43 One Fleeting Moment
After hearing Yuna's explanation and looking around Andrew's penthouse, Rikku commented, "This is insane...to think there were other worlds. Just what have you gotten yourself into, Yunie?"
Exhaling an awkward chuckle, Yuna replied, "If I'm being honest, things kind of developed faster than I could wrap my head around them. Still, I don't regret my decision. Andrew is a good person, and those supporting him are very reliable..."
"I don't know..." grumbled Rikku, crossing her arms as she added, "He sounds like a pervert to me..."
With Yuna having explained how Proxies worked, Rikku couldn't help thinking she was being taken advantage of. It didn't help that, as they spoke, Andrew was likely off 'having fun' in another room.
Instead of defending Andrew, Yuna nodded and confessed, "He is a little perverted; that much is true. But it's actually kind of...nice? I don't know how else to put it, but when I'm together with Andrew...it feels like I can achieve—like I can do anything."
"But, don't you think it's a little weird that you're actively trying to recruit other girls to act as his Proxies?" asked Rikku.
Shaking her head, an awkward smile developed across Yuna's face as she answered, "Andrew is a very 'fervid' lover...I cannot satisfy him alone, but I do not wish to share him with women from other worlds. I want him to feel more 'attached' to ours. That's why, even though I know I'm asking a lot..."
"You want me to honeytrap and keep an eye on him?" asked Rikku.
"I've never heard that particular phrase, but I believe we're on the same page," affirmed Yuna. "More importantly, the Al Bhed need a Proxy, and I want someone I'm close to and can trust to fill the role..."
Though she was tempted to point out they had just met, Rikku also felt close to Yuna. Her dad had spoken about her and her mother a lot while she was growing up, particularly about his regrets, so one of the reasons Rikku joined the team responsible for abducting Summoners was to keep Yuna safe...to keep her from sacrificing herself.
Exhaling a sigh, Rikku, with crossed arms, muttered, "Well, he 'is' pretty cute. Though, since we're putting everything on the table, I kind of had my sights set on someone else..."
"Oh?"
Blinking in surprise, Yuna, failing to anticipate that Rikku might have someone she liked, started to feel slightly panicked. She needed help, sure, but the last thing she wanted was to intervene in a love that had already blossomed.
Waving her hand, Rikku assured, "It's fine. It's not like we're dating or anything. I just thought he was cute and funny after—you know what, let's not talk about that. Tell me more about Andrew and the Proxies of other worlds. You said he had a wife?"
Though she was curious to know more about the boy Rikku had a crush on, Yuna nodded and began telling her about Garnet, Y'shtola, and some of the other Proxies she had encountered. She also explained the plan to install her as Queen and many other things, gradually convincing Rikku to support not just her but the Al Bhed and the people of Spira as a whole...
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Receiving Yuna's message, informing him that she and Rikku were done talking, Andrew remarked, "Looks like I need to get going..."
"So soon...?" asked the inordinately petite woman seated in his lap, using her feet to stimulate his dick while fingering herself. Y'shtola and Lyse had been indisposed, but Nanamo, having very few responsibilities due to the machinations of the Syndicate, was able to pop over on request.
"Well...I could introduce you, but your appearance might be a little too jarring for our newest recruit..." contended Andrew, his hands resting on Nanamo's paradoxically soft yet firm belly.
"I'm not ashamed of myself, and you shouldn't feel ashamed to be with me," asserted Nanamo, staring up at Andrew with a smile as she added, "However, just this once, I shall take a step back. I do not wish to make things more difficult for you."
'It's a little late for that...' thought Andrew. But, at the same time, he bent down to kiss his most recently acquired lover, enjoying her company for a short while longer before going to meet with Yuna and Rikku...
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Finding Yuna and Rikku in the living room, Andrew adopted a smile and asked, "How do you like my penthouse? We're working on an even more accommodating place, but the facilities here are nice, no?"
"Hold on, Buster," said Rikku, bouncing to her feet and positioning herself between Andrew and Yuna.
"What's up...?" asked Andrew, raising his brows at the petite, 158cm tall Thief.
"There's something I want to ask you," said Rikku. "You and Yunie are planning to get married, right?"
"That's right," replied Andrew, causing Yuna to blush and Rikku to ask, "Then, let me ask you something about Proxies. What if you have a kid with one of them?"
"Then I'll take care of them...?" questioned Andrew, staring at Rikku with a confused look.
"And you don't see how it might cause problems if you have children with a bunch of different girls? Especially when some are royalty, and others aren't?" asked Rikku.
Shaking his head, Andrew replied, "There are problems throughout the worlds. I don't know the first thing about raising children, but I will do what I can to ensure they're happy and healthy. Beyond that, it will be up to them to determine which path they will walk, royal or otherwise. That's one of the boons of being able to hop between worlds. If you can't find a place for yourself in one, there are plenty of others."
Exhaling a sigh, Rikku grumbled, "I don't think you get what I'm trying to say..."
"No, I most certainly do," assured Andrew, shaking his head as he added, "The problem is, you're worried about events that haven't transpired while I'm prepared to handle them as they come. Will my behavior cause me to experience regret? Probably. But I'd rather endure consequence than live a life filled with regret over actions I didn't take..."
