The Paine In My Heart. – Shinobi of Darkness
[A/N: first attempt at a FF fic. Flame me, You die. That simple.]
"There you are." Said Paine as she pulled up a chair next to her three comrades at the round table. It was like any other night in the cabin of Baralai's ship when the four remaining members of the Crimson Squad would get together and have a few drinks. Paine crossed her arms on the table and looked over to the others as they seemed to be taken by the conversation they shared. Her maroon eyes settled first on Nooj.
"Paine, glad you could join us." He said, turning in her direction and nodding. The others would follow with their greetings. This night, he was calm. Not to say it was uncommon, but he seemed very collected now than on any other night. I guess this week was one of the better ones for him since Maester Kinoc's little Plan of execution. She barely smiled, nodding back to the half man, half machina.
"Thanks. But I thought we did this often." She adverted her eyes to Gippal who lifted his head in surprise and smiled.
"What's that? No Recorder?"
"Relax. It's my day off." She shrugged, signaling the barkeep and ordered a glass of wine for herself. Then briefly looked back to Gippal. "Besides, you wouldn't want me to record you drinking yourself drunk now, would you?"
Nooj and Baralai began to laugh.
"I can recall the last time he'd drunk too much." Said Baralai.
"So do I." Agreed Nooj. "This was before you Paine. It was around the time when—"
"Heeeey," said Gippal cutting him off. He nodded in Paine's direction, indicating some silence. "Don't open any closed doors. You were the ones who bet that I wouldn't get drunk until the fifth shot."
"That's right. You were drunk on the second." Answered Paine. She smirked and it broke into a sweet chuckle. The barkeep placed the glass in front of her and she gave her thanks and gil, picking up the glass in her hands. The others watched as she took her first sip then sat the glass down again.
"And how did you know that?" Gippal asked, leaning on the table. Paine shrugged.
"Nooj told me. Around the last time you were drunk."
"Maroon…" Baralai muttered mistakenly out loud, comparing Paine's eyes to her drink. Paine looked in his direction.
"What's that?"
"Uh.." He turned his gaze from her and turned to his glass. "Your ey—I mean, drink. The color. It's Maroon."
"So it is." Nooj commented, looking to Gippal who smirked before taking a sip of his own dark drink. Paine briefly smiled.
"So you noticed." Baralai's heart dropped. She smiled, he thought, running an index along the rim of his glass.
"Hey 'Lai, What do you say to a bit of music to lighten the night?" Gippal arose and went to the jukebox in the corner of the room. He pushed a few buttons and a slow melody started to play. While Nooj led Paine away from the table, Gippal began making smooching faces at Baralai. "Or are you too chicken to dance?" Baralai narrowed his eyes to reply, but paused when he heard Paine's laughter. He looked over to Nooj and her on the floor in front of each other. Dancing.
"Sorry, I'm not good at this." Admitted Nooj who lacked the necessary rhythm for the music. Paine shrugged with her little movements. It seemed as if she were just standing there with her arms crossed. Nooj took her into his arms, surprising her. And Baralai. "Too uncomfortable?"
Paine blushed, looking away. "It's okay. Just don't dip me, or any of that other crazy stuff."
"Ooooooh!" Hooted Gippal. "Smoochy Smoochy, Noojie-Woojie!"
Paine shot him a dark look and Gippal refrained, chuckling. Baralai turned away, getting up from the table.
"I'm turning in." He mumbled, walking past the dancers and the blonde. He shut his eyes as he stepped through the entrance. The others fell silent. Nooj pressed his hands against Paine's shoulders, and looked in her eyes.
"I'll go talk to him." Paine caught his arm.
"No. Let me."
When she stepped past Nooj, she shoved Gippal out of the doorway, making him fall against the jukebox. Nooj shrugged at Gippal. Paine stepped down the stairwell with one hand against the railing until she came to a corridor of the ship. Most likely, the cabin. She advanced further into the hall, passing Nooj, hers, and Gippal's room until she met with the door of Baralai's. She softly knocked. "Hey Baralai?"
Nothing.
She knocked again.
And again, she heard nothing.
She moved a hand against the doorknob and twisted it, pushing forward the door. She stepped in.
"Baralai? You here?" She received no reply as she stepped further into the dark room. She tossed on the light switch with her left hand and looked around. With her maroon eyes, she saw that everything was orderly, undisturbed even in the slightest. His staff rested in the corner of the room near the sill of the open window. She sighed, musing quietly. "Where is he…?"
"Did you check the bridge?" said Gippal. She looked over her shoulder seeing Gippal leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, and a smirk lying across his thin lips.
"You." She said, fully turning to face him. She stepped forward, flipping off the light switch as she neared the door.
