Chapter 11

They left Bevelle the next morning only to be greeted on Besaid by a pre-marital and frantic Yuna who was convinced that everyone had to up and go back to Luca just because she needed to pick up some more spheres.

"Okay, Yunie! Okay! Who's taping the wedding?"

"I'll do it!" said Paine immediately but Rikku tutted and shook her head.

"No you won't, Painey! You're a bridesmaid! I'll get someone else to do it… how about… Shelinda! Oh! She'd love to do it! She's coming, right?"

"Of course she's invited," said Yuna, scrolling through the extensive guest list in her mind.

"Good! She should be in Luca, we'll ask her when we get there."

"Everyone else is meeting us on Besaid tomorrow, right?" said Tidus and Yuna nodded.

"We have to pick up Lucil on the way back today, though- she's off training in Zanarkand and can't get a ride," Nhadala pitched in.

"No one forget, okay?" Yuna fussed.

"We won't," said Rikku, "Painey'll add it to the list right away- won't you, Paine?"

"It's all there."

"See, Yunie? Nothing to worry about!"

"I am calm. I am calm. I am calm. IamcalmIamcalmIamcalmIamcalmIamcalmIamcalm."

"You work on that, Yuna," said Paine, rolling her eyes, "I'll be in the cabin."

"I'll come with," said Baralai and Paine sighed inwardly.

"Whatever."

They took the elevator to the cabin in relative silence and Paine sat down at the bar, taking a drink from Barkeep's outstretched hand.

"So what's up?" asked Paine, turning her full attention on Baralai as he sat down beside her.

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you follow me?"

Baralai shrugged, "is that a problem?"

"No, but it is a question and it requires an answer," said Paine.

"When did I ever need a reason to talk to you? You're my best friend."

Paine's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Not the answer you were looking for?" said Baralai, watching her closely. "I don't get what you want me to say, Paine."

"Neither do I," Paine admitted.

Baralai chuckled and Paine gave him an odd look.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing's funny."

"No, tell me," said Paine, a little put out, "I want to laugh too!"

Baralai just laughed harder and excused himself to go to the bathroom.

Paine glared as the door shut, shouting "FREAK!" to the empty lounge.

There were a few moments of silence.

Then Barkeep started laughing and Paine punched him out.

"Grumpy much?" said Rikku, from the door.

"No!" Paine huffed.

"Lighten up! The wedding's tomorrow! Yuna'll be heartbroken if you don't look happy!"

Paine rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out.

"You are just begging to lose Respect Points," said Rikku, huffing.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," said Rikku, "Respect Points- I got Shinra to make me one of those machina things."

Paine glared and reached for her own… only to find that it wasn't there, "Rikku! Where's my machina?!"

"I swear I don't have it!" Rikku squealed, hiding under her hands and Paine knew she wasn't lying.

"Then who does?"

"Uhm…?"

"Rikku, do you know something?" Paine hissed.

"Maybe a little," squeaked Rikku.

"Rikku! Where is it! Tell me now!" said Paine, grabbing Rikku's ear and tweaking it painfully.

"Okay! Okay! Gippal's got it!"

Paine baulked, "you… URGH! E'mm taym fedr oui mydan, pedlr!"

"Just don't hurt me!"

Paine glared and stalked off.

-

"Gippal! Frana dra vilg ec so sylrehy?!"

"Machina?!" said Gippal, cowering behind Baralai. "What machina?! I don't have your machina!"

"You've stolen my Respect Points machina!" Paine snapped, banging her fist against the wall before rounding on him.

"You did what?!" said Lulu, walking over and glaring as hard as Paine, "that's a total invasion of privacy- how many points do I have???"

"As of now?" said Paine, glowering, "I'd say, like, 75."

"Is that good?" asked Lulu.

"It's better than this tuhda hyddir dniuw on –40," said Paine, kicking Gippal in the shins.

"What!?!?!"

"Give it back without a fight and I'll make it –35."

"How about –30?"

"Gippal- there is no room for negotiation!" Paine snapped, "give it back this instant, or go down to –100 and prepare for the hurt!"

Gippal forked it over miserably, then he brightened, "but I still know the scores- I'm unstoppable!"

Paine glared, "if you tell anyone-!"

"But that's not fair," said Baralai, "you told Gippal his score and you told Lulu and Rikku says she's on –34… why won't you tell me?"

"Do you want to end up as low as Gippal and Brother?"

"No… I guess not…"

"Well, you know what?" said Gippal. "I don't care anymore- you already have 0 respect for me- going into the minuses doesn't mean anything to me."

'If you dare," Paine hissed.

"Baralai, you're at the top of Paine's list."

Baralai froze, then forced himself to shrug it off, "so what?" he said and Paine smiled at him gratefully. "Like that means anything- it just means that I don't go around purposely getting on her nerves like you and Rikku."

"Right," said Paine, "and I'll remind you that Kimahri places second, at 94."

"Baralai got more than 94 and I have 75?" said Lulu, a little put out.

"You just lost some," Paine informed her, "a lot, actually."

"Shit…"

"How many do I have, then?" asked Baralai, clamping a hand over Gippal's mouth and staring straight at Paine.

"105," she told him and watched his grin grow wider. "But at the rate you're losing them," she was quick to add, "they'll all be gone in a couple of days."

"Not if I'm extra-specially good, right?" said Baralai, nudging her.

"Oh, you'd be surprised at the little things I take points off for," said Paine, raising an eyebrow. "For example, I just took 50 off you for nudging me."

"What?!"

"Jokes," said Paine, rolling her eyes. "Now, if either of you ever touch this again, that's minus 1000 points, gottit?"

"YES, MA'AM!"

Paine bonked Gippal upside the back of his head with her palm and walked off.

"Painey like 'Lai. Painey likes 'Lai." Rikku sang brightly, jumping out from nowhere in particular as Paine walked towards the lounge.

"Shut the fuck up- I do not."

"Bet you do."

"Bet I don't."

"Bet you do."

"Bet I don't."

"Bet you do."

"Bet I don't."

"I bet you kiss him by midnight tomorrow- 200 gil."

"Bet I don't," said Paine again, chuckling a little.

"Ha! I'll be the one laughing tomorrow- when I come into some ve-ry easy money."

"Rikku, in case you've forgotten: I went eighteen years without kissing anybody- do you really think that I'll cave and kiss someone I'm not even mildly attracted to just because you bet I would?"

Rikku raised one eyebrow and laughed, "uhm, yeah- duh!"