The Dresspheres

Were it not for the fact that the Mascot dressphere is so very powerful, Rikku would never, ever use it. She hates it - hates covering her face, hates how big and bulky and hot it is, and most of all, hates the way Paine always laughs whenever Rikku wears it. Of course, Rikku laughs at Paine as well, but it’s… slightly different in that case. Rikku laughs at everyone. Paine usually doesn’t laugh outright. She might snicker, but the first time she saw Rikku in the stupid cat suit, she laughed so hard she had to sit down.



Rikku pulls the head off, shaking her braids out and feeling the sweat drip down her face. The little doll, which kinda reminds her of Lulu’s, lies on its side on the ground. She shakes her head again, mainly to enjoy the feeling of the air moving across her face. She catches sight of silvery hair and hears laughter, and she glowers.



“What are you laughing at?” She demands, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at Paine. Normally, she’d be more lighthearted, but the mere fact that she’s in this idiotic dressphere rather proves just how dire the circumstances were. An Ironsides is turning to Pyreflies in front of them, and Yuna is collapsed on the Calm Lands grass, no doubt worn out from the strain of casting spell after spell after spell. She’s wearing the White Mage dressphere, and she has complained to Rikku that sometimes it reminds her a bit too much of being a Summoner. However, she is also the best at casting White Magic, and necessity overrides comfort. Although it’s a good thing that the dresspheres are self cleaning, more or less, because the grass stains would be hell to get out of all of that white fabric.



Paine is sitting on the ground as well, in Black Mage. She has her hat off and is fanning herself with the wide brim. “Oh, just… remembering something,” she says, and her voice is full of that dry humor that Paine is so well known for.



“What are you remembering?” Rikku fumbles for her garment grid, pulling out the Mascot and putting in her standard Thief. As hot as it is in Mascot, it feels good to have the cool air on her skin again. She lies back on the grass, for all the world looking like she’s trying to make a snow angel.



“Remember when we were in Luca and there was that… convention going?” Paine stretches, arching her back, and Rikku doesn’t even bother pretending not to stare at Paine’s breasts in the corset-y thing that Black Mage wears.



“Not really,” Rikku says, poking Paine with her foot.



“I do,” Yuna pipes up, getting up on her knees and grinning a bit at the both of them. “The people who liked to dress up like animals, right?”



“Oh yeah…,” Rikku says, then shoots Paine a Look. “Are you suggesting….”



“Oh, I was just thinking about how big a hit you’d be at a place like that, in Mascot.” Paine chews on the stem of a flower, still grinning.



“She’s right,” Yuna says, rolling onto her belly to look at the two of them, smiling, her chin in her hands. “You’re awfully cute, dressed like that.”



Rikku groans, covering her face with both hands. “That isn’t fair,” she mumbles, flopping backwards. “Two against one.” Still, she has to smile, at least inside. Paine, joking around like this, would be a crazy thought a year ago. Today, it’s a reality, and Rikku thinks she’s willing to make an idiot of herself, if it means one of the bricks holding Paine’s heart closed gets pulled loose.