Don't tell me it's been done before- I don't care. I just thought it'd be a fun sort of thing to write, so there. :P
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Summary: Basically, we find out that there's one person with close to constant access to Paine's Respect Points gadget… Shinra! What happens when Rikku finds out and demands to see it? Then there's the wedding to plan and everybody's favourite Praetor performing the ceremony…
- Respect Points Version 2.0-
Chapter 1Shinra had been inventing since he was in diapers, which had chemically altered by himself for extra softness and absorbency. Still, one invention stood out to him among the rest- Paine's Respect Points gadget…
It had begun in Paine's Crimson Squad days, a useless diversion driven by Gippal's account of his new friend, which had been later delivered to her as a Birthday present- Gippal's way of attempting to gain her trust. Ever since, Shinra had taken it back every month or so to add in some new fancy feature.
What can you say? It was a cool toy.
"Hey, Paine!"
Paine, on her way to find Rikku in the cabin where she had been sighted last, speaking –or attempting to speak- to Barkeep, turned and silently removed the tiny, spherical masterpiece from her glove, handing it to him quickly.
"Thanks," said Shinra, grinning, "I've got a really cool new feature to add on!"
"Just don't break it," said Paine.
"Hmph, do you really think I'm that stupid?"
"Of course not," said Paine, rolling her eyes, "what I mean is: don't let the hyper twins anywhere near it, okay?"
"Genius, remember? Besides, an infant wouldn't be so asinine as to leave a delicate instrument in Rikku's possession."
"Especially not such a private one," Paine agreed pointedly. "Let no one see it."
Shinra waved off her warning and went straight to work as Paine left.
-
"Rikku?" said Paine, walking into the cabin, "are you still here?"
"Yea," said Rikku absently, waving vaguely from where she sat next to Barkeep, who was drawling on about Yevon knew what.
"shheifhshhfshhssbdebuhdsudhwudbxbuhwdsh…" he sighed.
"Right…" said Paine. "Can I borrow Rikku for a minute or two?"
"Eeeef yoo musht…" said Barkeep, sounding depressed.
Rikku, on the other hand, jumped up quickly, "cool beans! See ya, Barkeep!"
The two of them left, Rikku not far off skipping.
"So what's up? Have the Gullwings got a mission?"
"No such luck," said Paine, "I'm afraid we're yesterday's news."
"Well then, what's up?"
"Yuna wants to see us on Besaid," said Paine, shrugging, "she wouldn't say what it was for."
"Helllloo?" Rikku complained, "we were on Besaid yesterday- could we not have talked then?"
"I'm guessing Tidus needed the extra time to practise his proposal," said Paine dryly.
"Fayth! Tidus proposed already!"
"I'll bet," said Paine. "What else could it be?"
"I guess… How sad is it, Painey? Even Brother's gotten hitched… I mean, we're officially the Gullwings Three- our Friendly Neighbourhood Buddy is gone too!"
"At least Shinra won't be getting married for a while yet," said Paine, shrugging. "We're stuck with Mr Kid Genius as long as we live."
"Hey, I guess. SRP now- right?"
"Either that or leave Shinra out and just say RP- which sounds demented, by the way."
"SRP it is," said Rikku. "So are we en route to Besaid yet?"
"Uhh, Spira to Rikku? You're the captain now- you're supposed to drive."
"Hmph, who figured Buddy'd up and leave us? I mean, Brother just wants to get under my skin, but Buddy?"
"Well Gippal wanted to join," said Paine, shrugging as they walked back to the Bridge.
"Really?!" asked Rikku brightly.
"Your father wouldn't let him."
"Why not?!" Rikku huffed.
"Because neither of you are responsible enough to be trusted with the care of a ship and I can't watched over both of you."
"Hmph!" said Rikku loudly and she walked ahead.
Paine rolled her eyes and followed, "so what do you want to do?" she asked eventually.
"Are the Gullwings too far gone, do you think?"
"What? You mean we give it up?!" said Rikku, horrified.
"Just wondering," said Paine, shrugging. "It's just that we aren't getting a lot of actual work aside from random fiends, and they don't pay half as well as our missions used to- and when was the last time we got treasure sphere waves from Shinra's hunk of machina?"
"I guess… but let's give it a while, okay?"
"Okay."
