You're The Only Place – Chapter 1
The Invitation
Okay, I did it… whew! Yes, I left Paine a message on her comsphere asking if she wanted the job. Well, that was yesterday, and I haven't gotten a response. I was a little surprised when she didn't pick up… but it's not like her to not reply for such a long time. Okay, you're probably wondering why I'm freaking out right? I mean, it's only been a DAY, right? Well, this isn't Paine, trust me. Paine's the one that picks up right away, and if she doesn't call back within a few hours, it's bad. Really bad. I don't want to bother her, but I'm getting kinda freaked…
My heart won. I picked up the comsphere and dialed her number. It picked up on the first ring.
"Hello?"
"Paine, is that you?"
"Baralai?"
"Yes, it's me. I was wondering what was up. It's not like you to not respond to your messages…"
"You called?"
"I did, yesterday actually. I was beginning to wonder if you were all right…"
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know you called. I'm fine, I made it here okay-"
"Made it where okay?"
"Oh!" Paine said, a little surprised. "Well… um… where are you now?"
"In Bevelle."
"Where in Bevelle exactly?"
"In my office… what does this have to do with where you are again?"
"Just bear with me. So, do you think you can go down to the temple entrance?"
"Right now?"
"Yeah, right now."
I sighed, "All right, I can do that… but why Paine?"
"Just bear with me here, Baralai. Someone is waiting for you."
"How do you-"
Click. She hung up on me… odd. This is NOT Paine, not one bit. Still, she piqued my interest. I turned off my comsphere, and proceeded to go down to the temple entrance.
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I was whistling a tune under my breath, my hands in my pockets as I walked out of the temple, the bright sun greeting me. I squinted a bit, trying to adjust from the darkness of the temple. I saw a figure standing about 20 feet away from me, looking out over Bevelle… a figure that I couldn't place.
"May I help you?" I asked, calling out to the figure. I gasp when they turned around. "PAINE?"
She laughed, "It's fun to surprise people once in a while."
I ran over and gave her a quick hug. I felt like slapping myself. She HATED it when people did that. It sent my mind reeling when she hugged back. I pulled away, but kept my hands on her shoulders, which she didn't pull away from either… this is getting kind of… creepy?
"What are you doing here?" I asked, looking into her ruby eyes.
She laughed again, "I thought that would be apparent. I'm here to fulfill the job that you asked me to take."
"Wait... what? You're taking the job?"
"Yeah, why not."
I backed away and punched the air triumphantly. "YES!" When she looked at me, I rubbed the back of my head, a blush creeping over my cheeks. "Sorry… it's just the priests have been after me about getting a new weapons master for a while now… like a year in fact."
Paine raised an eyebrow. "A year? Leave something undone for almost a year… that's not like you Baralai."
I raised an eyebrow at her, a small smile on my features, "Oh, and you showing up without calling me first is something you usually do?"
She smiled her rare smile. "Touché. Well, can you help me carry my stuff?"
I blushed, how could I forget something like that? "Of course! I'll show you to your quarters."
"Quarters? Okay, Baralai, I know that you're the praetor, but you don't have to be old-fashioned."
"No, I seriously meant your quarters. It's to big to be a room."
"What are you talking about?" Paine asked me as I lead her into the temple.
"Literally, it's more than one room. Bed, bath, study, living room… all that jazz."
"You've got to be kidding me."
"No, I'm not. Well, here we are." I said, opening the door for her. She stepped inside, and looked around. "You're free to decorate as you wish… seeing as this might not really be your taste…" I told her, setting her suitcase down by the bed. "If you need anything, just let me know… I'll be in my office, doing paperwork. Oh joy."
Paine smiled, "Good to see you again Baralai."
"Good to see you again too, Paine." I replied, and shut the door behind me as I left the room.
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I sighed as I sat back down in my leather chair. I starred at the papers littering my desk. For the first time in a long while, my desk looked like a tornado hit it. I began to straighten my desk so that I could actually work, when I heard a knock at my door.
"Come in." I called, not even looking up to see whom it was.
"Sorry, I still don't know my way around…"
I looked up to see it was Paine. "Oh, hello. Can I help you with something?"
"Yeah, I was told by one of the priests that I needed to start training today… but I have honestly have no idea where anything is…"
"OH MY! I completely forgot about that!" I cried, looking at a clock. "Crap." I muttered, and then looked back at Paine. "Do you have your sword with you?"
"No…"
"We need to run back and get it. Training starts in like… five minutes." I said, rising out of my chair, and jogged over to the door.
"Five minutes?"
"Yeah… sorry about that…" I called over my shoulder as I dashed out of my office. I stopped after I took a few steps. "Come on! If we need to get to your room and to the training fields, we literallyneed to run!" I called out to her, and she ran to catch up with me. We were sprinting through the halls.
I remembered our days during the squad. I remember running along side her and Gippal. Nooj didn't run. He always traveled on hover; either that or he didn't run messages. Those days were like bliss compared to what the next few years had in store for me…
I shook those thoughts out of my head. I needed to focus on getting Paine to the fields on time… dang it, why can't people learn their way around this place! I'm not people's chauffer! Well…I will be for Paine… but that's for another time.
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"All right guys, I finally got a new weapons master." I addressed the trainees out in the training yard. "She's a good friend of mine, and it's afraid to be harsh, trust me. So, don't try and frazzle her on her first day, cause she'll make it hell for you guys."
The trainee's eyes widened when they hear me say "hell." I usually don't talk like that… but come on, if it gets the point across, so be it.
"Her name is Paine-"
"You mean of the Gullwings?" A young boy piped up.
"That's right." Paine said, stepping forward. The trainees took in her dress, all black and red, covered in buckles. Her sliver gray hair shone in the sunlight, and her ruby eyes glanced over the students.
I couldn't have hoped for a better reaction. The trainees immediately stood at attention. They knew they were in the presence of a superior. They had grown relaxed around me, seeing as I had to train them for almost a year.
"So what do you guys know?"
"Staffs."
Paine raised an eyebrow at me. "Staffs?"
I rubbed the back of my neck; "I don't know HOW to use a sword… so I kind of had to improvise…"
"Staff. You taught them the staff."
I glared at her, "Give me a break, I was the one training them for a year."
"And why couldn't you keep training them?"
"It's a little work overload. I'm surprised I'm still even ALIVE after this group!" I told her, and the trainees grinned.
"Well… does anyone know how to even hold a sword?"
All hands went up.
"Swing it, guard with it?"
All hands went up again.
"Now how many of you can actually fight with it?"
No hands went up.
"We have a lot of work to do…" Paine sighed as she shook her head.
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I left Paine to her new job; she knew what she was doing. I sorted through all of my junk, and even got through two whole folders of New Yevon junk (it's junk, I'm not kidding) before dinner.
Dinner… that got me thinking. Should I invite Paine to dinner? Who in the hell am I joking? Paine, to dinner, at a nice restaurant? I think that she honestly would rather die. But, that's what Paine would have done during out squad days. I have no idea how she would react to it now…
I think I'll go ask.
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I knocked on Paine's door, and she opened it a few seconds later.
"Can I help you?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me." I said. (Whoa! No stumbling! That's pretty good…)
Paine tilted her head, "With you? Sure, why not. Wait… do I have to dress up?"
I smiled at her sheepishly, "I'm sorry?"
"It's all right, I'll just have to go shopping…" she shuddered.
I laughed, "Are you going to live?"
"I think I will, don't worry."
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A/N: Yay! Are you guy liking this, cause I'm having lots of fun writing... like always. Leave me a review and I'll give you something next chapter!
-Vincent's Angel of Chaos-
