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Chapter IV: Raven from my Past
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"Oh my," the woman closest to me gasped, brushing her lips lightly with her fingertips. "What are you doing here, child?" Her voice was soft with worry, and I could tell why. I didn't exactly look like the most sophisticated lady on the ship at that moment. Linera laughed; I could already tell she was going to be a sadistic little sneak. All three of them appeared young but just a tad older than I. Linera looked younger, though, so I was betting her attitude would be the most immature and futile.
"What are you doing here?" I shouted, my distaste for their company glinting through my voice.
"We're the Gullwings, who are you?" The brunette asked, not sounding angered yet confused. This particular woman stood tall in height despite the fact that she was sitting down. Her chestnut hair fell to her chin line, probably rounded off in the back to a shorter height, shaven underneath. Two, bright orange locks of curly hair contrasted with her thin, fluffy hair, the locks falling around either side of her face. Her eyes shone a golden yellow; alike a cat's bulbous ones. Although the rest of her face was attractive and prim, her nose was turned upright which damaged the effect.
The intelligent woman had shiny, raven black hair flowing over her shoulders, probably down to her waist if she stood tall. There were waves in it, so you could tell that she braided them before starting each day off anew. Her eyes sparkled a sea-blue of confusion with specks of green rounding off her pupils. Short bangs fell just above her eyes with her eyebrows appearing thin and her skin a golden tan. The rest of her body; although half was covered under the blankets, seemed slender and well formed, healthy. She wore a nightgown alike her peers (except for Linera who still wore my Thief dress-sphere); surprising how fast they had changed since I made haste with heading to the cabin room.
Finally, my eyes scanned the snobby Linera. You could tell right off the bat she thought highly of herself considering that she was the all around 'beautiful' eye candy. Bouncy blond curls spilled down her neckline as she nodded them to her side, eyeing me like a dehydrated scavenger. She batted chocolate brown eyes at me, long eyelashes protruding from her lids like curly needles. Her lips were full and her body seemed curvy, but something was definitely off. There was a particular imperfection that cast the rest of her attractive appearance aside, something that would itch for you to gawk at but would be terribly impolite to sustain to those urges.
A long, tan scar trailed down from the temple of her forehead to the dimple of her chin; bubbling in like a reverse wart in a few areas of the scar, so earning that must've been painful. It stood out against her pale perfection, so it was no surprise that she wasn't offended that it'd have caught my eye. The scar must've been there for quite some time in order for her to adapt to people's rude or impolite gestures and stares, just as I was doing by continuing to eye it like a bug that you didn't want to crawl any closer to you.
"She asked who are you, pipsqueak," Linera reminded me, jutting her jaw out like a fiend.
"I-I-m . . . no, it doesn't matter who I am, who are you and what are you doing on my ship?" I demanded, exaggerating the last part and tearing my eyes away from her apparent flaw. Well, Brother's my brother, so I have joint custody as of now!
"No it isn't, we've been living her for the past year now!" The brunette claimed, staring at me incredulously. The . . . the past year? Buddy and Brother were gonna have some serious explaining to do! I knew that they were going to find new candidates to be apart of the squad, but not these people! What could they possibly possess that would make Buddy and Brother declare them the new Gullwings?
I opened my mouth, caught nasty words in my throat and closed it. I opened it again and closed it just as before, furrowing my brows like a flabbergasted child. After another moment of my speechless confusion, the superior one jumped in. "Are you the girl Brother spoke of?" She asked gently, as if to lure me towards the bait.
"Hey, you're right!" The brunette turned towards her teammate, eyes lighting up with intrigue. "What was her name again? Riggu . . . Rippo . . . Richu-"
"Rikku," the Linera girl stated flatly but with certainty, sending me a hostile glare.
"That's it!" The brunette exclaimed, happy to have discovered my name.
"You were apart of the original Gullwings," the intelligent woman pondered aloud, slowly slipping off her blankets. She stood and stepped forward, extending her hand for me to shake while she introduced herself. "I'm Marigold," she greeted warmly. After a moment of eyeing it, I finally shook her hand with wary, hesitation stiffening my grip. Although her handshake was firm and welcoming, she must've felt my caution grow with each shake she gave, for she stepped back after our awkward greeting and let me have my space.
"Erm, sorry for, the uh, outburst I made before," I apologized with an uncomfortable chuckle, avoiding eye contact with the one I had name-called earlier. "I'm Rikku; Buddy and Brother thought they should let me stay here for a while after—after an, uh, Al Bhed quarrel," I informed them, scratching the back of my bright orange head nervously. My ponytail was down and only the braids were kept in tact, so I surely must've looked like a mess compared to their angel state of pre-slumber. Only Linera seemed to notice that I looked like I had just been electrocuted by a lightening flan since I caught a glimpse of her nose scrunching up in distaste. Meanie, I thought, pitying myself for not having planned a better nightgown.