"That's right, me. Now, Paine," He said, placing an arm around her shoulder as they fell in step outside of Baralai's room. She shrugged it off and closed the door. "I don't suppose you know that if things between 'Lai and you don't heat up, there's always a spot for you in my room."
"With a knife to your neck?" She glanced over to him, her expression serious. Gippal's smile faded.
"Er…well. No."
"Good. Now back off before I break one of your arms. Or both."
Gippal stepped away from her with his arms out in surrender. "Okay, Okay. Go talk to your man. I'll wait."
Paine sighed in disgust, dismissing Gippal with a wave of her hand as she ascended the stairwell.
Nooj. How could he? How could Paine? Paine and Nooj? Hmph. He mused internally, biting his lower lip in anger while running a hand through his white hair. Baralai sat alone on the bridge of the ship with his back against the center pole. He had his arms resting against his knees with his palms hanging inward, a glass of wine loosely clutched within his grasp. He looked up to the stars and sighed. It was here that day when he suggested that she join Gippal, Nooj, and him in their celebration of escaping Maester Kinoc. He recalled stepping toward her, suggesting that she turned off the recorder and celebrate with them their victorious escape from death. It perhaps was the same day that she saved Nooj from his ultimate decision of giving up his life. He was the Death Seeker after all. The Crimson Squad's personal Recorder, he thought. "I wonder how long until Gippal goes after her?"
"He's already tried. But it'll never happen."
Baralai felt his heart skip a beat then stop. "P-Paine?"
"How are you?" Paine took a seat beside him, placing her hands on her knees just as he had done. She looked over to him and smiled. He smiled back, but it soon faded, and he turned back to the stars. "Something wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"You're lying." Her maroon eyes settled on him. She had a knack for finding lies. And he knew this. He rested a hand against the back of his neck and sighed. He didn't offer a reply. "It's Nooj, isn't it?"
"What makes you say that?" He finally turned to face her.
"I see the way you look at him. And Gippal too." She now turned her eyes to the stars. "There's nothing going on between us."
"And the dancing?"
"Just learning."
"Oh?"
"Yes, 'oh'. 'Lai look," His brows lifted in surprised. It was the first time she had called him that. Gippal was the only one who'd done so, but Paine? Never. He listened. "If there was a slight bit of interest in Gippal, I'd have hung myself at the first sign of it. Nooj? There's no connection. I just won't have him killing himself while I'm around. And you?"
She paused. Baralai found himself to be holding his breath.
"You're the only one out of the three that I can talk to without hearing ridiculous antics about machina or morbid stories of seeking death. You're a regular."
She turned her gaze to him and placed a hand against his shoulder, patting it. He released the breath he'd held and it came out in a sigh. He formed a smile before he found himself laughing with her.
"A regular?"
"Yeah."
"That's good, right?"
"Yeah."
"Oh." They laughed again. And in the wake of silence, Paine sighed.
"Why do you always look to the stars? You seem entranced by them."
"Well…they're beautiful. Each one of them. Ever seen them amidst pyrflies?"
"The stars?" She looked to him. "No."
"That's a sight to see."
"Is it?"
"Of course. The beautiful and colorful souls flying around you on a starry, moonlit night. It's even better when you have a waterfall as your background, and you share the night with someone." He said, barely nodding in thought. Paine could see the admiration in his dark eyes.
"Perhaps it is, 'Lai."
"Huh?" There it was again. "'Lai". She had said it again. He looked over to her as she looked back to the sky. She searched the night just above her head and looked over each twinkle of the stars, trying to imagine what it would be like to be engulfed by the pyrflies with the sound of a strong waterfall behind her. She shut her eyes and let her imagine take it from there. It was then, as she was looking to the stars, that he noticed the deep maroon in her eyes that complimented the crimson lipstick she wore. Her pale complexion became soft and creamy under the sublime moonlight. She turned toward him, catching his stare and nervously smiled.
"What? What is it?"
He turned away. "It's nothing."
"You're lying again. I suppose I won't be able to trust you later on."
"Sorry, It's just that—"
"Don't explain. I get the idea," She said, rising to stand. She dusted off her shorts then smiled as she crossed her arms. She paused, wrinkling her mouth as she began to think with a hand to her chin. She looked back on him. "Perhaps I'll join you again out here on my personal time. We can't keep Gippal and Nooj waiting. They'll get suspicious."
Baralai smiled and accepted the hand that was offered to him and came to a stance. He too dusted off his clothing and followed her as she led the way back to the cabin.
"So, what do you think they're doing?" Gippal asked, leaning his chair back on its hind legs. Nooj shrugged, looking from his drink to Gippal.
"What does it matter? It's their business anyway."
