I've got the new chapter! WOO! I've been thinking this scene through for a while now, and this is the best way to execute it. The next chapter will be…interesting. Ah, but that's next chapter!

So, Rikku came to confront Nooj about telling Gippal about what happened to her, and then she gets shown to a room to sleep. Nooj needs better security in that place, what with Gippal and Rikku sneaking in all the time.

I don't own FFX-2. It's the property of SE, not mine. I just used the characters for my own whims.

Rikku had been sleeping for the past day and a half, according to Captain Lucil. No sounds or signs of movement came from within the guest room she was occupying. Lucil had known the unspoken orders from Nooj without any prompting on his part. She was to look in on the young woman, but not disturb her. Lucil had done just that. Every few hours, she looked in to see Rikku lying in bed, unmoved from where she had laid down when first escorted inside. Whether that was the case or not was up in the air. It could be that Rikku simply heard Captain Lucil walking toward her room, and she resumed her position on the bed until she was left alone again.

Nooj doubted that was the case. Captain Lucil was utterly silent when the need arose. She managed to scare the daylights out of nearly every cadet or guard that was slacking their duty. She was feared by them, and rightly so. The last guard found sleeping on the job ended up digging holes in the ground as tall as he was, then filling them back in for three days straight with his only rations being bread and water. Nooj approved whole heartedly with her disciplinary actions. He would not have allowed them any rations but water.

"You say she has not moved at all? How odd."

"Yes, sir. The way she fell into bed, I would think she'd sleep for quite some time."

"Thank you, Captain. That will be all."

"Sir." Lucil executed a perfect salute, and left Nooj's office. Nooj leaned back in his chair, setting the pen in his hands into its holder. The pen was made entirely of black jade, and used small tubes of ink within the pen body instead of using an inkwell. A much easier design than the pens Spira had used for the last thousand odd years. Having Gippal as a friend was a boon when little inventions like that pen came into being. Gippal had them made specifically for him, with a larger casing and fine tip. His cursing the makers of writing implements seems to have paid off.

"She has not moved at all..." Nooj sat there, pondering whether or not he should check up on Rikku himself. In the end, he decided to go and see if she truly was sleeping or if it was a farce. Not that he could sneak up on the girl with the noise his machina leg caused on the polished floors. At the very least, he would know if she was dead of alive.

He walked along the halls, admiring the craftsmanship of the building itself as he went. The floor did not squeak or groan under any amount of weight, and the windows and doors were all level. Nothing was off kilter or misaligned. The brightly polished floors were another testament of Captain Lucil's discipline. A minor wrong-doing resulted in perfectly polished floors, scrubbed toilets or any number of household chores that needed doing. It was an ingenious way to keep the Headquarters in perfect condition. There were no servants here, so it was a necessity.

When he reached Rikku's door, he knocked quietly before entering. No sound issued from within, so he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room before going further. Rikku was indeed lying on the bed, on her back with hands folded together on her stomach. Her breaths were even, and she looked as though she were asleep. Nooj knew better though.

"You realize you are making Captain Lucil worry over you."

"And you realize that I didn't invite you to come in. You really should fix the floors to give away intruders. I'll do it, for a nice big bag of Gil." She did not open her eyes at all, nor had she moved.

"Indeed. How do you 'fix' the floor to give them away?" Nooj walked over to one of two chairs in the room and sat down. Rikku cracked one eye open to see his position then promptly shut it again.

"It's called a Nightingale Floor. You fix it so that no matter how you tread on it, it'll make a noise like bird song. That way, no one can sneak up on you. I'd recommend putting it in your office, if no where else. Maybe in front of the barracks too, keep those young 'uns from sneaking off for a secret rendezvous." A very small grin pulled at her lips. "Not that hard, really. It'll piss off your carpenter, though."

"And why is that?"

"I'll have to pull up the floor boards and reset them with wooden pegs instead of nails. He'll have a heart attack or something if he found out about it."

"I'd rather keep the carpenter healthy, thank you. Men of such of skill are rare. I'd be the object of a lynch mob if harm befell him."