"It's quite alright. Besides, you've lived here before, so we must have came as a surprise," Marigold smiled, clasping her tan hands behind her back. "Allow me to introduce my two part-"
"I'm Aphelia!" The brunette beamed, standing up quickly to give me her hand. I stepped towards her bed to close the distance and accepted her warm welcoming, smiling myself to reassure them that I no longer felt threatened. Well, not too threatened anymore, that is. "That's Linera," Aphelia jabbed a thumb towards her other friend who scowled when I glanced her way. Maybe the whore of Yevon was too strong of words . . . well; she deserved it for what she called me! She was definitely unworthy of an apology! So I stuck my nose up her way and turned back towards her other two companions.
Aphelia seemed to notice how I had just snubbed her friend, for she rolled her eyes towards Linera and apologized to me, "Sorry, she can be a real bitch sometimes."
"Shut-up, Aphelia!" Linera hissed, ruffling her platinum blond hair over the line of her scar.
"Don't mind them, they're just tired from the long trip we had just made," Marigold excused her friends, leading me towards the bed to her side. Four beds . . . had there always been four? Have I been away for that long? I didn't exactly trust these three new 'Gullwings' yet, but could tell that my worries would go to waste because if Buddy and Brother had gathered them together . . . well, not Brother, but if they chose these particular girls to form a new troop that I should trust their opinion.
But wait . . . something was still off, something that had ricocheted my logic for reason out the window. I looked back to Linera after staring at my neatly made bed (Marigold was ready to sleep in the one that I had just slept in) and remembered why I had mentally proclaimed her my enemy. "You!" I shouted, stepping around the two beds separating us. My steps were heavy and my expression, I could tell, was haughty with relinquished anger. I was prepared to lash out at her but refrained myself because looking at that scar made me quiver. Deep down, I guess I pitied her, but not enough to lash out at her with my words.
"Why are you wearing my dress-sphere?" I demanded, swatting at her scarf passively. I could tell it was my dress-sphere because our outfits were identical—if it were hers, it would've held different aspects. Although I still wore the same exact outfit identical to my old Thief one, I wasn't wearing any sort of dress-sphere because I dropped my weapons long ago. The only thing different about our attires was the fact that she had dropped my knives beside her bed, baring proof that it was mine. People assume that the wardrobe changes with each dress-sphere; which is true, but you can choose to continue wearing that particular outfit if you desire no use of its weapon or abilities. It was a clever invention created by Shinra before he left to find use of his talents in other areas.
"No I'm not! This is mine!" Linera retorted, throwing her blankets aside to stand tall before me. Yep, I was definitely the short girl among the group again. Her height—being a few inches taller—didn't intimidate me. Paine and Gippal always used to try and stare me down, so I'm pretty accustomed to the bullying act.
I stood tall despite the few inches difference (she would've been even taller if she were wearing my white and blue shoes) and jabbed my pointer finger in her face, "You thief!"
"Well, duh," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"Give me back my dress-sphere or you'll sorely regret it!" I growled, standing on my toes to scowl closer to her face.
"Please, both of you, settle down," Marigold tried reasoning, rushing over to our sides to try and stand between us. Aphelia stopped her before she could even reach Linera's unmade bed, holding her back.
"Hey, this is getting good! Let them tough this out like women!" She smiled, baring a row of crooked, white teeth. Her obvious desire to see us bring fists into this conversation made me want to confront her as well, but I had other business to attend to. No one messes with Rikku's dress-spheres and gets away with it!
"You can't scare me, you little twerp!" Linera sneered, a frown forming with her brows. I just continued staring deep into the pupils of her eyes, daring her with my own to scoff again. I'd like to see her try and still think that her body wasn't going to be damaged by the end of her sentence!
"Um, Lin?" Aphelia said, quirking her eyebrow while still holding her tan friend back from confrontation. "You do know that this 'twerp' helped defeat Sin and Vegnagun from the destruction of Spira, right?" Wise words; I hoped they didn't fly right past Linera like a stray bullet.
"That still doesn't change the fact that she's a two time loser. I've never even heard of this chick 'til that treasure sphere!" She laughed, backing away from my stiffened body. My fists clenched tight, digging my nails into the palms of my hands. I barely restrained myself from biting them into my flesh. She crossed her arms against her well-endowed chest, scoffing, "Please, that Tidus guy was the one who defeated Sin, and Vegnagun? They had help from five other people! This little girl was just a cliff-note in Yuna's epic ass!"
