Viera Mating Rituals: Love

Love & Affection

I’m sorry to have caused you so much pain and sorrow…

Pain isn’t all bad…pain can be good at times. Pain let’s you know that you haven’t gone numb. It let’s you know you’re not dead. And in spite of all the emotional turmoil you’ve put me through, you make me feel grateful I can even feel such emotion, because the ability to feel such emotion let’s me know I’m a living being. In other words, you make me feel alive. And you are the only one that can make me feel this way…

The two lovers found themselves in a rather detached state, feeling only the warm touch of one another, hearing nothing but their own voices.

As they came slowly back down to earth, the world came back into focus. The clear blue sky above them, the soft white sand beneath them and the gentle sound of the waves crashing on the shore.

“I love you Fran.”

“I know.”

“I know you don’t yet fully understand the Hume concept of love, but I just want you to know my feelings.”

“I know and I’m trying to understand.”

“I know. I know you’re trying. You try very hard.”

“It is such a complex emotion.”

“Yes it is. Probably the most complex emotion there is.”

“I will try hard to understand it better, and hopefully, one day I will be able return your feelings and give you the love you deserve to receive.”

“Any love you give me is more than I deserve, but being the spoiled selfish brat I’m… not deserving something won’t keep me from taking it.”

“Balthier…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hmm? What have you to be sorry about? I am the one who acted strangely.”

“I’m sorry about what I said before…about you having no qualms about leaving the Wood. That was quite possibly the cruelest thing I could have said to you. The Wood was your home for so long and I’m sure you have many happy memories from living there, and you talk about no longer being able to hear the voice of the Wood. Leaving that place is like loosing someone close to you isn’t it? Like me loosing my mother. There are so many happy memories I have with her, but thinking of them now doesn’t make me the least bit happy, they only make me miss her all the more. I can never make another memory with her ever again, and I’ll never hear her voice again. The thought all but consumes me in an emptiness sorrow I’ve never know before. It’s the same thing that you feel isn’t it? And even though it’s years since you lost this connection, it doesn’t make the weight of your sorrow any lighter. I’m sorry for not understanding sooner.”

Fran shook her head “I do not blame you for not understanding. It is a sort of thing one can understand only if they experience the same thing. Yes, it is as you say, leaving the Wood is like loosing someone dear to you, but it is a bit different for me. You lost your mother, but the mater was completely out of your hands. Her sickness was incurable and there was nothing you could do to keep from losing her. But my loss was my own doing. It was a choice I made and the real burden I have to bear is living with the sorrow I brought upon myself.”

“Fran…”

“There have been times I have deeply regretted my decision but over all I have been glad of the choice I made. I have seen many wondrous things and learned of things I could never learn while staying isolated. If I had to go back and make the choice again knowing what I know now, I believe would still make the same decision.”

Balthier nodded thoughtfully “I’m glad you choose to leave. If you hadn’t I would’ve never met you and I shudder to think where I’d be now if I didn’t have you as a friend. You’ve helped me through a rough time and I’m happy to have you close to me.”

“I am pleased you feel that way.”

“I’m leaving Arcadia. I’ve decided.”

“Leaving?”

“Yes. I have no reason for staying in that bloody city. In that same miserable, vile city as that wretched worthless thing masquerading as my father. I have nothing there.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing. On top of that, war is coming. I can smell it, the way a seasoned sailor can smell a squall on the wind. I’ve seen enough of what the military is doing to know that they’re planning an invasion of the other kingdoms of Ivalice and I know the empire well enough to know they will have nothing less than complete domination and with those who are unwilling to submit they will beat until blood and broken. I have no desire to fight and die “honorably” for a cause I do not believe in. My so called friends have abandoned me now that I am of no use to them and the military is full of no one but two faced back stabbers and worthless spineless dogs. There is no one worthy of my loyalty and thus I have no reason to stay.”

“No reason? None at all?”

Balthier hears the sadness in Fran’s voice

“You know you’re the only reason I have for anything. You’re the only reason I choose to remain in this world. If you ever leave this world then I’ll have no reason to remain. So like wise, if you leave that wretched city, then I’ll have no reason to have to stay.”

“Balthier?”

“Come with me Fran. I know it’s selfish of me to ask you to follow me into exile when you’re already an outcast of one society, but please say you’ll come with me.”

“Yes. Of course I’ll come with you.”

Balthier hugged Fran closer to him and planted a sweet kiss on her forehead.

They both lie there contently listening to the sounds of the crashing waves.

“So where will we go? What will we do?” Fran asked after a while

“I was thinking we’d get an airship. I know I can’t get anything from the old man but I’ve got my savings and the money mother left me. It’s enough to buy something off the salvage yard and fix up. With both our skills it’s shouldn’t be a problem. Nono will most likely help out too. And then, well with an airship we can go any where we like now can’t we.”

“Hmmm, yes freedom of the skies.” Nods Fran, “Sounds nice.”

“Yes…nice…”

“Is there something wrong?” Fran picking up on Balthier’s unease.

“Well…I’m sure…in the beginning it will be hard for us…” Balthier finally deciding to address this particular topic. They had to talk about it at some point.

“Yes most likely we’ll be rather short on money.” Ponders Fran “But I know some people that can help us out.”

“Ah, that’s good. Yes, things will be rather tight for us, especially with a child, but I have every confidence we can get by…”

“Oh, we’re taking a child too?” Fran sat up and titled her head curiously “Who?”

“Ah…well…ours.” Balthier, feeling quite awkward about the conversation

“But we don’t have a child.”

“Well no, not right this moment but…” Balthier really didn’t believe Fran was that dense about such a thing. She had said Viera have their own version of “The Talk”. Surely they talked about where babies came from. “I mean… well, we’ve had sex… a great number of times, without any sort of contraceptive measures. There’s an extremely high chance that you’re with child by now.”

“No there isn’t.” Fran shaking her head “That’s quite impossible.”

“Ah, um… and can you please tell me your exact reasoning behind that.” Balthier continuing the line of inquiry

“Because this has only been my first coupling.”

Balthier was becoming a bit irritated. Fran was back to her short answers not bothering to elaborate beyond the general scope of the question.

“Ok,” Balthier sighed “You’re going to answer all my questions and tell me everything there is to know about Viera mating. I understand about not wanting to talk about your past or things in The Wood you can no longer be apart of, but this is different. It’s not in the past, you can be involved in it and now I’m a part of as well, so you can’t say I’m meddling in things that have nothing to do with me. I have a right to know.”

Fran was a bit taken back by Balthier’s directness, but then after thinking a moment she slowly nodded. “Yes you are right. You are a part of this so you have every right to know. I’m sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, just as long as you answer my questions and tell me what I need to know.” Balthier smiled, happy to finally be able to possibly get some answers. “So, you’re not pregnant.”

“No.”

“But Viera can get pregnant at some point in time yes?”

“Yes.” Fran nodded

“Ok, so just what are the conditions for which a Viera can become pregnant?”