Bnyldela, bnyldela, bnyldela

[chasing_fury]

WHO: Lulu & Rikku
WHAT: a refresher course in Al Bhed
WHEN: Tuesday evening
WHERE: Rikku's place

Comments

[cunningness]

There wasn't much going on at the garage, either; Rikku has purposely cleaned the place out of customers and employees alike, leaving just one person in the main hangar in case anybody showed up. He was a year or two younger than her, and she knew he was crushing on her hard. But it couldn't be helped--it wasn't her fault if most people who volunteered to work for her wanted to get into her pants.

Or lack thereof, she mentally corrected herself, smoothing out the front of her forest-green mini skirt. She was currently lounging in a comfy, overstuffed chair shoved into one corner of the kynyka. It looked completely out of place among the tools and mostly disassembled machines, but she liked it, in spite of the bright crimson upholstery.

Her ears perked as she heard a car pull up the drive, and she grinned, springing nimbly to her feet. She raced with abandon to the front doorway, sticking her head out through the threshold and grinning brilliantly when she saw the elder woman. "Rao!" she greeted, shoving the door the rest of the way open and waving broadly. She hadn't been kidding when she had said lessons would start immediately.

[chasing_fury]

Lulu shut off the engine, stepped out of the car, and locked it behind her of course--hiding the keys somewhere out of sight in case Rikku got cute.

Not that she didn't trust her friend--but one never knew what went on in that girl's head sometimes. Besides, the girl reminded Lulu a little of herself, in that she probably couldn't pass up a challenge.

"Rao!" she called in answer, strolling toward the door, a smirk playing over her lips as she made her way. Saying "hey" in Al Bhed sounded so kind of...catty. She liked it. "Kuut du caa oui."

[cunningness]

Stealing from Lulu was a very tempting idea--Rikku new she had several valuable objects, a lot of which she'd like to get her hands on. But on her short list of ethics, "do not steal from people you're friends with" was pretty close to the top. Besides, she knew the elder would have no qualms about kicking her ass if she had to.

The young thief stepped back from the door a pace or two, still smiling broadly. She hadn't seen the brunette in a good while--it was good to be around someone she knew, someone she could trust. At least, she was pretty sure she could trust Lulu--there had never really been anything to suggest otherwise.

Once her friend was through the door, she nudged it shut and looped her their arms together. "Megafeca," she said cheerily, giving a winning smile to her employee (who was staring at them both now--she made a mental note to dock his pay a bit) before steering Lulu towards the stairs. "Ed'c paah y frema."

[chasing_fury]

"Duu muhk," Lulu smiled and went inside, glancing around the place with an approving nod as Rikku caught her by the arm.

"Hud pyt yd ymm." Rikku seemed to be doing well for herself, Lulu thought--sparing a quick wink for the gawking boy at the front desk as the younger woman pulled her upstairs.

She was glad to sense that here was at least one more person she could count as a friend--and even in the unlikely even that someone offered to pay Lulu to come between Rikku and whomever she had set her sights on...Rikku had nothing to worry about from Lulu.

"Cu...ruf crymm fa tu drec?" she asked, suspecting that she sounded even worse to Rikku, "Do I sound as rusty as I think I do?"

[cunningness]

"Dryhgc," the blonde chimed with more than just a hint of pride. She had inherited this garage from her father, yes, but she was the one who had really gotten into it. Her care of the place had made business boom, had put this garage to the top. She had to thank Cid for starting it, of course, but she was its mother.

The rooms above the garage were actually pretty comfy; they weren't high-class or anything, but they were roomy enough and had a lived-in feeling. Sure, there were just a few dishes that needed to be washed, and Rikku's own room wasn't the cleanest in the world, but it was home. Or rather, as close to home as anything she'd ever had.

"Zicd ruf fa'ja paah tuehk ed," the blonde girl replied easily, though she did give a loose chuckle at Lulu's next question. "Just a little," she said, though she was pretty sure Lulu caught the hidden meaning: A whole damn lot. "But no worries, it's like riding a bike--once you learn it once, it just takes a bit of time to remember."

[chasing_fury]

"Gaab ib dra kuut fung," Lulu said, admiring the girl's spunk. She had to admit, even if housekeeping wasn't Rikku's forte, the rooms certainly felt more lived-in and homey than the one's at Lulu's place. Except maybe the secret room where her "guests" were never allowed.

The rest of it she kept almost obsessively clean, because people had to see it, and she still had to live there when they were gone.

"Cu damm sa ypuid drec socdano syh uv ouinc," Lulu asked, hoping if she just kept talking--and listening carefully to Rikku's pronunciation--she'd pick up the rhythm again. "Ruf tet oui saad? Fryd'c ra mega?"

[cunningness]

Rikku ushered her friend over towards the comfiest--and therefore biggest and mushiest--chair in the living room. She'd actually won it from a bet during a poker game. She wasn't very good at cards, and the win had been a complete and utter fluke. But she wasn't complaining.

