A/N: YAY! MIDTERMS ARE OVER! Hurrah! Hurrah! Sorry for the slowness, but the tests were keeping me DOWN man…okay, anyway—my creative juiced are flowing, and even though I've no idea what I'm gonna do in this chapter—we'll figure it out, hmm?
Luca City, Late EveningRikku found herself grumbling as the trio entered the city of Luca. Why did Athilda have to be there? Rikku could have so killed that robot thing. And then every other fiend that had come across their path ran away as soon as Athilda showed up! That lady ruined all the fun…
"Rikku." Gippal tugged at her arm, and his voice was in an awed sort of whisper. "Look at the city."
Rikku glanced up from her clenched hands to let out a small gasp. The three had a perfect view of the city because they were up high on the balcony. The sunset gave off an orange, rusty sort of glow to the stone buildings of Luca, giving it a sort of serene look. Lights flickered from within houses, along with neon ones from stores and bars and streetlights that lit the path for wanderers. She could hear dogs barking and children giggling as they probably ran back to their home for sleep. The ocean waves were reflecting the sun and lapping gently onto the shore of the city, causing the boats at the docks to rocks gently back and forth, emitting a sort of soothing creak. Rikku couldn't help it. She grinned.
"It's beautiful." She managed to whisper. Gippal only nodded.
"I wonder why I've never seen stuff like this before."
"Probably because by Djose it's all rubble and storm clouds." Rikku teased, ripping her gaze away from the picture perfect city to look up at Gippal, who was now smirking down at her.
"Oh really?"
"Really."
"I guess I can't tell you about the secret spot." He teased her.
Rikku's ears perked. "Secret spot?" Of course, she knew he was teasing her, but he might be telling the truth…
Before Rikku could question him any further, Athilda somehow materialized in front of the two. Like always. It was still really bothering Rikku how she wasn't even dirty, whereas Gippal and her were in desperate need of showers.
"Come on. We're almost at a the hotel." Athilda said, giving the two a nervous sort of grin.
"THE hotel?" Rikku asked, raising her eyebrows. "Got our whole little journey planned out, huh?"
"Rikku…" Gippal said in a warning sort of tone. But Athilda just shook her head at him.
"It's alright Sir Gippal. Lady Rikku, I just want you to be comfortable. Is that so terrible?"
Rikku pursed her lips. She wanted to shout "YES GOD DANGIT! I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF YOU OLD NANNY!", but she did no such thing. Instead she just numbly shook her head.
Athilda nodded at her in a reproving sort of way, as if she had just taught the teenager a valuable lesson. She then turned around and began to descend the stairs of the balcony.
Gippal and Rikku followed slowly behind her. "Gippal, I'm really weirded out by how she won't tell us how and why she saved us like—like that."
Gippal closed his eye for a moment, almost as if he were thinking hard. "When you were asleep on my back and weighing several thousand pounds—"
"HEY!" Rikku cried indignantly, punching him in the arm. Gippal just smirked at her and continued.
"While you were asleep, Athilda came and told me she had a note from Baralai. She read it to me seeing as I couldn't hold the paper, and then after a few moments of conversation and agreements, I asked her why she had to come when Baralai knew perfectly well we could take care of ourselves. After all, I was just suspicious. Then she told me she had to protect us from…certain things, and she hesitated when she said it. So I'm guessing that weird little machina thing back there was a 'thing' she was supposed to protect us from."
The two were already now down in the center circle. After all, Gippal's speech had taken up quite a long walk. Even though Rikku knew Athilda had saved them, she still had her suspicions roused.
"Just—just stay on guard Gippal, no matter what the heck her story was. I still don't like how she just happened to find us, and just so happens to be taking us by the Moonflow. It's all kinda fishy."
………
"Well, here's the hotel." Athilda said as the three came upon a large stone building with an archway entrance.
"Wow. It's nice." Rikku said as her eyes suddenly wandered down to the flock of pigeons on the ground. "OOH HOW CUTE!" She cooed, jumping down on the stone pavement to be eye level with the pigeons. "Hey there fellas!" She cried, making odd clicking noises for them to come closer. And oddly enough they did, clicking and cooing as they wobbled along, wagging their heads back and forth. Rikku grinned as one pecked feebly at her finger in a—er—loving sort of way. Gippal just looked down at her, and Rikku knew he was a bit creeped out.
"How're you making them come?" He finally asked, crouching down and resting his elbows on his knees. Rikku shrugged.
"It's actually a Chocobo call I learned in the Calm Lands way back on my first journey against Sin. I didn't know it would work with other birds."
There was a moment of calm silence as Rikku stroked a pigeon she had become rather attached to in the few short seconds she knew it.
"Sir Gippal! Lady Rikku! Come, I've got the keys to our rooms!"
Rikku sighed. "I knew it was gonna be another hoity-toity hotel." She moaned as she stood up, shaking her limbs and waddling over to the hotel. Gippal just laughed and tousled her hair.
"Come on Cid's Girl, you know you love the room service."
Rikku sniffed. "That's about all I like."