-
Shinra looked up as Paine and Rikku entered the Bridge and grinned, "well here's your first test, Riks- d'you reckon you can fly this thing to Besaid?"
"No crash landing this time," said Paine, shaking her head.
"Yes! We only crashed last time because Brother kept barking at me!" Rikku protested self-righteously.
"Let's hope so," said Paine, "but I think I'll get the safety equipment ready anyway."
"I'll come with you," said Shinra, getting out of his chair and following Paine to the storage space beneath the engine room.
Paine closed the door behind her and looked at Shinra expectantly as Rikku hoisted the Celsius into the air, "well?"
"I've greatly simplified it," said Shinra proudly, waving the tiny, 2cm-diameter sphere, he opened it up and typed in Paine's password for her and pulled up Rikku's name from the list as an example. The other names faded out and were replace by two choices, a small green circle with a plus, and a red one with a minus. "It's a touch screen," he told her, showing her the small grey stick he was using to touch the buttons, "just tap the green circle to add a point, and the red circle to take one away."
Paine nodded silently, and tried it for herself, adding three points to Shinra's name.
Shinra grinned, now on 79, "what's your marking scheme, anyway?"
Paine gave him an annoyed look but shrugged, "everyone starts with ten points- they gain, or lose, points from there."
"Then why does Rikku have –20?"
"Do you have to ask?"
"Good reply… I guess we'd better get back."
Paine nodded and they returned to the Bridge.
"Where are the emergency kits?" asked Rikku and Paine shrugged.
"We decided to give you a chance," she said.
Rikku beamed, "well, we're almost here, so strap in for landing, 'kay?"
Paine, who had never worn a seatbelt in her life, sat down now and, for Rikku's sake, buckled one across her waist.
"Good," said Rikku, partly to herself, "Shinra, are you wearing your seatbelt?"
Shinra, who wasn't, nodded, "yes," he lied and Paine gave him a patronising look, which he replied to which a shrug.
"Like I could get it over my suit," he whispered and Paine just shook her head.
Yuna was waiting on the beach as they landed, "hallo!" she cried, running up, and the first thing Paine saw was the rock on her finger that glinted in the sun's light. Yup, Tidus had proposed.
"Hey! Rikku, Paine- guess what!!!"
"You're getting married," said Paine dryly.
"Congratulations!" Rikku squealed, hugging her cousin tight, and even Shinra got off the ship to pass on his good wishes.
"Uhm, yes," said Yuna, a little put off that they had guessed.
"Where's Tidus?" asked Paine, taking Yuna's hand and squeezing it- the closest she would go to Rikku's bear-hug.
"I think Lulu's lecturing him on something or other," said Yuna, grinning uncertainly.
"That sounds about right," Rikku giggled, "how has everyone been?"
"Vidina said his first word the other day!" said Yuna brightly.
"Was it 'Mama'?" asked Rikku, who had bet Wakka that it would be.
"Was it 'Papa'?" asked Paine, who had teasingly bet Lulu the same thing.
"It was 'Yuna'!" she giggled and Paine and Rikku both sighed loudly.
"What was your money on?" asked Rikku and Yuna blushed ruefully.
"I thought it'd be 'Lai'," she admitted.
"Baralai's here?" said Paine, blinking in surprise.
"Well, not at the moment," said Yuna, "but he visits a lot- he says the politics in Bevelle are turning sour- it's not a great place to be at the moment."
Paine, who had not visited her apartment in Bevelle since before joining the Gullwings, made a mental note not to return any time soon.
"He should be joining us soon, though," said Yuna. "I called him to come down and get fitted for a suit for the wedding."
"Oh Fayth…" Paine muttered.
"Does that mean we get to try on dresses?!?!" Rikku squealed happily and Yuna nodded, grinning.
Paine put a hand to her head.
Shinra paled visibly and prepared to run away with the Celsius before he got dragged in too.
"Hey, wait up, Shinra!" Yuna called. "Don't think that you're not a part of this wedding! We need to get you in a tux too!"
Shinra groaned loudly and Paine sent him a pitying look as he trudged back.
"Let's go find the groom-to-be," said Rikku brightly. "I wanna punch him for not telling me first!"
"'Kay!" said Yuna happily and the hyper twins ran off- Paine and Shinra trailing miserably after them.