Thursday Night: Planning and Thinking and Wondering and Making Stupid Phone Calls

[the_merriest]

Okay, this was crazy. This was beyond crazy. That was the craziest bit, how weirdly sane it was. But ... this might work. For real this time, without anything going wrong. Without anyone getting hurt. She might really be able to bring him back.

With Dawn's help ... and Isabel's ... and Jarod's sketch ... would it be enough? She couldn't imagine it

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[smartestone]

Hermione brings many many books back with her from studying. "Hi," she says, setting her books down.

And then picking more up to start studying more. She's a geek. And then belatedly notices the phone on her desk. "Oh, I have a message."

[the_merriest]

Rikku was curled up in her pajamas, snuggling with the Judekitty and trying (and failing) to read.

"Hi! Whoa, do you still have finals? Mine are over! I couldn't believe that one today, with the priests! That was so weird! Although I guess not for Fandom, huh?" She smiled. "Oh! Oh, the message is ... wait. Listen to it first and then I'll explain. Sorry."

[smartestone]

Hermione listens to the message... staring at Rikku the whole time. "You called me? We both live here."

[the_merriest]

"Yeah, I know!" Rikku shook her head. "I was calling people and I thought I needed to tell you, too? And I called you and then ... I kinda realized that ... like, during the call, that that was, uh ..."

She hung her head. "Sorry?"

[smartestone]

"No, it's okay," she says, hanging up. "I've just never gotten a phone message from someone I've lived with before."

Taking a seat on her bed- with her books- she asks, "So you're having a meeting?"

[the_merriest]

Rikku nodded, sitting up excitedly. "Look! We have ... uh. There's a portal-thing and Isabel said and Dawn's friend, and ..."

She shook her head again, trying to clear it. "Sorry. Sorry. I'm ... this is ... we might actually be able to ..."

"First. Here." She hands Hermione the sketch. Her eyes might be just a smidge teary, but she has been very, very careful not to cry on it. "Th-this is. Him. M-my friend."

[smartestone]

Hermione's not going to remind her to talk in full sentences this time. She looks at the drawing and says, "It's good to put a face to him," she says.

[the_merriest]

Rikku swallowed, hard, and snuggled the kitty more. Kitties were good for helping with not-crying. And she was going to organize her thoughts this time and not flail around. Hopefully.

"There's a girl here named Isabel who said sh-she might be able to ... find him. If he's out there. But she needed a picture, she said, and I didn't have one. But we do now. Dawn said that she might be able to get to him, if she knew where he was. Which is what Isabel can do. Maybe. We have a picture and ... with both of them, and that sketch ... it may not be enough. But. But it might. We might actually ... Hermione, I th-think maybe we can ... can bring him back. For real." She looked over at her roommate, eyes wide. "That's ... the meeting. To see if we have what we need and if this is dangerous and ... and if we really can ... really can do this. F-find him. Get him. Bring him here."

[smartestone]

"It's good that you're thinking things through and organizing," says Hermione. "That's the way to do it. And if it's something you can do, you'll have a plan of how."

[the_merriest]

Rikku smiled, nodding. "Yeah. We're trying. It's hard, there's not really any information, you know? The fayth are gone and the library had nothing. And Yevon kept its secrets too well for home to tell us anything. I just ..."

She looked down, suddenly becoming very, very interested in petting the Judekitty and definitely not trying not to cry. "I just can't believe that it might work. I can't let myself, you know? I can't."

[smartestone]

"Don't get your hopes up too high," she says. "If you do that, you might miss things you could do, or shouldn't do. Just think about things logically, and worry about the rest after you try it. If you do."

[the_merriest]

Rikku nodded quickly. Still not looking up. "I'm not letting myself ... believe it. Think about it. And w-we're not trying if it's not safe. I'm not letting anyone else get hurt because of me. I won't. If we don't know, then ... then we don't do it. I'm not going to risk that."

All of which was true, except for the bit about not letting herself think about it. Or about Yuna, and him stepping through her to dive from the airship into the open air and ... stop it.

[smartestone]

"Good," she says. "It'll be okay. Even if it's not something you can do, you know that you did everything you could."

[the_merriest]

Rikku nodded. "Yeah. I know. I ... I know that now, too. I'm not feeling all crazy-guilty or anything now. Just ... I miss him, you know? And he and Yunie ... yeah. That'd be incredible."

She shook her head. "Not thinking about it. Being responsible. Planning. Yeah?"

[smartestone]

"Yes," she says, nodding. "Going about things the right way."

[the_merriest]

Rikku smiled. "Yeah. See? You're being all positive-influence on me."

And then giggled. "Which means I have to be a negative-influence on you, some time. Really, you never get up to mischief? Ever?"