Gippal cocked an eyebrow. "Oh really? What about the hot tubs? Or the nice fruity shampoo they leave in the marble showers? Or the nice, goose down quilts and feathery light pillows they have, and the little mints they leave on them every morning?"
Rikku only stared at him open-mouthed. "How do you—why do you—since when do you come to THESE kinds of hotels!"
Gippal just made a 'tsk tsk' sort of noise and waggled a finger in her face. "I just guessed Cid's Girl. Frankly, you're really quite predictable."
Rikku glowered at him. "WHY YOU—"
"SIR GIPPAL! LADY RIKKU!" The shriek of Athilda snapped the two out of their little discussion. Quickly they ascended the staircase and found themselves in a chandelier lit, marble, sparkling hotel with the winding staircase on both sides.
"Wow…" Rikku breathed. As much as she said she hated the uptightness of the hotels like this, she could never get over the way they looked.
"Praetor Baralai booked it specially for us." Athilda said grinning. She handed them two different keys. "We're all on the second floor. Come on." She led the way up the fancy oak staircase and onto another level of marble, shiny whiteness. Rikku was still in awe as Athilda stopped abruptly in the middle of the hall. "Okay, rooms 229 and 231 are yours Sir Gippal and Lady Rikku. Choose whichever."
"I HAVE 231!" Rikku called, grabbing the silver key from Gippal and replacing it with a dull bronze one. She stuck her tongue out at him as she headed to her doorway.
"Goodnight you two." Athilda said, letting out something like a chuckle. Before Rikku even knew it, Athilda had disappeared behind one of the hotel doors.
Then there was a silence as Rikku tried uselessly to fit the key into the lock. "This stupid, new fashioned thing…"
Gippal chuckled as he walked up beside her and handed her the bronze key. "You took the wrong key." He whispered in a sort of husky voice. Rikku only blushed as she swiped it out of his grasp and gave him the silver one.
"Thanks." She mumbled as she stuck the key in, turned it, and heard a click from somewhere deep within the lock mechanism.
"Goodnight Gippal." She whispered, looking up at him before she left to her room. She couldn't wait to hop into a nice warm shower and then under the warm quilt on her bed.
"G'night." And before Rikku knew what was happening, Gippal had his arms around her waist and his lips pressed against hers. Rikku responded instantly, realizing this was what had caused all the awkward silence only moments ago. Both had wanted to have a kiss so badly.
"OY! YOU KIDS! SOME OF US HAVE GOTTA SLEEP SO QUIT YOUR MOANIN' AND SKIDADDLE OFF TO BED!" An old woman had opened up the door beside Rikku's room. Rikku blushed as Gippal stepped away from her.
"Sorry Ma'am, just giving my lovely new wife a goodnight kiss." He gave her such an innocent, unknown smile that Rikku was partially shocked. When had he smiled like that?
"Aw. How sweet." The woman cracked a smile. "Have a good life together you youngin's." And then the door closed.
And it took Rikku only nanoseconds to whirl around face Gippal. "New wife! WIFE!" She hissed, poking him in the chest. "Don't use me as one of your stupid little puppets Gippal!"
"Whoa, whoa!" He cried, raising up his hands. "Dearest Cid's Girl, it was so the old lady wouldn't report us or anything. After all, you were making quite a racket—"
"OOOH!" Rikku narrowed her eyes at him. That guy could be so ANNOYING! But why'd he have to be so hot at the same time!
"GOODNIGHT Gippal." She whirled around and stepped into her room. Just before she slammed the door shut in his face, he whispered,
"Goodnight dearest new girlfriend. Hope you get your mint."
Rikku smiled as she grabbed the handle. Okay, so maybe slamming it into his face wasn't such a good idea. He was too sweet! At least, for now anyways.
"Goodnight dearest new boyfriend. Don't worry, I will." She whispered through the crack in the door. He gave her a small wave, and she gave him one back. And then she shut the door.
………
"Do you think using the puppet is such a good idea?"
"Liam, of course it is!" Sunny cried, grinding his heel into the ground to put out his latest cigarette. "Why wouldn't it be a good idea? Having seconds thoughts? Huh? Well too bad, there's no such thing as second thoughts in a situation like this."
"Calm down Boss!" Liam cried, looking at him grumpily. "Boy, you sure have been angry ever since we got off that boat—"
"Don't talk about the boat." Bilak cut in. Liam fell silent immediately at the look on Sunny's face. The boss of the trio was now seriously high-strung, constantly smoking and snapping. After all, his work for the even higher boss of the group wasn't working. He'd never become second head of the bandits if he kept screwing around like this.
"Hand me another cigarette Bilak."
Bilak's trembling hand passed it to their boss. Sunny swiped it and lit it with his lighter, sticking it in his mouth and puffing. "I can't believe we're stuck in this rank cave with a sobbing prisoner." Sunny muttered, tapping his foot impatiently. Another one of his latest nervous habits.
"Well, Boss, it was your idea…" Liam whispered meekly.
"Shut up." Sunny growled. Liam obediently did so. These days, you just didn't mess around with Sunny. You just didn't.
A sob was heard in the background, followed by a frustrated scream. "YOU'VE GOT TO LET ME GO! PLEASE!" These words were followed by another sob.
