Rikku woke with a start from the worst nightmare she'd had in years. So horrifying that it seemed real. In her dream, Petey had -- he'd -- but Petey was okay. He had to be. Right?

In a panic she knew was completely illogical, she tore out of the bed and began searching the tiny apartment, looking under every nook and into every cranny. Mako chittered at her, and only got a cursory nuzzle. Because she wasn't going to breathe right until she saw --

Right there, in the corner of the room, happily chewing on a plant that somehow hadn't died yet, was Petey. He glanced up at her when she entered, giving her a token mrowl before going back to chewing on the very pathetic-looking leaves.

She didn't mean to burst into tears. She just did. He didn't seem to mind, as she crouched on the ground next to him, and he only gave a token protest as she pulled his weight onto her lap.

"Don't scare me like that again," she said, as if it was his fault she'd had that dream. He vocalized a very elaborate reply, then decided to begin chewing on her arm.

It was wonderful, and she was never, ever letting go.

(OOC: a long, long time ago, I gave the Jerries my then-kitten so they could write class about him being a Retarded Kitten Oracle. When they skipped town, Rikku adopted him. So my cat Chase lent his face and personality to her Cuban Pete.

We lost Chase almost two weeks ago. They think it was a massive heart attack. We didn't even know he was sick, it just happened. Since I can't hug him, Rikku's going to have to.

So, I've been extra-lurky of late; sorry about that. And I apologize for emo-ing on your flist; I just -- had to mark this somehow, I guess. NFI, broadcast is fine, OOC is welcome if it's the warm-hug variety, and now back to your regularly scheduled BDE, already in progress.)

Okay, the place Juliet had woken up in yesterday was kinda ... different. Like, it was all messy and there were all sorts of pets, so ... was Morikawa-Sensei having her crash with some friend of his? She couldn't remember and she wasn't, like, totally sure what was going on with that, because she always listened when Morikawa-Sensei talked. Maybe like she'd like hit her head or something??

Anyway. She'd been around town all day and not found much by way of zombie activity, which was totes to the good in the interests of happy civilians but made for a way more confused self. Why get sent somewhere that wasn't in desperate need of some chainsawing?

She totally wasn't questioning Morikawa-Sensei. Maybe it was a training deal, like, meditation or some much needed R&R? Someone would tell her soon enough. She was just popping back in to that weird apartment place to see if she could get a little more information. And fix her make-up 'cause it was starting to look gross. It was amazing Nick even wanted to look at her.

(Nick, from his spot attached to her belt, assured her that she looked totes great. But he'd say that anyway, because he totally loved Juliet no matter how fat and gross she got from binging on lollipops. Best boyfriend ever, even if he was currently a decapitated head.)

(Rikku is now Juliet, the main character from Lollipop Chainsaw. TARA STRONG AS A VA = AU IS AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES, YOU GUYS. OPEN because I expect the Turk will want to comment on his GF's new hobby ...)

"Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeno!"

It was a very ecstatic Rikku who was barreling into the apartment, full speed and full volume. "Reno! You'd better be here! Guess what, guess what, guess WHAT!"

If she didn't find him in five minutes, she might just go without him. So there.

(Okay, she wouldn't really. Still.)

(Just for the Turk. THIS WILL NOT END WELL.)

Rikku had totally thought it was like gonna take her a few more days to wrap things up. Because Gippal had been fighting with Eigaar and the airship had been making all kinds of clunky noises and Pops was being stubborn and, like, all the Al Bhed had chosen the exact same moment to go crazy, and it was right when Reno needed to be at the Newbie Picnic because he was teaching again and how cool was that???? So she had told him to go on ahead and she'd just follow up when she'd smacked some sense into the rest of her people.

But Eigaar and Gippal had made up, and Brother had fixed the airship -- did that mean Brother was actually getting good at something???? -- and Pops had been all snarky about how she shouldn't keep her booooooooooyfriend waiting. But that was just Pops being Pops. He liked Reno. The Al Bhed had kind of adopted him. It helped that he knew how to fix things. And spoke the language. And had weird eyes.

Anyway. It was only Monday and she was totally, totally free to do whatever she wanted, and what she wanted was to be in Fandom with her favorite bestest Turk ever. They'd been world-hopping for a few years now but nothing ever felt like home. Maybe Fandom would.

He'd texted her the room number, and it was crazy-early. Why knock when you had lockpicks? Really, if she'd knocked, he might have thought she was replaced with some kind of a pod person.

It occurred to Rikku like after she broke in that it was a good thing she hadn't gotten the apartment number wrong, because she might have totally broke into someone else's apartment and they might have been upset. But she would have dealt with it, and besides, this was totally Reno's place. Nobody else had a Mako honking excitedly to see her.

"Hiiiiiii, baby," she cooed as she shut the door. "Mommy has lots of stuff in the hallway. Are you going to be a good boy and not make a run for it?"

First step: uncrating Petey. The two of them would at least keep each other busy.

(JUST FOR THE GUY WHAT LIVES THAR. Wow, I missed this girl.)

Summer was almost over, and Rikku wasn't sure what would happen at the end of it. She felt restless, like something was unsettled. Maybe it was time for them to move on.

She was doing her best not to think about it, because ... well, because that was what she did best. Ignore things until they went away. And this park was supposed to be the happiest place on Earth, although there were three or four of those parks now, and they all said that. So ... maybe they had to compete for that title and one of them was the fourth happiest place on Earth and just pretended nobody noticed? That wouldn't be quite so catchy an ad.

"This map is kind of weird," she noted, from underneath her mouse ears. Visits to Disney parks required mouse ears. "It says 'Main Street, USA' on it. I thought the USA was that country we used to be in?"

Geography wasn't her strong suit. In her defense, she wasn't really from this world, okay?

(just for the redhead, yoto)

Yuna was busy, most of the time now. It had taken a couple of days of missed calls and overlapping travel for her to find her cousin, just to pass along the simple message -- that she and Reno had taken care of the fiend in the Bikanel desert.

Of course, if it had just been that, she could have left a message, but there was more. She needed to talk to Yuna. Really talk to her. About ... about a lot of things she never said, before.

She sat by the edge of the water, watching the waves lap up at the shore, and waited for her cousin to arrive.

(just for the NPC High Summoner, played by the delightful weldedtomyspine. the couple of days delay is for legitimate IC reasons and not because I was running around IRL, serious >.> )

Rikku was humming as she decorated the apartment. Because she didn't really know much about this holiday, but it was all kinds of cheerful, and that was good enough for her.

"You're lucky you're cute," she told the little ball of feathers sitting on the dining room table. "Because I am seriously tempted to go fiend-hunting without you. I need supplies, Momo needs practice, it's a win-win. You could take care of yourself, right?"

Actually, he'd probably be killed by one of the other pets inside of a day. Petey wouldn't mean to maim him. He'd just play too rough.

"Maybe I toss you into my leg-pouch?"

Because, seriously. He'd fit.

(for him what is turning back. can be open beyond that!)

MHA #1 looked a bit like a crime scene. One that had been hit by a tornado.

At the eye of the storm -- at the very still center of the overturned furniture and piles of strewn-about clothing and whipped-cream and chocolate-syrup stains -- were two figures, lying on the floor.

Neither of whom could move.

"Okay," Rikku managed, very, very weakly. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't think I want any more sex."

She was starting to chafe.

(for her Turk. other people can call if they want, but please do not come visit, as they are unable to get the door.)