Room 308, Thursday Evening

[the_merriest]

There were going to be mercenaries, on the island, and that was quite possibly the coolest thing ever. And she was kinda nervous about it, too, because Deadpool was a merc and he was awesome but maybe the rest of them would be all weird at her, because ... she kinda wasn't one, and all. Just a girl who'd been a bodyguard once.

Speaking of, Yunie had written her a letter ...

Dear Rikku,

I saw a rather interesting machina at the market the other day, and I thought of you. Then I realized that I hadn't written in far too long. I think that I miss you so much all the time that I have grown used to it. Sometimes I turn to tell you something funny, or to ask you for advice, and you're not there. Then I remember where you are, and that you are having fun, and I smile.

Things here are very much the same as they have been since you left. Mostly peaceful, with everyone happy and hopeful and rebuilding. It's odd. It is exactly what I hoped for during my pilgrimage, but I never expected to see it myself back then. I'm glad you all came with me and kept me going. I'll never forget that.

Oh, that reminds me. Last week Wakka tried to show off the new Blitzball shot he's been working on. He spent weeks talking up his "confuse shot" which he insisted was going to make him famous. I tried to remind him that he was pretty famous already, but of course he didn't listen. Anyway, the whole thing turned out pretty much exactly like you'd expect, and Wakka spent all day walking into things. He even walked into a cactus patch! The other guys on the team are still leaving cactus flowers where he'll find them every day, and by now some of the children are following him around just waiting for him to find it. His reactions are, well, you know Wakka, so I'm sure you can imagine.

How have you been, anyway? I haven't heard from you in a while, and I hope that that means things are going well. I've been thinking about our talk last time you visited, and I really do think you deserve a happy ending. And I'm convinced that one's on the way, so be on the lookout for it, okay?

Oh, and Tidus told me he was going to write you a letter too. You may already have it.

I miss you so much, so don't forget to stay in touch.

Lots of love from your cousin,
Yuna

P.S. Thank you for your gift. You were right: I opened the box and screamed "I can't wear this!" and then hid it under my bed. But I did promise. You were also right about me being flustered (that's an understatement) about it. But most of all, you were right about Tidus. I thought his eyes were going to fall out. It still makes me giggle and blush.

She'd actually worn it? Oh, wow. Rikku had been half-scared Yunie would chicken out. That was so great.

She picked up a pen - man, why couldn't Spira have cell phones!? - and started to write back.

(Yuna-letter courtesy of the way-awesome iseewhatyoumean. Door and post are open!)

Comments

[the_merriest]

"A happy, cheerful kinda mercenary," she giggled. And then she narrowed her eyes. "Speaking of which."

[raspberryturk]

Uh-oh. That sort of eye-narrowing was typically a good indication that it was time to flee. Except that it was Rikku. And she had just tackled him. So maybe... not? He'd wait it out, and if he had to run, he was close to the door and probably faster than her. It would be okay.

"Yes?"

[the_merriest]

"What exactly is a 'gofer' doing at a mercenary convention?" Rikku asked. Very sweetly. Don't mind the folded arms, here.

[raspberryturk]

Eheheh. Right.

"Did I say 'gofer?' I did, didn't I?" Reno was doing his best not to shift his weight uncomfortably, here. "I think I said glorified gofer, actually. Way open for interpretation there, zoto?"

[the_merriest]

Rikku raised an eyebrow. "Cute. What do you really do, anyway?"

[raspberryturk]

Reno shrugged his shoulders and was not making eye-contact, here. Nope.

"Whatever needs to get done," he replied. "Mostly recon and bodyguarding, lately."

And, you know. High School.

[the_merriest]

"Mostly?" Rikku asked, skeptical. "I mean. I did the whole bodyguard thing. I didn't think that'd count, yoto."

He had to admit she was getting better at the whole 'yoto' thing.

[raspberryturk]

"Big company like ShinRa's got a few enemies. It happens, yo." CoughAVALANCHEcough. "That's where the Turks come in. It's not pretty work, but someone's gotta do it."

He was trying not to look too obviously like he was tiptoeing his way through this conversation.

[the_merriest]

"You, uh. Take care of ... problems?" she asked, hesitantly. "The, uh, the stuff nobody else is willing to do."

Okay. She could deal with that.

[raspberryturk]

Reno liked it when people made answering touchy questions easy by answering them for him.

"Just like that, yo. The Turks are the problem solvers of ShinRa."

The gritty, nasty, underhanded, conniving problem solvers of ShinRa. But the problem solvers nevertheless.

[the_merriest]

"Could've just said so," she shrugged. There was something ... unsettling there, but she didn't want to pick at it, exactly. Problem-solvers. She'd stick with that. "So ... Rude's bringing the chopper? And I get to see it, really?"

[raspberryturk]

Oh, look! Convenient topic-change!

"Rude's bringing the chopper, and you get to see it. Really." And right back to grinning now, because how could flying the chopper around again possibly be anything but awesome?

[the_merriest]

"I can't wait," she beamed. "This is gonna be awesome."

[raspberryturk]

"It is, yoto." Nod. Nod. "So. Saturday. Don't blend in too much, yo."

Right. Because that was going to happen with a girl in orange at a mercenary convention.

[the_merriest]

Rikku snickered. "One thing you never have to worry about: an Al Bhed blending in."

[raspberryturk]

"What? They all dress like you?" This was a good attempt at feigned surprise, really.

[the_merriest]

"You know, you're never gonna believe me on this," she said airily. "But for an Al Bhed, I'm pretty low-key, here."

[raspberryturk]

That earned Rikku a solid minute of just staring. Possibly slack-jawed, even.

"You're right, yo." Stare. Stare. "I don't believe it."

[the_merriest]

"I don't look that bad," she said, reaching out to give him a playful shove. "And you've never seen the rest of us. Naida worked the travel agency, in the Calm Lands? And she usually just wore a bikini and these ... leather chaps. Plus she had these funky crop-circle tattoos all over her torso. Seriously cool. Not so big on blending."

[raspberryturk]

Bikini and leather chaps with crop-circle tattoos?

Sounded kind of like a Hojo experiment gone horribly, terribly awry.

"Okay then. So, barring anyone else at the 'con is an Al Bhed, you'll be easy enough to spot, yo."

[the_merriest]

"Always am," she nodded. "And, uh. Thanks."

[raspberryturk]

Reno grinned a little.

"Could've been a compliment, yo."

[the_merriest]

"I mean for taking me on the chopper," she laughed. "But I don't think telling me I dress like a freak is supposed to be a compliment, yoto."

She wasn't contesting it, here. She just liked bright colors, okay?

[raspberryturk]

"You certainly pull it off," Reno decided. See, it was totally a compliment in its own special way. "The chopper's my pleasure, yo. Been dyin' to fly it since they left me here without it."