Sex and the Pilgrimage.
Landing back on the newly constructed runway on Besaid Island, Paine had to suppress the gag reflex as Yuna and Tidus put on an all too public display of "I love you"'s. The brunette was whisked off her feet by her tanned, muscular, lean lover, who whispered sweet nothings in her ear as she nuzzled at his neck like a cat. Rikku grinned as she saw Paine's relief at Lulu's much more casual display of affection.
The burlesque mage had picked up VIdina, a flame haired, strapping young boy, after giving Wakka a simple chaste kiss on the lips, locking arms with him and leading him away from the airstrip and back to the now bustling Island.
Rikku grabbed Paine's arms, not wanting herself or her friend to begin feeling depressed with the lack of any man to speak of, and filled the air, that was all to absent of "I love you" for both of their tastes, with giggles and gossip and bitching.
The way towards the populated parts of the island was much less hard work than it used to be. The fiends had been driven to the most coastal reaches of the Island, with machina transports, skyscrapers, huge sidewalks and polluted neighbourhoods dotted around everywhere. The only remaining fixture of "old" Besaid was the old town Square; the Temple still stood, preserved in honour of Yuna, as did two of the old huts. Lulu and Wakka had insisted on keeping their hut as a kind of retreat, and had bought the Temple, Square and small houses just after the people had started work on the larger cities that now surrounded the small hamlet. Owning all the area from the wall to the beach beyond, the only part of Besaid that still held an air of peace and tranquillity was Wakka and Lulu's to do with as they pleased; and that meant nothing.
One hut for them to live in. Another for Lulu's clothes and shoes.
The arrangement had shocked everyone, Yuna professing on more than one occasion that she thought that Lulu would have jumped at the chance of living in a machina city, but the couple and Vidina seemed happy, so no one pried. Of course, whenever they wanted, all of the guardians and Paine were welcome anytime, with the Temple offering more than enough room to house them now that the Yevonites weren't gripping every room with their characteristic greed and lust for power.
"So we were wondering..." Rikku began over dinner in Lulu's hut; Yuna sat across from her, TIdus' arm hanging loosely round her neck, with Paine beside them. Lulu and Wakka sat at either side of the table, the host and hostess, with Vidina on Rikku's left. "...are you up for this trip Yunie?"
Tidus and Wakka shared confused glances before looking at their prospective other halves for an explanation.
"We're thinking of going on another Pilgrimage..." Lulu answered Wakka's gaze. Yuna shuffled slightly in her seat.
"Great! We can all pack and then we can be off by..." Tidus began, but Paine butted in.
"A girls only, Pilgrimage, Tidus." The blond seemed downhearted slightly.
"But...a Pilgrimage for what?" he asked, hurt shining through his baby blue eyes.
"A Pilgrimage for shopping!" Rikku piped up, sensing the air getting quite heavy and trying to inject some happiness back into the evening's proceedings.
Wakka laughed a little. "Well I say go for it Yuna!" Lulu's eyes arched as she was impressed with her partner's willingness to let them go again so quickly. "You deserve all the rest you can get; you all do!"
Yuna was blushing slightly when she kissed Tidus lightly on the cheek.
"Let's do it then!"
Even Vidina joined in with the cheering Rikku and Paine started; the two girls shrieking and flailing their arms around as Yuna sank into Tidus' embrace with a huge smile on her face, and Lulu laughed into her cosmopolitan. Rikku's head swimmed with thoughts of the four girls in dazzling costumes as they walked down magnificent catwalks, with guys cheering her name as Lulu was fawned over by Wakka and Yuna lusted after by Tidus. The fashion show was as good as organised, it was just up to her to convince Yuna...
But that could wait. For now, she would drink, and shriek, and eat.
The guys simply exchanged glances.
-
The stars filled the sky as Rikku sat on the beach that lay behind the Temple with a machine on her lap. She often found that when she sat here, especially after a few glasses (or bottles, as the case had been tonight) her muse found its way to her much easir. A glowing screen lit up her face as she typed quickly onto the pad, her words coming up on the monitor. She wrote about the coming Pilgrimage, her excitement, her happiness. The beauty of the stars against the water fell into place somewhere in the article, while the usual angst over "Mr Right" and his obvious disregard for haste finished off the column; Rikku had found a niche as a journalist for a magazine back on Bikanel, Rin now owning a huge publishing company for fashion, music, and women's magazines all over Spira. Rikku's column was one of the highlights of the company's most prestigious newspapers, the thought of an ex-guardian writing a column that everyone could read once weekly obviously sparking interest in the ever changing Spira.
The machina may have returned, and the fear may had disappated, but somehow, Rikku knew that Spira wasn't as ready to let go of their past traditions as it would have liked to be.
FYI: If you hadn't guessed, Riku is my Carrie. :P Get reviewing! These first few chapters have just been for the purpose of getting the characters..um..into character, and getting the Pilgrimage underway. Next stop; Kilika (again)!