It's usually Gippal whose eye I'm punching, so it was no surprise that my fist found its way to this girl's right socket. It connected like a spring, rocking her body against the side-table resting next to the bed. She tripped over it, bruising the soft muscle of her leg and toppled to the ground next to Aphelia's bed, landing with a loud and painful thump. Her head banged against the wall as she threw her back to it, wincing in pain as she tried to stand up. I must've bruised her butt-bone too, since her feeble attempts to stand were diminished from the pain in her rear, sending shocks throughout her body like miniature lightening bolts. I would've apologized along the lines of, "I didn't mean for you to trip over the side table and temporarily cripple your tailbone," but that unsympathetic excuse wouldn't win me any points.
Aphelia and Marigold gawked at their floored friend as I slapped a hand over my opened mouth, jaw low and surprised. After a few more moments of Linera's groaning, I mustered up my words, "I, uh, guess I don't know my own strength, heh-heh." Scratching the back of my scraggly head, I offered my other hand to my opponent in an attempt to make amends, but that gesture faltered when she slapped it away, hissing in pain.
"You'll regret this," she threatened through gritted teeth, voice strained from the pain.
"Let me help you up," Marigold offered, climbing over the bed to her suffering friend.
"Hey, it's not like she didn't deserve it," Aphelia laughed, shaking her head Linera's way. "I told you to keep your mouth shut, but did you listen? No, you just had to let your bitchiness get in the way of an intact butt!"
"Shut-up!" Linera shouted, gasping as she clasped Marigold's hand with her own and struggled to stand up. I backed away in fear of her possible attack. This girl seemed like the type that would maul you injured if she were offended.
"I'm s-so sorry!" I stuttered, regretting my short-fused anger.
"'Tis quite alright," Marigold replied dully, "Linera's been asking for a good beating for quite some time now."
"Yeah, and I'm glad she got it!" Aphelia added, smiling wide, her cheekbones reaching her eyes to form small, gold crescent moons. I was relieved to learn that I wasn't on those two's bad side—they seemed like very straight edge people—but grimaced at the sight of Linera. I was definitely not going to be able to make amends with this one anytime soon, so I apologized once more and backed away to my new bed.
It was five o' clock by the time we all settled down into the comfort of our beds. Well, that was an awkward hour. I barely knew those people, yet I felt . . . safe again, like I had with Paine and Yunie. Linera was a definite turn of events, and she might make my days a little rougher and edgier, but this little prick wouldn't get in the way of my conquests. First things first: I had to travel to Bevelle and see Paine and Baralai. They knew a lot more than I about Gippal's past plans (and possible future ones) so the only way to feather away this dust was to have a little chat with them.
These new Gullwings could wait (and hopefully they wouldn't stand in my way). Besides, they've only produced three treasure spheres from the past year and a half or so! I doubt their productivity level was as up to date as mine was, so their schedule wouldn't be too bothersome. The original Gullwings would uncover a sphere every other day, but then again, Aphelia's earlier words ring true: there just aren't any spheres left in Spira to be discovered. Why they were still sphere-hunters I had yet to learn of, but maybe I could weave my way through their past and uncover the secrets that lie sublevel. Who are these people, anyway, and why are they still in this line of business?
I drifted away into slumber with those undying words. What a peculiar group of people! Who knows, their lives could be far more interesting than mine has been . . . though I doubted it. But, contrary to my previous thoughts before fading into dreamland, I didn't dream of these people. I dreamt of another, its nightmare glued to the back of my skull like day old gum that had settled into concrete after bathing in the summer sun.
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I stumbled up the stairs of a long and narrow staircase, huffing and sweating from running such a long distance. Fear ached at my heart as I barely escaped the clutches of a monster, a monster whose description had been blurry. At the top of the stairwell, there was an old, rotted door with a silver doorknob, the emblem of Bevelle engraved into it. I yanked it open and dragged my feet in, slamming the door from behind. It was an attic . . . but the room was decorated to fit a wedding reception, white frills strewn about everywhere. I was suddenly in a layered wedding dress from my Thief attire, prepared to wed an unknown man.
The entire Al Bhed civilization was there, hands clasped before them in that small, dank attic. Eerie wedding music played on an organ as a tall, built man yanked urgently on my wrist. I was forced to go along with the reception, so I gracefully trailed behind him as he continued to tug me forward. Shadows lurked about his figure and all I could tell from this character was his spiked up hair. Shinzu wedded us, but before I could kiss this strange man, I remembered to check my make-up. I fled from the scene and opened a new door that led to me through a gap in the crowd. A cracked mirror bore the distorted image of my face. My jaw had dropped, and teeth began pouring out of my mouth like a fountain. I kept spitting and pulling them out of the gums of my mouth, but they just kept multiplying and dropping in numbers out of my jaw.
The groom pounded on the rotten wood of the door as I tried to stop my teeth from falling out anymore or regrouping, but every attempt was in vain. He splintered the wood open and came barreling into the bathroom . . .