"HAHAHA!" It was a real laugh, not the forced laughs he had heard from her. "I can see you, dangling there, with kids hitting your machina leg with sticks to see if you keep candy there...HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"If anything, I would keep a bottle of good bourbon, or even some Firewine if I could get my hands on it."

"Firewine, huh?" Rikku was wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes as she spoke. "I haven't laughed like that...in a long time." She finally moved off of the bed, swinging her legs over the side and standing unsteadily. Nooj did not offer to help her, because he knew it would be rebuked, and rudely at that. She made her way over to the dresser, where she fished around in a bag for something. "Aha!" Rikku looked around while holding a small flask in her hands.

"What are you looking for?"

"Glasses. You said you like Firewine. I have some. And I'll share it with you. But, there aren't any glasses..."

"That is easily fixed. Can you walk, or shall I return with some?"

"I'll walk. I think I can manage NOT to fall over. Maybe."

Rikku followed him back to his office, still smiling and without falling over. Laughing seemed to have restored some of her strength and humor. As long as she did not begin to bounce, he would tolerate her good mood. He got her seated in one of two upholstered chairs near the windows. Rain pounded on the windows so hard that it was a sheet of water instead of rivulets against the glass. The warm glow of the lights inside was a welcome comfort on a night like this. Nooj appropriated two glasses and took the other chair at the window. Setting the glasses down, Rikku opened her flask and poured a small amount into each of them.

"To the Great Nooj! Maybe I'll get drunk enough to sleep, huh?"

"I will drink to that."

------------Some time later...--------------------

"...gods was she PISSED at me! I had to run and hide behind the bar for safety!"

Nooj chuckled while Rikku proceeded to laugh and giggle at the same time. It was not a high pitched giggle, so it was tolerable. Then again, with this much Firewine, anything was tolerable. Rikku, surprisingly, held her liquor better than most men. She showed no sign of being sloppily drunk, nor was she loud and obnoxious.

"I'll remember not to put green dye in Paine's shampoo bottle in the future." Rikku snickered at his comment, draining the last of her glass. They had both had four glasses, each with only a few ounces in it. Firewine was potent beyond any other alcoholic beverage in Spira. Three drinks would have most people intoxicated to the point of unconsciousness, so they were both quite drunk. "I do wish Gippal had done that to her instead of substituting salt for sugar in her coffee." This sent Rikku into laughter while Nooj chuckled again.

Neither of them noticed when the door opened and Gippal walked in, dripping wet and looking extremely angry.

"Damn it, Nooj, I know you know where...what the hell?"

Rikku and Nooj looked up when he spoke, and Rikku laughed at Gippal's expression.

"Gippal! Just who we need! Come on!" Rikku got up from her chair, waving extravagantly for Gippal to join them. He removed his rain cape then walked over slowly and sat down when Rikku pushed him to the chair she had just vacated. Rikku frowned slightly. "We need another glass, Nooj! Which of these thingamajigs did you get ours from?"

"The third one on the right, I think. Yes, that's the one." Nooj emptied his own glass as he turned back to face the young man in front of him. "Your face is hilarious, by the way. Best change it before it gets stuck that way." He said with an uncharacteristic smile. Rikku snickered on her way back to the chairs. Gippal was staring at her wide eyed as she sat sideways on his lap. Gippal's hands shot out to keep her from falling over, and wound up around her waist as she leaned over the low table, pouring three glasses from her flask. Nooj took his and gave them a salute with the glass before taking a drink from it. "I wish I had a sphere recorder. This would be excellent blackmail material for me, Gippal."

"Bah! Here! You're four glasses behind us, Gippal! I poured you a double! Come on, show Noogie here how you're supposed to drink Firewine!" She took one of his hands from her waist and placed the glass in it.

"What the hell is going on? Why are you dru-wait did you just call him 'Noogie'?" Gippal asked incredulously.

"Yeah! I made it up for him! I don't think he likes it though, do you Noogie?"

"Only when I've had at least this much Firewine may you call me by that ridiculous name."