The thief herself scampered over towards the kitchen, glancing over her shoulder as she did so. "Yhodrehk du tnehg?" she asked, being sure to enunciate clearly. Lulu had the basics of the language down; she just needed a bit of work on some of the more complicated words.

As she busied herself getting a glass of water, a catlike grin flicked over Rikku's lips. "Tinehk y raecd," she said giddily. "E fyc kuehk vun cusa kasc, yht ra rybbahat du pa eh dra cysa ruica." Sure, it sounded like an odd way to meet, but Rikku had always loved that sort of thing. "Ra'c y rika vmend yht megac du gaab rec calnadc calnad. Tihhu silr amca. Oad."

[chasing_fury]

"Oac bmayca," Lulu replied as she took a seat in the big, warm, cushy command chair, "Fydan ec veha." It helped to be able to put Rikku's words in context--but she had to pat close attention when the blond began to tell her story.

It took her a moment to realized that if she just listened, instead of trying so hard to analyze every syllable of every word, she was able to pick out the familiar words and recall their meaning much more easily. The rest fell into place not far behind.

"Y raecd," she echoed, "On a heist?" It actually sounded quite romantic--not to mention a fitting way for a thief to meet her match. "Ra cuihtc banvald vun oui."

[cunningness]

After filling two cups with water from the tap (it was clean, she had made sure of that when she'd moved in), she flitted over towards the sitting area and handed one off to her friend before taking a seat across from her on the couch. It was a startling shade of sunshine yellow, and seeing as none of her furniture actually matched anything, it worked for her.

"Ra ec cu vyn," she confirmed, taking a long gulp of cool water afterwards. Working in the garage all day was bound to make a person thirsty, especially with the lack of real air conditioning. Fans in the windows, which were almost always open, just didn't cut it most of the time.

"Ra lyh tyhla, duu." She didn't bother to explain how she had found that out--telling Lulu that she had waltzed with a complete stranger in the midst of robbing a house just sounded weird. "Pid pylg du oui. Damm sa ypuid drec kio fru fa pudr drehg ec lida. Dra uha E cyet fyc vneket frah E dneat du vmend."

[chasing_fury]

"Dryhg oui," Lulu murmured as she accepted the glass, her eyes roaming over the eclectic assortment of furniture. It was very...unique...very Rikku.

"Yht ra tyhlac, tuac ra? Oui lyh'd payd dryd," she commented, smirking as she read between the lines of Rikku's tale as it grew in the telling. Lulu herself was quite accustomed to dancing with strangers, but aside from the occasional stealing of hearts, it was an entirely different context. She imagined it must have been quite interesting.

"Damm oui fryd?" she asked, giving Rikku the eyebrow over a sip of water before she said any more, "E sad res yd y hekrdlmip--uh dra tyhla vmuun--yvdan ra yht rec vneaht ryt syta y pad dryd haedran uv dras fuimt kad y tyda dryd hekrd." She shrugged as if to say it was nothing new. "Ra dumt sa ra fyc zehqat, E dumt res E ghaf dra luihdancbamm vun dryd, yht dra nacd ec recduno."

She smiled, though, as she thought about the young soldati--even as she shook her head. "Ra'c Monacello. A soldati," she sighed, "Pid ra cyoc ra't naymmo fungehk du bid yh aht du dra syvvey." Another wistful sigh. "Dra fyo ra dymgc ypuid rec tnaysc...ed nasehtc sa uv...res."

She knew Rikku would probably know whom she was referring to--but couldn't bring herself to speak his name. "Pacetac, ra'c vuin oaync ouihkan dryh E ys," she said--bringing the subject back to Soiree. "Oui naymmo cruimt caa ruf ... ehhulahd ... ra caasc cusadesac."

[cunningness]

"Hud yd ymm," the blonde agreed, pulling her legs up to sit cross-legged. She traced the rim of the glass with a yellow-polished finger, creating a faint ringing noise. "Ra teth'd ajah cdab uh so vaad uhla." Which was a whole bunch more than she could say for a lot of the boys she had danced with over the years.

As she listened to that first bit, Rikku's face showed more and more incredulity. "Oui'na... gettehk," she managed after a few seconds. Her eyes were wide with shock--a guy who would do that to Lulu of all people seemed like a pretty big jerk. She was probably one of the most beautiful women Rikku knew; having that beauty exploited for a bet just seemed like a low move. But she couldn't help but give an amused snort at the jinxed part--he must have known Lulu was good at that sort of thing, else he wouldn't have come onto her like that.

"Bnaddo ehdanacdehk recduno," she chimed, taking a large gulp of water as she continued to listen. She hardly hid a wince--he was part of the mafia. Though she claimed to be neutral, Rikku was actually affiliated in some ways with both houses. But if he was a soldati, well, that didn't often end well.