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. . . and that's when I awakened. Light poured into the room and hit every floorboard, bouncing off of the walls and against the illumination of my skin. I gasped, heart pounding from the frightening dream I had just dreamt. What had all of that meant? What a peculiar nightmare! I thought in puzzlement as I wiped away the sweat forming in small puddles along the line of my scalp. I threw the covers to one side and let the cool air of the Celsius sweeten my legs which were pounding from the heat. I licked my chapped lips and glanced about the room in wonderment, trying to tear my mind away from that odd dream. Maybe a shower would fit best, I thought with mild anxiousness, noting that the others were no longer present in their beds. I checked the digital clock on the side table, only to find that it was way past the time I had expected to wake up.
I threw my legs to the side of my bed and climbed off of it, scrambling to the bathroom to freshen up a bit. The cold wood of the floor stung the soft pads of my feet as I made my way down the stairs and to the door under the upper-deck leading to the girl's bathroom. Twelve o' clock? Why didn't anyone wake me up? I mentally demanded as I flung the door open and stumbled inside. I ignored the Barkeep's greetings as I hastily checked the mirror to see if any damage was made from my nightmare. It was silly of me to assume so, since it was just a dream and my teeth were perfectly intact (even quite straight), but it was still so . . . odd. Why had I dreamt of a fiend chasing me, attending my own wedding in an attic, and even more so my teeth falling out? That was too strange to be just a dream . . . maybe my subconscious mind was trying to warn me?
Well, everyone has their weird dreams, I thought after inspecting each tooth in the clear mirror and brushing them thoroughly, just in case any might've fallen out if brushed or cleaned. I stripped down to just my braids and wiped the sweat away from under my breasts, stepping into the tub and closing the shower curtain from behind me. The bathroom was oddly small, so the décor had much to be desired. Even when the original Gullwings had lived here, we never thought to brighten up the bathroom. It too was still the same: cold, gray stone tiling, white polished toilet, and the clean-cut white tub with a clear blue, fish shower curtain. The walls were painted an eggshell blue, a color that hadn't been there while I was still residing on the Celsius. At least they did something positive with this room; I never liked showering in here, anyway.
I turned the knobs and cold water instantly came pouring over my back from the showerhead, sending my body into a panic. Well, this still hasn't been fixed. Ever since I could remember, this shower has always spouted cold water before anything else, leaving me shivering dumfounded since I can never remember to move my body before letting the water pour. Warm water kicked in after a moment or so; I closed my eyes and let the water trickle through every crèmes of my unwashed body. I felt the water rush down my forehead to my toes, licking away every smear of sweat and dirt from the night before. It felt so nice to finally be able to bathe without any concern of someone walking in on you, like you always had to be cautious of on Bikanel Island. Every care left my mind, leaving a blank slate. The room's temperature shifted a bit, but I was too preoccupied with my shower to truly care.
After a moment or so more of letting the warm water sooth my eyelids, I dipped my scalp under instead and rubbed my eyes from the water, allowing my vision to be distorted with discolored dots. I looked to my side and jumped, eyes frightened and widening. A figure was standing right in front of the shower and the curtain was too blurry to make out who it was. A lump caught in my throat, but I managed to swallow past it and choke out a threat.
"Get out of here, you pervert!" I shouted, covering my breasts with my arms, leaning against the eggshell blue wall. The figure stood his or her ground and chuckled softly, seeming to have crossed its arms across who's ever it was chest. The chuckle sounded deep yet soothing, so my suspicions that it was male rose high. I furrowed my brows in anger and shouted again, "I mean it! Just you wait for me to get out!"
He leaned against the marble sink and scoffed, "Get out then." That voice was faintly familiar . . . like a song from my past, but nothing recent, so my fear of it being a stranger edged its way into my nerves.
"You pervert!" I shouted, feeling horribly vulnerable. "Get out, get out, get out!"
"Rik, what're you doing?" A voice that was actually familiar asked, walking up to the bathroom door.
"Get him out!" I hollered, pressing myself against the wall as I managed to cover up my breasts and private areas in the act, although I doubted he could make out any details from behind the curtain.
"You pedophile!" The voice accused, grabbing the man's collar and yanking him out of the bathroom, probably choking him from his words. My savior slammed the door shut and shouted at his supposed friend, "Man, are you that desperate to sneak up on little girls when they're in the shower?"
Once the other man's voice returned, he chuckled that deep, velvety chuckle and laughed, "I guess so; I'm not getting action anywhere else."
"Yeah, I can see why," that ethnic voice pointed out. The other man snickered and walked away, his laugh fading off into the distance while I still stood there, afraid to uncover any part of my body. A few moments passed by, steam filling the room and fogging up the mirror, before that familiar voice sounded again. He knocked on my door lightly and asked in a worried tone, "Are you okay in there?"