"Yeah. He's probably lip-locking with her right now. Haha! I bet Baralai's all shy-like!" He stood up to mimic the praeter. He picks up a broomstick in place of Baralai's staff and points it at Nooj. Nooj arches a brow over the rim of his glasses as he watches Gippal. "Oh, um, Paine." Gippal fakes a blush. "I-I…I loooooooove you!" Gippal then starts to make out with the broomstick, supplying his very own smooching sounds. "Ahahahaha! I can so see him doing that!"
Nooj worked to remain serious but he was subjected to give a small smile. And maybe even a small chuckle. "You do that well."
"Ah-yeah. Well, ya'know, I have character. I can do these things."
"You think too highly of yourself as well. What about you and Cid's girl. Rikku, was it?"
"Did you have to bring her up? C'mon, Nooj. That was two years ago." Gippal plopped into a chair and propped his legs up onto the table in front of him.
"I thought it was the right time. It'd keep you from badgering Baralai about his crush on Paine."
"The guy's a sap. He's too shy. Sometimes arrogant, but too shy. If I were him, I'd profess my love to her."
"So you haven't already? I'm shocked. You're getting off subject, anyway, we were talking about Rikku."
"Ah, it's over between Rikku and I. We just can't seem to get along. But I know she can't live without me. Besides, Nooj, what's with you and that flaming blonde? Seems like you two hit it off back then when Sin was destroyed." He took a sip of his wine.
"LeBlanc?" Nooj looked down on his glass and shook his head.
"Is that her name?" Gippal grinned.
"She'd give her life for me."
"That bad, huh?"
"No. She's just in love with someone who'd rather give his life away. I find no mutual interest in her and she doesn't seem to understand."
"Yep. That bad." Gippal said flatly. He dropped his feet from the table then leaned forward. "Hey, Nooj. What about Paine?"
"What about me?" Paine asked as she strolled in with her arms crossed as usual. Baralai came in behind her looking a bit skeptical of Gippal's behavior. Gippal grinned, folding his hands behind his head. He leaned his chair back a bit.
"Paine, we were just talking about you."
"I heard." That monotonous tone became evident as she pulled up a chair. Baralai did the same. "What were you two talking about concerning me?"
"Uh…" Gippal glanced to Nooj. Nooj shook his head briefly. "Your…uh…attitude. I don't like it."
"That's your problem. Not mine." She paused and motioned the barkeep. "Barkeep, another round."
The Hypello nodded, turning around to grab some bottles and glasses. Paine returned her attention to her friends.
"Nooj. When do we get off of this ship?"
"As soon as we hit Besaid Island. We have to meet with the high summoner then off to Luca."
"Besaid?" Paine paused, suddenly hit with a realization. "…Good."
Gippal slanted his eyes at her then shrugged. Nooj looked over to Baralai.
"What about you? Where are you going?"
"To Guadosalam. I have some business to take care of."
Gippal waved a hand in his direction. "Pfft. He's going to visit that bluish-green haired freak."
"Gippal!" Baralai scowled.
"The Praeter of Yevon?" Nooj looked to Baralai.
"That's him." Gippal chimed in.
"What for?"
"That's none of your business." Baralai calmly answered. Gippal rolled his eyes.
"Guys. We said we'd separate, right?" Paine asked, setting down the glass the barkeep handed her. The others were receiving their glasses as well. "What we do once we're gone has nothing to do with anyone else." She paused, looking directly at Gippal. "Gippal, just drop it."
Gippal lowered his hand and immediately shut his mouth. Just like the night before, Paine had once again ended Gippal's argument. She seemed to rule over him and there was nothing that he could do about it. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms with a grunt. He took his glare to the floor.
"Nooj." Paine continued. "Once we're separate, I'm no longer responsible for your life."
"I'm aware. Or should I be grateful?"
"Neither. That means I will no longer be the recorder of the Crimson Squad. I request that once we dock, I record one last time. For old times sake."
"That'd be nice." Said Baralai.
Gippal shrugged. "I'm up for it."
"I suppose." Nooj brought the last of his wine to his lips and drank it. Then reached for the next. Paine waited for him to taste it and set his glass down. Nooj cleared his throat. "But I request that what went on as our days of the Crimson Squad, stay with us. It should not be shared with anyone else." He looked over the other's faces.
"Agreed." Said Gippal, looking to his right.
"Agreed." said Baralai.
"Agreed." said Paine from behind her wine glass. Gippal held out his hands.
"To be certain, lets shake on it."
Paine, Baralai, Gippal, and Nooj, all took each other's hand and shook on it. Dropping their hand below the table, they howled calling forth a toast to their good times and bad. Two more days and their venture would come to an end, and their lives would all change. What'd this mean for Baralai and Paine? Nothing. They knew they'd eventually see each other again. It was only a matter of time.
"One question though." The attention returned to Paine. "What was it that you all saw back there in that cave?"