"Awww, see Gippal? Noogie's my friend! Come on! Drink up! I told you you're behind us by four. Or is it five? I dunno..."

"Five, if you include the ones we just finished. And if you're going to pass up your drink, I will gladly take it off your hands, Gippal."

"You're...both drunk." Gippal's expression had not changed at all.

"Gee, he's real perspeptive, huh Noogie?"

"Indeed. I think you're more under than I am, Rikku."

"Yeah, but only cause you weigh more than me! If you was the same as me, I'd drink you under the table!"

"I have no doubt you would."

"You're both drunk. Oh man..." Gippal closed his eye and shook his head. He opened it and drained the entire glass in one gulp, shuddering at the taste and the shock to his throat from the fiery liquid. It was called Firewine for a reason. Nooj smiled at him while Rikku was cheering his drinking skills. The young man still looked bewildered, but Nooj could see him beginning to relax. Once the alcohol took effect, he would be as inebriated as they were. "I've got three more to go, Ri."

"YES! That's what I like to hear!" Rikku poured another glass for Gippal very carefully. She was almost at her limit, but according to her logic, if she could still pour it without spilling it, she wasn't drunk enough. Nooj thought it was a sound theory. "Here ya go, Gippal!" She said cheerfully.

"So, what got the two of YOU drinking? Together, I mean."

"Well, see, Noogie here said that if he could, he'd hide some Firewine in his machina leg, and I had some, so I decided to share! Nice a me, huh?"

"I'll say." Gippal took the entire glass in one gulp again, causing the same shudder and twist of his face as the last drink had caused. Rikku managed to pour him another, then tended to her own drink. "Good choice in what to hide there, Noojster."

Nooj could tell the exact moment when the alcohol hit Gippal. One moment he was completely bewildered, and then next, he was leaning back in his chair with a smirk on his face. Nooj had no doubt that it was from having Rikku on his lap. The alcohol was probably helping as well. Rikku was finished with her glass and looking at the flask as though contemplating just how much more was in it.

He watched as she decided against thinking about much of anything, and leaned back against Gippal's chest. Even sitting down Gippal was tall enough that her head came to rest on his neck, just under his chin. If she stayed there, she would be asleep soon. Nooj sighed to himself and drained his glass, reaching for the flask. He found it empty but for a few drops.

"Rikku." She looked up at him. Gippal did as well. "It seems that I owe you a flask of Firewine. This one is officially done for."

"Aww, BOOO! And I can still tell Gippal only has one eye...and he's only had...four glasses?"

"Well, with the flask empty, I think its time you went to bed, young lady."

"Did you hear that, Gippal?" Rikku was laughing. "Noogie called me a 'young lady'!"

"What a crime, Ri, what a crime. I'll make sure he court-martials himself in the morning or something." Rikku snickered, while Gippal ended his statement by finishing his own glass, raising his eyebrows with a smirk at the same time. He was the only person Nooj knew that could smirk and drink at the same time. "Up you go, Ri! Time for bed!"

Rikku pouted, but she set her glass down with a loud clink. She also levered herself up, though she leaned on the chair to keep from toppling over. Gippal got up as well; he was surer of himself than Rikku was. He had to practically hold her up, but she was managing to walk to the door.

"Can you make it, Gippal?"

"Gimme some credit, Noojster, I'm not that drunk. But where's her room? And tell me in the morning to talk to you about hiding my Ri and not telling me."

"Rest assured I won't. In the guest wing, third door on the right. The blue room."

"Thanks."

Nooj watched them go down the hall. I couldn't have planned that better. Maybe I'll be rid of both of them from now on. It should have cheered him up to know that things would soon be back to normal. It had the opposite effect.

Now if I can just decide if I WANT to be rid of them.

I couldn't resist a drunken Rikku and Gippal exchange. That will be explained in the next chapter. And the nickname Rikku made up…I make myself laugh too much. Anyway, I'm getting a better handle on writing men. And I'm glad that Nooj has a sense of humor underneath all of the death wishes and such.

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