I hesitated for a moment until his absence of barging in reassured me that he wouldn't be as rude as the previous man had been. I spoke up, finally allowing my hands to find their way to my slick waists, "Yeah."
"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" He asked again, tone still carrying a hint of worry.
"No, but I'll still be kicking his butt when I get out of here!" I promised, bathing under the showerhead once more.
"Ha, can't wait. Sorry for that, Rikku," he apologized, then walked away like his friend had, footsteps echoing away as he walked towards the elevator. That was . . . weird. That voice sounded a lot like Buddy's. Maybe it was . . . oh, of course! Shinzu! How couldn't I have guessed it in the first place? But that other man's voice . . . I've heard it from somewhere, but where, exactly? Patience was not one of my stronger points, so I didn't bother shampooing or conditioning my hair. I turned off the shower, ringing my hair from the warm water afterwards and grabbed a fuzzy pink towel from the rack near the tub. Whoever that bastard was, was going to learn a little lesson from Mr. Fist and Mrs. Mouth. Nobody walks in on Rikku showering and gets away with it! Scarring my pride is not something I handle delicately, I've recently realized, and whoever dared scathe it better prepare for the consequences!
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I wore my orange bikini and washed-out denim skirt over my matching g-string, the outfit I wore day after day since the Gullwings departed their separate ways. My knitted scarf hung low over one breast, the ends dangling low and tickling my ankles as I walked. My blue bandana was tied securely in place, each colored beads strung through my braids, giving my outfit some color. The final touch was my white and blue Thief shoes, opening wide around my ankles, which always seemed to bother me. Sure, the shoe never fell off or wavered from its place whenever I would take a step, but there was still a lingering hint of paranoia about it. I don't know why I've never changed my outfit for a good three years or so, but I guess it just stuck.
The only drastic measures I've ever taken with my attire were my hair. Where as it used to be a natural blond with hints or orange highlights in it, I took the next step and dyed my entire head of hair a bright, vibrant orange, noticeable from at least a mile away. Change was on my mind, but I wasn't ready to switch my whole wardrobe like Gippal had just yet. Although his personality was still glued to sarcastic charisma, his daily outfit changed from 'Al Bhed Digger' to 'Al Bhed Bad Boy' in just the change of an outfit.
It was no surprise that after his little 'change' he became the heart of every Al Bhed woman's desire. Even Nhadala seemed to swoon over him when she suspected that no one was looking her way. You could tell that Gippal was basking in the spotlight, that being twenty never tasted any sweeter. Everybody still looked up to him as a leader, but the woman saw him in a different potential light, where as the men envied his charming looks. He's always been egotistic and handsome, but as of recently, it's just begun to sicken me.
"Hey, look who's here," Buddy told the others, glancing up at me as I stood on the landing with my hands placed firmly on my hips. I gave a dignified look, not at all happy, at the head of the man suspected to have sneaked up on me at the most vulnerable place a girl can be in. He poked his head up at Buddy's words, turning away from Shinzu slowly to engorge me with his eyes. He caught his cold, baby blue eyes with my own surprised ones, reading my thoughts through my pupils like a book. I found myself frozen beneath his gaze, completely flabbergasted as he trailed his gaze down my slender body to the curve of my hip. Baby blue eyes from my past . . . whose were these? His skin shone a neutral pale with just a sprinkle of stubble on his chin; cheekbones indented to appear sophisticated even though I knew for a fact that he wasn't. That shiny raven hair, flowing down in tight individual braids to his waist was his signature. No other color was on the menu for this guy; it could only be . . .
"Rikya, leave the girl alone, she's been through a lot lately, man," Shinzu requested, placing a chocolate brown hand on one of Rikya's broad shoulders. Not taking his suggestion, Rikya stepped closer to the landing, letting his friend's gloved hand fall to his side. Nope, Rikya hadn't changed one bit.
He wore a long, velvet black cloak that ended right above his heels, which he must've been sweating bullets in off of the air-conditioned Celsius. A silver fang pendant clasped the cloak together at the indent of his pale neck, his black silk shirt cut low beneath it, so low as to bare one pale pink nipple whenever he would walk. His naked nipple was pierced with a small, silver ring, something that would have made me queasy to do. He pierced his nipple? Was he nuts? His black shirt had puffed sleeves; tiny designs etched into the silk all along his arms until the cuff cut off the wavy material, closing over leather gloves which ended at the middle of each finger. At the waist, his shirt was tucked into shiny leather pants, probably skin-tight shorts for all I knew because his industrial boots ended at the center of each muscular thigh. The hem of his pants closed right around the line above his privates, fine black lace tying up his crotch area. His long, thigh-high boots were made of a thin vinyl material, which made walking just a touch easier, his knees covered by breathable stretchy leather. Each boot was held together by black lacing, from the front of his ankles to the tight muscles of his thighs.