While speaking, Andrew approached until barely a hand's width separated him and Rikku, the petite blonde staring up at him with a mix of resolution and trepidation in her swirl-patterned eyes. Under normal circumstances, he would have held her, made use of his tail, or squeezed her butt, but as he vaguely recalled that she was on the younger side, he decided to play it safe, reaching up to cup her chin as he added, "For now, why don't you just watch over and protect Yuna? It's against my policy to force people, especially those that may become my lovers..."
Retracting his hand from the stunned Rikku's face, Andrew stepped past her and enveloped Yuna in his arms, holding nothing back as he propped up the startled brunette by her ass and gave her a deep, passionate kiss...
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Though it was ultimately her decision, Yuna, after introducing Rikku to everyone the following morning, approached Auron to say, "I would like Rikku to be my Guardian..."
"As long as you're sure..." replied Auron, once again casting a one-eyed glance at Andrew. Then, once Yuna gave her answer, he supplied a curt nod and walked off.
"Far out!" exclaimed Tidus, invading Rikku's personal space and grabbing her hands as he said, "Glad to have you with us, Rikku!"
Catching Tidus a little off guard, Rikku pulled her hands from his, smiling awkwardly as she replied, "Please don't touch me without permission. I could have cut you by accident..."
"Huh? Oh, okay...?" responded Tidus, looking confused as he remembered Rikku being a lot more approachable when she and her crew rescued him from the sea.
"We should probably get going," said Paine, gesturing at the increasingly distant Auron with her chin. Then, while she, Yuna, and Rikku walked in a group, Andrew and Tidus took up the rear, the former admiring the sight before him through narrowed eyes while the latter dragged his sword with a deflated look.
"I don't get it..." said Tidus, earning Andrew's attention.
"Girls, I mean," added Tidus, scratching his head as he whispered, "I thought that Rikku girl and I hit it off pretty well when she and some other Al Bhed saved me. But I guess I was imagining things..."
Shaking his head, Andrew assured, "No, you probably hit the nail on the head. If not for my presence in this world, you might have had Yuna, Riku, and potentially even Lulu pining after you..."
"Huh? What are you talking about...?" asked Tidus, staring at Andrew as if he had Malboro tentacles growing from his ears.
"Auron told you about your father, right?" asked Andrew, turning to meet Tidus's gaze.
Furrowing his brows, Tidus looked ahead and replied, "Yeah...he told me my old man was Sin, if you can believe it..."
"He was telling the truth," affirmed Andrew, waiting for his words to settle before asking, "Do you know what will happen once you save your father's soul and put Sin down for good?"
"No, what...?" asked Tidus.
"The Zanarkand that you hail from, Dream Zanarkand, will vanish, freeing the Fayth that have been forced to maintain it these past thousand years," answered Andrew, nodding as he added, "And, with that, all the residents of Dream Zanarkand will cease to exist..."
Though he could be slow sometimes, Tidus wasn't a complete nitwit. He knew what Andrew was saying, so his expression became serious as his pace slowed to a crawl.
"Don't be too upset," said Andrew, placing his hand on Tidus's shoulder to explain, "You might not remember them, but you've lived your current life ten, maybe even twenty times over with little meaningful variation. Once your pyreflies return to the Farplane, you'll rejoin the natural cycle and be reborn anew. If not in this world, then another..."
"That doesn't make me feel better..." replied Tidus, his voice low, barely a whisper. He might very well have lived for a thousand years, but from his point of view, he was barely seventeen. Sin 'had' to be defeated, but that didn't mean he was prepared to disappear alongside it...
Noticing Tidus's apprehension, Andrew proposed, "I could try sending you to a different world, but there's a chance you could disappear on the spot..."
Shaking his head, Tidus's usual cheeriness was nowhere to be seen as he expressed, "Forget it. If it's true that the Fayth have been forced to keep dreaming for the past thousand years, I'll put down my old man and make sure they can rest. That's the reason I was brought here, right...?"
Nodding in affirmation, Andrew replied, "That's right..." before retracting his hand from Tidus's shoulder, walking ahead as he said, "You're a good person, Tidus. I'm not sure which forces control things like reincarnation and rebirth, but I can confidently postulate that your next life will be filled with happiness and opportunities for glory..."
"Is that what happened to you...?" asked Tidus, putting Andrew on the spot.
"That's the thing," replied Andrew, adopting a smile as he revealed, "I'm definitely someone who had reincarnated, but I can't recall the specifics of my previous life. My earliest memories are from a few months ago, but their absence has never once bothered me. Rather, I imagine if I did have memories of my past life, they would be a burden, compelling me to think or behave differently. I am grateful for the knowledge I've inherited, but the only reason I can live a free, relatively unfettered life is because all of my attachments are to my present..."
Since Tidus had fallen behind him, Andrew stopped and turned to face the artificially blonde youth, his smile growing as he assured, "I can't say for certainty what awaits you beyond the conclusion of this journey, but I can promise you this much. It isn't the end..."
Finished with what he had to say, Andrew turned and walked away. As for Tidus, he wasn't fully convinced by Andrew's words, but after a moment of contemplative silence, he stared down at the watery sword in his hand, a blade that belonged to Wakka's deceased brother. Then, after exhaling loudly through his nose, he adopted a faint smile before hurrying to catch up with Andrew and the rest...
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