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iEiko

 
eiko

Vivi and Eiko's friendship starts off on the wrong foot. Vivi's meek but brazen personality completely conflicts with Eiko's fiery and accusatory one. From the start, it's clear that these two are opposites.

From their very first conversation, Vivi and Eiko don't seem like the most compatible of people. Eiko starts off with a poorly-aimed diss at Vivi's age, who calmly insists he can't be much younger than she is, to which Eiko responds with an accusation of poor manners on Vivi's part, after which Vivi feels inclined to note it was she who introduced herself first...and on and on. Vivi just turns away, shaking his head.

A toughened spirit after being on her own for so long, Eiko is quick to take offense and jump to the defense. She challenges Vivi and the others at any chance she gets, never letting herself fall on the "weak" side of the fence. Eiko's bound and determined to be strong — she's had to be in order to survive. But likewise, Vivi can't help but point out the weakness in Eiko's arguments or the faulty information she sometimes relies on, much to her annoyance.

When given an opportunity to shine, Eiko takes it, leaving Vivi in the dust. At the Iifa Tree, Vivi makes the mistake of telling everyone he's afraid of heights. Eiko challenges him, telling Vivi he'd be better off staying put while she and the others move forward. Vivi doesn't back down, insisting he has to go. Liking his response, Eiko asks him to stay at her side.

In time, Eiko's opposing personality comes to be of benefit to Vivi. After realising that he's helped prevent any more of his kind from being created after the death of the Iifa Tree's Soulcage, Vivi is sure he's done the wrong thing. Eiko, however, is quite sure he's wrong there. She insists the other black mages will understand the good behind his decision. In essence, Eiko's strength of will becomes a tonic for the insecurity Vivi constantly feels.

quote Vivi § Remember what you taught me at the Iifa Tree? You said I shouldn't ever lie to myself. I'll try to be more honest with my own feelings...
You should, too, Eiko... quote

As Vivi becomes stronger and believes in himself more and more, Eiko comes to hold a certain level of respect for him. They begin to help each other through difficult situations, Eiko dropping the entitled, stronger-than-thou act. The breakthrough point for Vivi is when he gives Eiko back her own advice when she's having a hard time deciding between keeping the promise to her grandpa to stay in Madain Sari until an adult, or to go with the party and discover the world prematurely. Eiko's regard for Vivi grows and the two become comfortable allies, if not good friends.

Loneliness

If Eiko and Vivi share one thing, it a deep loneliness caused by a lack of companionship. Though Eiko has lived with her moogle friends, she yearns for the friendship of someone of her own kind, someone she could perhaps relate more to. She's not technically alone, but feels isolated without human company. When Vivi, Zidane and Garnet parade into her world, she can't let them go.

Like Eiko, Vivi seemed willing to do anything — and put up with anything — for companionship. More than anything else, it's perhaps why he stuck around with Puck, despite how the other treated him. But Vivi, unlike Eiko, was on his own after his grandfather's death, with no family or friends to his name. Whereas Eiko had the company and comradeship of the moogles, Vivi was completely without connections or contacts.

Thus, their circumstances as well as their loneliness stem from different cores. Eiko sees through the contrast of the moogles and Zidane and the others her specific need of human companionship. Vivi's loneliness is bred from the death of his grandfather — the loss of companionship of any kind. But, even with these differences, the two children are ultimately searching for the same thing: a cure for their loneliness.

Eiko image 3

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