It was a sight to drool over, but I still had my pride. A little scratched and shaken, but still there all the same. I stood there, glaring a hole into his sockets, but he didn't seem to notice. He was too preoccupied with the curve of my thighs, right at the hem of my miniskirt where they disappeared beneath. I felt more naked than his bare nipple, the silk of his shirt tickling it lightly. What am I thinking? I thought, shaking my head. My mind should not be on about my childhood enemy's nipple! Before he could begin to undress my bikini bra with his eyes, I shook my head out of its trance and stepped down the left path of the stairs, away from where he was residing and towards Buddy. No way would he dare give me that drawl of seduction when I was standing right next to his friend's brother . . . right?
"You're still the same, Rikya. An air-head with a passion for the color black, how presumptuous," I thought, trying my best to sound sophisticated.
He smirked, obviously not buying the act. Guess he smartened up. "Rikku, has it been five years already? What possessed you to waltz like a harlot?" He asked, his tongue rubbing over each syllable like velvet. Damn, what's he done with himself these past five years?
I pinched a little smirk of my own, plastering over my distaste with another insult. "Ditched the cronies, I see. Did you realize that they were killing your brain cells or did they just refuse to give head after the hundredth time?" I quipped, beaming an innocent smile his way.
"Damn, she just burned you," Buddy snickered, clasping a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. So polite was he, while I was playing the most childish game a near adult can play: who can out-insult the other first.
Ignoring Buddy's comment, Rikya leered and continued, "Hmm, I wonder where your man Gippal is . . . I don't know, could he possibly be raping Yuna at this very moment? Perhaps making her squeal for a personal Calm?" Although he didn't smile wide, he bore straight, shining white teeth, an arrogant sparkle glimmering in his eye. He had crossed the line. I could not believe that he had just brought Yunie into our battle of quips! That bastard!
"You disgusting, loathsome pig!" I hollered, jumping at him and clawing at his perfect pale face, toppling him to the ground from element of surprise. I straddled his broad stomach; thighs stretched around his sides as my denim skirt hiked up my waist, baring my full, round rear. I clutched one hand around his thick neck and was about to pound the lights out of him with my other fisted hand . . . before I came to my senses. My chest was heaving from the adrenaline, my breasts and butt completely apparent by that time and I could feel Rikya's eyes smooth along the curves of my breasts peeking up from under the bra. I tried to hold a grip of myself and managed to slow down my heart rate, still grasping Rikya's neck with one hand and the other uplifted in the air. I must've looked pretty scary, half-exposed yet still snarling teeth down at Rikya like a fiend.
". . . Whoa," Shinzu said, backing away from the scene. "You guys wanna handle this in the bedroom? We've got important shit to cover, here," he informed us, my eyes still glued to my opponent's.
"I'd like to, but it seems our feisty friend here is very eager to finish off what Gippal has started," Rikya dared comment. Guess he wasn't as smart as we all thought.
"Save it until she gets off of you, man," Buddy groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead. I would've loved to punch the crap out of Rikya . . . but thought better of it. He was a pathetic loser and avenging Yunie's sake from his repetitive comment wouldn't have solved anything. I stood up, pulling my skirt down back in place but being full aware that he got a good look of the goodies. Today was just not looking up . . . well, I guess for Rikya, it was, but for me? I wanted nothing more but to shun myself in the engine room, wishing to have gone back in time before all of this mess began. But for now: Rikya.
"You disgust me," I spat, kicking him with all my might in the ribs. I stepped away from him then, allowing him to stand without my discretion and get a good look at the perverse hatred in my eyes. He stood slowly, draping his long, velvet cloak over one arm as to not trip over it. Buddy just shook his head, where as Shinzu sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Do you guys always do this whenever you meet?" Shinzu asked, rubbing his temples.
Rikya stood up straight; brushing the dirt off of his cloak and letting it fall to his ankles once more, massaging the skin surrounding his neck. "Usually, though she was never this . . ." he smirked, "enticing."
I never said a word, only looked away because the mere sight of him bubbled bile up my throat. I crossed my arms over my chest, blocking his view of my breasts as I turned away. "Where's Brother?" I asked, wondering the very question myself. If Brother had been there, he would've kicked the stuffing out of him! Or so I hoped . . . maybe it was just Gippal he was wary with?
