Here, just for all y'alls mamas, it's a Happy Mother's Day update. At least, it was Mother's Day when I started writing it. Don't thank me, thank the boring conversations my mother and grandmother are having. Oh, family shunning and antisociality! How productive and counterproductive you can be.
I expect to randomly start typing lyrics this chapter, as I am cranking up the ol' iTunes while I write, so don't get all pissed if I'M SORRY MISS JACKSON, WHOOOOO
I AM FO' REEE-AAAAL.
…
You saw nothing.
-JB
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ENTRY FORTY ONE:
This tension is killing me.
We just keep waiting, and waiting, and waiting for something to happen. Brother refuses to leave Djose, assuming that Yuna is just going to shoot up out of that hole like some kind of ditzy pop-up book insert. Pull the little paper tab on the side to hear her self-narrate!
At least one of us is thinking straight, because Shinra's bright idea to pitch one of those commsphere things he made down into the hole is shaping up to be somewhat promising. We haven't gotten a response back yet, but he's still tinkering with it, and trying different frequencies to see if maybe he just calibrated it wrong or something. At least, that's what he said he was doing. For all I know, he could be trying to pick up free spherecasts. Not a bad idea, actually…maybe I'll try that. Give me something to do during all this waiting. Really, all this sitting around and hoping for the best is driving me insane…Yuna, just hurry up and give some kind of signal. Something, anything! We're dyin' up here!
-BORED
ENTRY FORTY TWO:
Well, still no sign of Yuna. We've tried traveling to the other holes, but we got nothing more than emptiness and Buddy pitching things in to see how long it took to hit the bottom. Unfortunately, we never heard a single sound back…well, except the screams of that one guy he kicked into the hole. But that was just funny. You know, you'd think I'd have more sensitivity to that now, seeing as how that's how I lost both a teammate and a, dare I say it…friend…but no one seemed to like that guy anyways, so I guess it's alright. We actually got applause for it, and Yuna got some company in the hole. See? Everyone wins!
Brother is trying to rappel down into the hole, proclaiming his undying love for Yuna in Al Bhed the whole way down. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: eww.
Hmm, looks like he ran out of line. I can see him over the edge of the hole…he's just kind of dangling there. Heh. Hold on, lemme try something.
Aww, damn. Rikku caught me before I could cut the line. At least I got the chance to grab the rope and swing him into the side walls of the hole first. She seemed really apathetic about stopping me, but then realized the last thing that Yuna needed, should she still be down there, was to be trapped with Brother. Hence, the stopping. Oh, well. It did give her a much needed giggle, though. This whole thing is just far too serious for someone as hyper and energetic as Rikku to handle. She'll probably start talking to herself, soon enough. Hoo boy, that'll be fun. Like we could even deal with one Rikku. Now we'll have one out here, and one more in her head. Beautiful.
-Paine. Split personalities are for fools.
ENTRY FORTY THREE:
That's it. We've snapped. We've all snapped.
Rikku is talking to an old picture of Yuna, Shinra keeps sketching little pictures of her on his invention plans, and Brother had a cardboard cutout made of her. Which, I guess, isn't too far off for Brother. Boy's got problems.
Even I'm having some issues with this. I mean, who am I going to sigh and shake my head at now? Rikku? If I focused on just her, my head would snap off my neck from excessive movement. Besides, Yuna was the only other (relatively) sane person on this damned ship. I'm even starting to get used to all the crazy in her absence. We really needed someone like her to balance out all the wackos on board. Shinra still hasn't given up hope, thankfully, and same with Buddy. In fact, I think Buddy is taking this the best. Perhaps he, like me, just finds Brother's frustration humorous. Sometimes we even hold drinking games based on it. Every time Brother can't form a complete sentence because of his current mood, we take a shot. Tried it last night, nearly died. Mmm, overconsumption.