The thief's entire demeanor softened when Lulu mentioned him. She knew he'd been probably the only person to chip away at the brunette's heart, if not break it completely. Hell, even Rikku herself had been enamored for a while. But for this soldati guy to remind her of him... well, Rikku would definitely have to check him out and make sure he was alright.

"Vuin oaync ech'd dryd silr," she pointed out, physically loosening her grip on the glass. "E'ja tydat umtan sah pavuna. Oui cruimt dudymmo ku vun ed." The mechanic took another large drink of water as if to finalize this decision.

[chasing_fury]

Lulu nodded. Dancing was one of her guilty pleasures--even dancing with clients--but it was always a treat finding a partner who danced well.

"Naymmo, pid E't ymnayto paah vmendehk fedr res zicd y meddma uhmeha..." Lulu confessed at Rikku's raised eyebrow. So it wasn't quite as bad as it sounded. "E ghaf ymm ypuid dra pad pavuna E lrynsat yh ehjedydeuh uid uv res."

Lulu had been--was still--a little hesitant about getting involved with someone from the mafia...again...but he how could she pass up a sweet thing like Soiree? Especially if he was as sincere as he seemed. Whatever he was, he didn't seem to be putting on an act.

"Pid ouihkan sah?" Lulu asked--and then she shook her head for being so silly. Even if he was a little young and inexperienced at certain things, Lulu thought, he did seem to have a fairly well established idea of what he wanted with his life. "Ku vun ed, rir? E drehg E zicd sekrd tu dryd."

[cunningness]

Realization dawned, and Rikku's mouth opened into an "O" of understanding. "Oui'na y chaygo uha, so vneaht," she said, raising her half-full glass of water in a mock toast. "Jano, jano chaygo. Ymsucd mega sa."

Sincerity from the mafia had always seemed like sort of an oxymoron to Rikku. Then again, she didn't generally get personally involved with anyone--even the soldati--if she could help it. Things could jsut get too messy, and then both her businesses could go under. Claiming to be neutral was so much easier, and saved her a load of trouble. Most times.

"Ouihk, umt. Drao'na cdemm puoc, hu syddan draen yka," she said thoughtfully, leaning back on the couch a bit and holding the glass contemplatively in both hands. She had dated a younger boy a few months ago--he'd been just a year younger at sixteen, if she remembered correctly. It hadn't been much more than a fling, but he had always managed to seem a bit older than her. She'd hired him, of course, and once she had decided to break things off he'd left his job at the garage. That had been a shame--he'd been a good employee.

An idea formed, and she smiled brightly as she let her abnormally spiraled eyes drift back down to her friend. "Fa lyh tuipma-tyda, ev ra'c yc ehhulahd yc oui cyo," she pointed out. "Yc cuuh yc E luhjehla so haf puo du ku uh y tyda fedr sa. Frelr cruimth'd pa duu rynt, luhcetanehk E's sa."

[chasing_fury]

Lulu raised her glass in return, grinning at the blond thief, laughing at the teasing compliment.

"Puoc femm pa puoc," she nodded, leaning forward at the girl's suggestion of a double-date. "E's cina oui fuh'd ryja yho dnuipma cdaymehk rec raynd," Lulu said with a smirk, "Acbaleymmo fedr dryd Milg-cbamm E bnusecat du daylr oui."

[cunningness]

A wide grin split Rikku's face and she leaned forward as well, eyes sparkling with the mere thought of that spell. "Ra'mm hajan cdyht y lryhla!" she said giddily, bouncing up and down in her seat. She sounded-and looked-like a schoolgirl with her first crush. She was the farthest thing from that, of course, but the effect was the same. "Ur, zicd oui fyed ihdem E kad dryd sycg ev rec uvv."

[chasing_fury]

Oh, they were in for it now, weren't they? Lulu thought, watching the grin on Rikku's face, knowing the girl would probably use the trick for more than just stealing hearts. Still, she couldn't help laughing at Rikku's antics, knowing that--even if it didn't quite show yet--she was almost as enchanted by her own budding romance with Soiree.

""Dno drec," she explained, tossing Rikku a colorful, daisy-shaped bangle--with five petals, of course, the odd number ensuring it would always land on 'he loves me.' Inscribed around the edges were runes which read:

"To the moon. To the sun.
To the skies. To the waters.
Stars, let your fire burn.
Winds let your strength grow.
Let us unite. Let me shine bright."

It sounded almost silly when she said it aloud now, but it had seemed a fitting charm for Rikku when she'd cone through her trinkets earlier. "Oui cund uv...vulic ouin luhlahdnydeuh yc oui lryhd ed," she demonstrated, twirling a finger, almost as if tracing the runes in the air, "Yht ajahdiymmo oui tuh'd ajah ryja du cyo ed uid muit yhosuna."

It was hard to explain, exactly, but then...she'd let Rikku be the judge of its effectiveness. "Ur, yht oui lyh cdylg dra cbamm ib du veja desac eh y nuf, ev oui fyhd du bylg y meddma aqdny bihlr." She chuckled. "Just watch out for karma."