the house. Saying it was lucky that Wakka didn't succumb to the sickness himself is an understatement.
This was when the backup was called in, arriving in the form of Wakka's ex-blitzball team, The Besaid Aurochs. The brave young men alternated shifts one by one with their former captain until his wife and baby were nursed back to health.
Even with all their efforts pitched in, it had taken nearly a week to get the mother and son healthy again. Lulu was rather embarrassed by the whole affair. Not since she was a child had she felt so helpless.
By the end of the ordeal, Datto, who had stayed with the family a little longer to ensure they would be fine, didn't have to tell Lulu twice when he suggested she take a walk outside, saying it was no trouble on his part to keep watch over Vidina, who was sleeping more often now.
The tropical breeze wafted over her as if it recognized how long she had gone without feeling it, drawing a content sigh from her. She was held back in the little village for a moment by all her inquiring neighbors, who had tuned into the bouts of illness that had been suffered as if it had been some medical drama playing in a Luca theater.
Eventually, though, she made her way to the Besaid shore, knowing in her still-sensitive gut that Wakka would be there. It seemed to be his favorite haunt when he was feeling overwhelmed by things. She dropped to the sand beside him, laying on her right side and resting her left arm on his chest, trying to guess at what else could be on his mind.
"Hmm...is something troubling you, Wakka?" she murmured, voice still a bit raspy.

[Raloxmly]

Wakka nearly dozed off while gazing at the clear blue sky above him, rays of sunlight gently hitting his face. Growing up here on the Isle of Besaid, he always enjoyed weather like this. It was the perfect weather conditions to practice blitzball during down time with his old team: the Besaid Aurochs. They would even train on this here beach so they wouldn’t disturb or get in the way of any of the villagers. In fact, it was during one of their exercises that he discovered Tidus floating in the water nearby.

The thought of that day degraded Wakka’s mood even more. Even with his loss of Chappu, Wakka managed to find someone who looked just like him. It was as if his brother had come back to life in another body, but he knew that wasn’t true. He found out the boy was an experienced blitzer and offered him a spot on the team for the upcoming tournament. It was truly a day the ex-blitzball captain would never forget.

He was so engrossed in his recollections that he didn’t even notice that someone was coming up from behind him. All of a sudden he was startled when an arm appeared on his chest. He turned his attention over to a woman dressed in all black. His wife, Lulu, must have followed him from the village, but she was supposed to be resting in the tent. She had been feeling under the weather for the last couple of days, she and Vidina both. It was becoming such a hassle taking care of both of them that he recruited his old team to help him out, which they gladly accepted. He knew his wife wasn’t a big fan of bright days such as these, but he understood why she would come out here. Being bedridden for a couple of days did wonders to your body.

“Hmm…is something troubling you, Wakka?” he heard her ask him faintly, her voice still raspy.

He sighed. Leave it to Lulu to see through his outer shell. She was always the first one to suspect that something was wrong; of course she was that way with everyone. It was like telepathy was her sixth sense. Nah, was just reminded of the good ol’ days ya? He answered back, still glancing up at the cloudless sky. He snapped his attention to the current times, and peered over at his wife. Hey, aren’t you supposed to be in bed resting, Lu?

[Lulu]

It amused Lulu somewhat when her touch caused Wakka to stir, making her realize that he had not heard her approach. A smile crept gently across her features, coming to her own realization that his head was higher up in the clouds than she had thought. Daydreaming and musing in general was something Wakka seemed prone to, though the subjects were often less than pleasant. They operated very differently to one another. Lulu was mostly grounded in the present, while Wakka tended to stray and wonder about the past and future. One was a concrete thinker, while the other's thought process was much more abstract. Well, opposites attract, she thought to herself, knowing that even though their differences left them at odds sometimes, at the end of the day they were the reasons why she stayed by his side.
She was ejected from her mental spiel by a cough that slightly shook her, thus returning her to the sinking feeling that there was more bothering Wakka than a couple of flu cases. He couldn't have made it more obvious, with the way he had not noticed her approach.

"Nah, was just reminded of the good ol’ days ya?"

"Oh, Wakka." Lulu nodded her head to indicate she understood his nostalgia, nestling closer against him and wrapping her stray arm around him. It was hard not to miss everyone that had gone, even for someone like her, who swore that reminiscing was a waste of time. Of course they had good friends within their community, in a place as remote and small as Besaid, it was difficult (not to mention against customs) not to be. But they didn't replace anyone, neither the dead or those who had started new lives. There was also a part of Lulu that had become slightly restless from being immobile for so long, especially when compared to Yuna, who was a regular globetrotter now. She had to remind herself of the responsibilities that kept her stationary to silence her cravings for a new adventure.
"...I miss it too." The black mage didn't have to specify. There were enough people and places on that list, and saying their names aloud would only make it sting worse.

"Hey, aren’t you supposed to be in bed resting, Lu?"

This elicited a chuckle from Lulu, this time shaking her head in protest, making her hold on him a little stronger. He was right to say that resting was what she should be doing. But being confined to a small bedroom for two days straight had worn her out almost as much as the illness itself had. She had one bad case of cabin fever.
"But I want to stay out here, with you." her tone slightly pleading him to humor her.

[Raloxmly]

The ex-blitzball captain watched as his wife nodded, telling him that she understood his melancholy. Wakka had always been the one to dwell in the past, or think so far into the future. Rarely did he ever stick to what was occurring presently. Compared to his wife, he had a more abstract way of thinking, whereas hers was more concrete and in current times. It was often pondered how the two of them got along so well seeing as their personalities clashed ever so often. Truth is told that opposites attract, or so it did in their case.

He felt the black mage nestle up closer to him and threw a stray arm around him. This small motion brought a wide grin onto the ex-guardian’s face. Even though it was clear Lulu thought bringing up past memories was an utter waste of time, she was sensitive enough to not criticize Wakka for it. During their childhood, the ex-captain knew he could confine in Lulu with his innermost feelings, and even trusted her to give an opinion of her own back.

”…I miss it, too.”

Lulu didn’t have to specify what she meant for Wakka to comprehend that she had been thinking about it as well. Sometimes the country bumpkin wondered if his wife ever tried to picture what life would have been like for them if Sin hadn’t taken Chappu’s life. He was aware that she was engaged to his brother before he left to battle Sin, but unfortunately, plans changed. She often scowled how Wakka would never be able to take Chappu’s place, nor could anyone else replace him. Sure Lu loved him now, but deep down inside must harbor past emotions for his younger brother. He heard his old friend chuckle and shake her head at his previous statement.

”But I want to stay out here, with you.”

Wakka knew it wasn’t the best idea for her to be out here, but he decided to humor her. After all, he would have done pretty much the same thing if he were in her position. Besides, having her there with him relieved so much tension from within him. He released a heavy sigh, showing that he gave in to her plead, and placed a hand over hers.

I’m glad you came out here, ya? All these memories flowing through my head; they become overwhelming ya know.