"She's getting stupid again." Sunny muttered. "She should know by now to shut up or suffer the consequences."
"Sunny, beating her is going too far." Liam suddenly said bluntly. "Making her life miserable won't make her stay any longer. She'll probably die if we keep doing it!"
"So what?" Sunny cried, puffing more on his cigarette. The room was now filled with a smoky haze, and Bilak started to cough.
"If she dies, then the puppet won't work for us anymore! You know how important the prisoner is to her-"
"Hey, she doesn't have to know! We'll just keep telling her that her dear sibling is alive and well, feeding off of grapes we pluck from a vine and give to her daintily. All right?"
Sunny's sarcastic and angry tone caused Liam to fall silent, though he continued to send angry glares in his direction.
"Okay Bilak it's your turn."
"I don't want to anymore." Bilak said, his voice trembling a bit. "This is just stupid. How do you think this'll possibly help—"
"Because if we keep the bloody prisoner, the puppet will continue to do her work! You KNOW she's only helping us because we have her stinkin' sister who's a worthless piece of junk anyway!" Sunny cried, spitting his only half used cigarette onto the dirt floor.
"But why beat her?"
"We're feeding her, aren't we? She'll live. There's just nothing else to do around here." Sunny let out a dark chuckle. "Besides, if we keep her on the brink of craziness, it might cause the puppet to do the biggest and most important move we need her to do."
"What's that?" Liam suddenly piped up.
Sunny grinned at them viciously. "To bring the tool to us."
An agonizing scream from the background followed these sinister words as Sunny grinned crazily. "It's all too perfect, my friends. All too perfect."
……….
Rikku slowly opened the front of her hotel room door. The key was grasped in her hand, while the other hand was rubbing at her still half closed eyes. Why did life have to torture her like this? The maid had come and knocked on the door, telling her breakfast was waiting. Rikku hated being woken up. She'd rather sit around lazily and gradually tell herself to wake up. It was much more comfortable…
The door beside her that was Gippal's immediately caught her attention. She knew how to jimmy these locks. Easy peasy. And Gippal was sleeping in late. She could tell he hadn't come out yet, because the paper that had just been passed around by the maid was still sitting comfortably under the crack of his door. A sneaky, cruel plan was forming in her mind, causing Rikku to grin. This was too good of a chance to pass up.
She grabbed a bobby pin hidden deep within her hair and began to pick at the lock, whistling a quiet tune as that evil smile of hers continued to cover her face. She let out a little 'yes' as the lock snapped open.
Presto.
Was she good or what? Rikku smiled as she turned the doorknob slowly. A sneak attack on the latest love-of-her-life would be a perfect way to begin the day.
She opened the door just wide enough for her very slim body to slip through. She fell down to the ground so she was on all fours. The carpet was already scratching at her knees, but she could see a lump lying on the bed. She suppressed a strong giggle as her body wiggled along slowly on the floor. She was anticipating this. Just pouncing on him, and maybe they'd have a lovely little wrestle and maybe breakfast in bed. That'd be good. Breakfast in bed. Yum.
All too soon Rikku was at the foot of Gippal's bed. Counting silently to herself, Rikku waited. As she landed on three she let out a wild whoop and landed among the mess of quilts and sheets and pillows.
"GOTCHA, GOTCHA, GOTCHA!" She cried, laughing hysterically. But then stopped rather abruptly.
There was nothing there. Nothing. Just folded quilts and pillows in odd and crumpled positions. There wasn't even a mint on his pillow.
"G-Gippal?" She asked the air quietly. Maybe he had gone to the bathroom. For a shower. Or something. She found herself running to the bathroom.
He's not there. Rikku thought dumbly, feeling her eyes well up with tears. Great. Gippal was gone somewhere in Luca, only one of the biggest cities in all of Spira!
"What a JERK!" She cried, knowing perfectly well that perhaps he hadn't left of his own accord. "I can't believe him…"
"Something wrong Lady Rikku?"
Rikku whirled around to see Athilda standing in the doorway. Rikku opened and closed her mouth silently for a few moments before she made any sound at all.
"Gippal! He's gone!"
For once, Athilda looked truly surprised. "Gone? Are you sure?"
"Search the room Ms. Detective, he's not here." Rikku replied more grumpily then she knew she should have. "We've gotta find him! He could be anywhere…" Rikku knew she was on the verge of tears. Athilda actually looked sort of—well—emotional.
He's mine, witch. She growled inside her mind.
"Oh…well…okay. Let's go look for him."
I'll find you Gippal. Rikku thought as the two scurried down the winding staircase.
No matter how much of an insufferable, lazy, arrogant jerk you are…you're MY jerk, and I guess that means I have to be responsible of a little kid like you…
As annoying and tiring as it is.
A/N: Ooh. Sunny, Bilak and Liam are baaaaaack. I'm making Sunny so evil in this chapter! He's just very stressed out. Poor Liam and Bilak are like little lost puppies. –hugs Liam- And yes, their little "prisoner" is important. Go back to when Gippal and Athilda first met and are talking about the kidnappings. Perhaps it will reveal some information…
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