"He went with the others to survey progress in Zanarkand. Says there's a sphere nearby, but since we don't have Shinra around anymore to confirm that statement, I guess it's anyone's bet," Buddy shrugged, ignoring the scene Rikya and I had just made. Zanarkand . . . guess Linera was serious about wanting to meet Gippal. I'm sure he too was offended by Rikya's Yunie comment, but I could tell he didn't want to make a fuss over some dumb insult an idiot who doesn't even know Yunie made. Gullibly, he turned back to me, scratching the back of his neck with his right hand. "Sorry for not telling you about the new girls, Rikku," he apologized, placing his left hand on his waist. "We just didn't want to make you guys upset over nothing. I mean, we still wanted a team, but since you guys left . . . "
I turned back to my old friend and smiled, allowing my arms to fall limp to my sides. "That's okay, Buddy," I assured, because really, I didn't mind as much anymore. "You guys did what you had to do. Besides, it's your ship now, anyway, do what you want with it."
Buddy looked up and met my eyes, smiling after seeing my own beam. "You took that well. Thought you'd be mad pissed or something," he laughed, ignoring the other two present on the bridge.
"Well, I was, at first, but they seem like nice people," except for Linera, "but not as nice as the original Gullwings, though!"
"I hate to break this family reunion, but remember the real reason we came here, Bud?" Shinzu reminded his brother, tearing our attention away from each other towards the other two.
Buddy simply nodded, waving away his words like a pesky fly. "Yeah, yeah, I've got the sphere, but it's gonna cost ya," he replied, smirking cruelly at Shinzu.
Shinzu frowned. "How much?"
"Well, you're in on Operation Recreation, right?" Buddy asked, stepping lightly around the subject. Since his brother and he had opposing views about the matter, it was a topic that kicked the tension up a notch in the room.
"Yeah, what about?" Shinzu wondered, already afraid of the answer.
"You know how the Al Bhed working on you-know-what won't let any other 'civilian Al Bhed' in on the details, right? You were at that meeting last night, meaning you're one of the 'important' people or whatever, while I was just there to check up on an old friend," Buddy explained, stepping around Rikya to face his sibling head on.
Shinzu cropped an eyebrow. "Get to the point," he stated dully, crossing his muscular arms across the broad flat expanse of his chest.
Instead of replying to Shinzu first, Buddy turned to me, looking past the quizzical look that Rikya was giving him and onto my own. "What do you say, Rikku? Wanna see what's up with Gippal?" He asked, wiggling his brows to that. I could feel heat rush to my face, but it submerged quickly to which I was grateful for.
"Um, well-"
"Perfect," Rikya interrupted me, speaking his words with a divine tongue as he faced Buddy, a mischievous shadow fixed about his face. "I shall escort our dear Rikku to the spheres, all access granted. Now, all you have to do is hand me that sphere and we'll be on our way," he arranged, extending his hand out to Buddy, fingers curved elegantly in a gesture to be offered a sphere. What was this sphere and why is it so vital to him? I wondered, furrowing my brows for the billionth time that day.
"Ha, you're not getting off that easily," Buddy scoffed, walking over to Shinra's old computer chair. "You're not laying a finger on that sphere until you take Rikku to the grounds, got it? Who knows, counting on you, you might ditch her right when you leave the ship."
"Now, why would I do such a sinister act such as that?" Rikya asked, wiggling his fingers impatiently.
"Come on, Bud, we don't have all day," Shinzu sighed in exasperation, rubbing his temples with thumb and pointer finger.
"Well, I can always play your sphere for all to see if you refuse to take her beforehand," Buddy offered as he sat down on the comfy chair, logging onto the database.
"No!" Rikya shouted persistently, rushing over to Buddy's side to place a hand onto the keyboard. "Fine, I'll take the little wench to Zanarkand, but you're not to show another soul my sphere, got it?" He spat, glaring down at Buddy with a venomous lure.
Buddy smiled wickedly, dragging his mouse away from the folder labeled Treasure Spheres. "Nice to see you finally cooperating, Rikky. I'll zap you three to the Zanarkand grounds in about five minutes; the transporter has to warm up first. Sit tight 'til then," he told us, stretching his arms towards the ceiling then began clicking against the keyboard to operate the transporter.
What sphere? What was going on? "Um, Buddy? Why in Yevon am I going to Zanarkand? And what's up with Rikya's sphere?" I asked curiously, stepping around Shinzu towards Buddy in an attempt to clarify a few things. Nobody tells me anything anymore! I thought with a pout, awaiting Buddy's reply.
"It's about Gippal. Thought you'd like to have the inside scoop behind his actions, or am I wrong?" He smirked, raising one eyebrow precariously.
"That'd be great!" I exclaimed with a bit of surprise, widening my eyes. But no . . . there was something I had to do before seeing Gippal, and there was no way I was going to see him again without having learned a piece of information worth interest . . . "Wait," I halted Buddy's actions, "no, I have to go to Bevelle first. I have to speak with Paine and Baralai about . . . something." Buddy looked up at me, a wipe of knowledge clearing his eyes. He knew exactly what my intentions were and what they meant to me; I wasn't the only one who had played that sphere.