Still, though, they're sweeping Spira looking for one girl who just couldn't manage to stay away from a damned hole. You'd think someone would know better than to kneel over a deep, endless gap, and lean forward, but noooo. I know I shouldn't be taking this out on her or anything, but Yevon, it's really all starting to drive me nuts. Hopefully these monitors we've got set up will catch something soon, but who knows? At this rate, we've found everything but an ex-summoner. Well…we did find Isaaru just kind of hanging out. Turns out he managed to get a break from working for Cid to go check out the old temples. Told us he was just curious about it, but it looked to us like he was trying out his weird gameshow host voice out on the pit to see if it would echo. Funny, sure, but also just a little bit sad.
I'll write more later, we're getting a call to the bridge. Something must be up…
-Paine.
ENTRY FOURTY FOUR:
We found her!
I can't believe it, we actually found her! What a damn relief. Finally, life can go on, and we know she's at least safe.
Funny how we found her, actually. Buddy was sort of just browsing over Spira, checking all those holes while Shinra scanned for any signs of her. She suddenly just sort of…appeared. Right next to the hole in Bevelle. Strange, huh? I guess all those holes really are linked.
I guess it's true that you don't realize just how much you miss something until it's gone, because whereas before I was really starting to miss having her around, her return has lead to more cutesy crap between her and Rikku, which is beginning to regrow some of that good ol' frustration and muddled hatred. Not to mention she won't stop babbling on and on…something about "him" and seeing some guy who looked like him, and how he was some horrible memory, how she needed to bring peace back to him, insert sappy fool emotions here. As if the whole "grrl power" thing wasn't enough. Talk about salt in your wounds.
Ahh, I guess I should give the poor girl a break. She's spent a long time down in that hole, which she claims leads to the Farplane. Makes sense, I suppose…all those holes should go to the same place, if they're linked. Told us the whole story behind this Lenne person, too. Evidently, she was the girl from the Songstress dress sphere, and she lost her true love, who is apparently this guy she met down on the Farplane. Kind of a sad story, to tell you the truth. I was never one for emotion, but the whole story even tugged on my heartstrings, a little bit.
The thing that really gets me is what she told me afterwards.
When she was down there, she…she saw Gippal and Nooj. Worse than that, they gave her a couple of spheres. I haven't had the chance to watch them yet, but that's not the most important thing right now. I don't know if it was all the stress lately, or if I just feel safer around these people, but for some reason, and who knows why...I just, you know…I guess something just made me open up to her. And once I started, it was hard to stop. I told her everything…well, almost everything, anyways. The Crimson Squad, knowing the three guys before, going off on my own to try and figure things out. She doesn't know quite everything yet, however, so she still doesn't really understand it. I guess I don't either, to tell the truth.
Thankfully, and I say this rarely about her appearances, Rikku showed up to break the tension a bit. I managed to keep her somewhat out of the loop about all this, but I doubt that she won't find out from Yuna. I don't really mind, at this point, anyways. I'm getting more used to them. Laughing, talking, joking around…just like the guys and I used to.
Maybe this whole thing is for the better. They're all finding out more and more about me every day, regardless of what I have to say about it. Hell, they even know I speak Al Bhed, now. It'll be pointless to keep up this shield from here on out, no matter how much I want to, so I might as well get a little friendlier. And besides…this is getting to be rather fun, at any rate. Who knows? This whole ordeal just might be making me into a whole new person. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
-Paine, new and improved.
Awwwww.
God, I hate sappy things. But still, it had to be done, and at least I managed to do it without sounding like some kind of retarded teenybopper. I'm clueless enough as it is about most things. Here, this recent conversation of mine will prove it:
ANONYMOUS FRIEND: "...Actually, to be honest with you, I spent most of our sixth grade year struggling with my sexuality."
JB: "Are you kidding me! I remember spending most of sixth grade wondering if Ziggy Stardust was a real person. "
There you have it. And if you don't know who Ziggy Stardust is, well, you can just go straight to a David-Bowie-free hell. At least I'm not bursting into song again, but to me, that just says that I've GOT TO LET YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT TO LET YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ONE OF MY KIIIIND oh god damn it.
-JB
