FFVI – Part 62: My Fair Gau

Summary: Gau rejoins us. We visit his dad’s house, where the party realized that this guy is Gau’s dad. We get our “Pygamalion” on, with Sabin and the rest in the role of Henry Higgins and Gau as Eliza. Then the game crushes our souls because of course it does.

The Veldt

-For my party, I take Celes, Cyan, and Sabin. I like Edgar in combat much more than Sabin, but it seems more likely that Gau will have fun interaction with Cyan than Edgar.

-One battle in, we get Gau. That was easy.

-I get one new Rage, “Skeletal Horror” for Banish (NICE), but decide to actually hold off. I want Strago and Relm in my next Veldt grind party to get the benefit of any blue magic we may encounter.

-Now… um… where do we go? There’s a whole world in front of us. This is the first time I’ve really felt this in a Final Fantasy game. I can head to Dragon’s Neck to check that coliseum. I can head to other towns. I can check out Atomos on Intangir Island.

SO MUCH SO MUCH SO MUCH I LOVE YOU FFVI

-I actually think that I’ll try something Gau-centric. Going to see if his dad’s house is still around.

---

Gauhaus (Gau’s Dad’s Cabin)

-Yes. Somehow, this cabin and Gau’s dead survived the apocalypse. I move Gau to the head of the party, in case that affects anything.

-He still thinks we’re the repairman.

-Sabin approaches Gau outside the cabin, and brings up the possibility of him being Gau’s dad to Gau.

Gau considers.

-They decide to tell Gau’s dad that Gau’s his son. I can’t see this going well. But first, Sabin wants to get Gau “spiffed up” for the occasion in Jidoor. Are we gonna do a “Pretty Woman” thing, with Gau in the Julia Roberts role?

-I NOW WANT TO SEE FFVI THE MOVIE STARRING JULIA ROBERTS AS GAU.

---

Jidoor

-Wow. We get instantly whisked away to Jidoor where the party teaches Gau table manners.

This is so weird.

GAU: Uwao!
SABIN: Don’t say “uwao” when you mean “sorry.”
GAU: Yaoh!
SABIN: …

-Celes is now dressing him.

-LOLOL SABIN TRIES TO DRESS HIM “NICELY” AND GIVES HIM A GI.

Setzer scoffs at everyone else’s fashion sense.

SETZER: Excuse me, sir [to the shopkeep], could you order him another set of clothes like the ones I’m wearing?
SABIN: Setzer, no! We’re trying to make him look better, not worse!

Who knew that trying to buy clothes for Gau a) would be a thing, and b) would be the best thing ever?

---

Gauhaus

-And yet, because this is FFVI, it will likely couple “the best thing ever” with heartbreak.

-Gau’s looking slick, and Sabin wants to Gau to walk in and show his dad “what a fine young man you’ve become.” He was fine before the “Pretty Woman” thing, so it feels almost like putting down who Gau actually is to do this, but Sabin’s heart is in the right place.

I also think either the dad won’t recognize him, or he’ll remember the horrific things he did.

-Aaaaaand fuck this game.

-Somehow, the truth is worse than either of my guesses. The dad says he doesn’t have a son, but relates a dream of a nightmare child.

In the “dream,” he threw the demon child onto the Veldt with the beasts, and still dreams of being chased by that his progeny.

-Sabin gets super protective of Gau. “Not even thinking of Gau’s feelings. Want me to beat some sense into you!?”

Gau stops Sabin, and just walks out of the house.

-Yeah. This is more heartbreaking than I would’ve imagined, right down to Gau’s acceptance. He’s not even mad. Just… I guess sad, or this is what he expected regardless of what he let himself hope.

-AND IT’S EVEN MORE HEARTBREAKING THAN THAT

-GOD, FFVI, STOP UPPING THE ANTE

Even having just heard himself called a demon child, having just heard that he was abandoned to the Veldt, he’s just happy knowing his dad is alive.

Gau, you’re kind of my favorite.

-I go back inside to check if anything new is there, but no. This storyline seems wrapped up for now.

---

Next time: ???? Explore? I think I’ll head to Jidoor. I want to find Strago and Relm. Maybe I’ll actually find Relm in Jidoor.