He smiled but weakly this time, facing the computer screen again. "Sure. Yo, Shinzu, Rikya, we're gonna be making a stop before Zanarkand, you dig?"
Shinzu sighed in exasperation. "Why me . . . I didn't ask to have a brother with an attention deficit disorder, I didn't ask to have a coworker whose ego is more inflated than the Blitzball Sphere in Luca . . . "he mumbled to himself, walking away towards the stairs. Rikya's eyes sparkled with curiosity, forgetting about his discomfort with the situation for a moment.
"Fine, but I'm coming along, too," he teased, whisking his warm cloak lightly around the skin of my bare legs.
Before I could protest, Buddy spoke for me, "Whatever, I just don't want you on this ship by the time Brother returns." To that I couldn't provoke the deal made, since Brother might blow a fuse to hearing that a stranger had nearly molested his baby sister. Then again, it wasn't as if I cared much if Rikya got beat to a bloody pulp, but I still had some heart and Brother drove my nerves when he went into a rage. Rikya's always been a jerk, but maybe if we talked sensibly in Bevelle, we might be able to set our past differences aside. I mean, it wasn't as if the man was completely senseless, and hopefully he wouldn't attempt to molest me again (not that he did much before anyway), right?
As I was still facing the computer screen, Rikya rubbed up against my hip and brushed his fingers along my inner-thigh from behind, actions hidden behind his cloak. I shuddered, wanting to slap him but feared that that would cause a riot from Shinzu and Buddy. He was already doing so much for me as it was; I didn't want to trouble him with my personal quarrels. Besides, I could handle Rikya any day, all this was going to take was a little . . . elbow grease. Maybe a little blood and saliva as well, but I was hoping that it wouldn't have to come to that. If he had it his way, it'd be cum, but I was planning on saving that much for Gippal. Aren't you a naughty little girl, I teased myself, distracting myself from Rikya for a moment, but only temporarily.
Rikya trailed his way up under the tight material of my skirt, fingering the soft skin of my buttocks sensually as it brought a silent shiver from my lips. His sculpted face bore no emotion except for an arrogant smirk that played about his lips, as if to say, "I'm the dominant one in this game." Beneath his cool exterior he was screaming for sex as if it hadn't been served to him in decades, or maybe that's just how his dick always felt. Unlike Gippal, his body didn't radiate heat . . . it was a cold desire that swelled up within you, nothing but the need for sweaty, tainted sex. There was no love there, which only made my smile spread wider. I could definitely handle this guy. I gracefully took my right hand and slipped it under my skirt, grabbing the pervert's teasing fingers and cracked them with a swift flick of the wrist. He hissed deep within his throat, yanking his hand and sore fingers away from my violent grip.
"Oh, goodie," I said to no one in particular as Buddy gave Rikya an odd look from over his shoulder, "can't wait."
oooooooooooooooooooo
A/N: Ooh, I did not like this chapter one bit . There was no Gippal in it at all; I barely mentioned his name! I guess that's what you've gotta do when creating a smut story with plot, though. Oh, but looky here? We have the hottie Rikya to spice up the story! (Which, by the way if any of you were confused, his name is pronounced rick-eye-ah. I would've spelt it like Rikia to emphasize the eye-ah, but the y looks a lot cooler than the i, don't you think?) . . . Please do not tell me that I've just written nine whole pages without any Gippal lemon. Oh, the woe! Then again, I look forward to Rikya acting wicked deeds upon Rikku, so that's something to look forward to (in typing wise for me, that is). If any of you were wondering, the dream that Rikku had doesn't play a major role in the story, but will be explained once Rikku talks to Paine. I've had many dreams that resembled the one she had, though, which is pretty creepy.
Anyway, lemme see, what else . . . oh yeah, favorite characters! Mine were Rikku and Gippal (obviously), but more so Tobli (I loved that duck outfit of his and how he talked!) and Buddy ('cause he's the token black guy of the game) when it comes to minor characters. My least favorites were Leblanc (she's flipping annoying and that Noojie Woojie crap made me sick) and probably Baralai. The only reason why people lump Paine and him together (no offense to those of you who like that pairing) is because they're the remaining ones without a lover. I don't particularly hate Baralai, but just to warn you, he won't exactly have a happy ending . . . Oh, and from FFX, I adored Auron (he was the best player to fight with) and Wakka ('cause come on, Wakka's the coolest). If you've actually read this, who were your favorite and least favorite characters? It's always nice to learn about different people's views. Ah well, 'til next time! This has been Grimmy, signing out!