On His Knees
II.
“Oh Yevon, please forgive me for my sins. Cleanse my hands of the traces of this unholy, forbidden machina…”
Gippal couldn’t help but listen. Baralai was only inches away, it seemed, and his prayer was so fervent - Gippal had never heard anything like it in his life. He had never heard anyone pray, really, except for the summoners; but he’d always ignored them.
“I hear the voices of the Fayth, and I know what I do is wrong. I find myself surrounded by temptation and conflicting actions. I know I trust the Maesters, but I’ve seen them using machina and I don’t know what to believe…”
Gippal wondered what it was like to believe so unfailingly in something. He knew he believed in machina and in technology, but could not imagine praying to it. Sure, he sometimes talked to the parts, encouraging them to fit into their slots or work properly when they were malfunctioning - but that was a far cry from asking for forgiveness.
“And worse yet, I’ve befriended an Al Bhed-“
Gippal really started listening now.
“-and I think he’s corrupting me. I’ve starting trusting him and even picking up his language, when I know such heathen acts are frowned upon-“
Gippal bit his lower lip to keep himself from speaking as he crept up on the praying Baralai.
“-forgive me for consorting with the enemy, with the heathens, but I have to. I have to trust someone, and we all have to work together-“
Gippal rolled his eye. Baralai was there, still kneeling with his eyes closed, praying without even knowing that Gippal was standing in front of him. With all the stealth that Gippal had ever learned, he knelt before Baralai. He couldn’t believe the other hadn’t noticed him - but such was the fervency of his prayer, Gippal supposed.
He wished he could believe in something like Baralai believe in Yevon.
“Yevon, grant me forgiveness for my errors. Forgive me for leaving Bevelle, for running away from Summoning, for handling the forbidden machina, for consorting with an Al Bhed-“
Gippal took Baralai by the cheeks and kissed him.
“-and for kissing him,” Gippal finished, grinning at Baralai’s perplexed look.